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Leeds United have finalised the signing of England U21 international Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal.
✍️ | Leeds United are delighted to announce the signing of @EddieNketiah9 on a season-long loan
— Leeds United (@LUFC) August 8, 2019
Nketiah burst onto the footballing scene in 2017, scoring just 15 seconds after coming off the bench against Norwich City in the League Cup. He then scored again in Extra Time to give Arsenal a 2-1 win.
Nketiah will be to Leeds what Abraham was to Villa and what Gayle was to WBA.. Absolute game changer! Arsenal fans saying he’s been looking very sharp pre season, 49 goals in 77 games is impressive at any level, over 20 of them in an England shirt, knows where the net is. #lufc
— TSSALUFC (@TSSALUFC) August 7, 2019
The 20-year-old Striker scored his first Premier League goal on the final day of the 2018/19 season, scoring a stoppage time goal in a 3-1 win against Burnley at Turf Moor.
The forward has a good record with the England youth sides scoring 21 goals in 25 games across the U18/19/20/21s.
Love this for everyone involved. Nketiah (99) gets pigeon holed as a bit of a poacher, purely because he scores so many goals. Much more well rounded game than that, super intelligent player. https://t.co/JJBVB8SZOC
— Rowd (@RowdenJRSG) August 8, 2019
Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa talked up the signing in his press conference saying he can become “one of the important players in English football”.
Marcelo Bielsa on potential Leeds signing Eddie Nketiah: "He is a young, important player in English football. He's a player with a very good reputation with football people. He can be one of the important players in English football."#lufc
— Graham Smyth (@GrahamSmyth) August 8, 2019
Leeds are said to have beaten a lot of competition for the signing, the strongest of which came from fellow Championship side Bristol City - who at one point were strong favourites to secure the signature of the player and Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Orta takes an absolute battering on here, so hopefully it won’t be conveniently forgotten that he dragged Nketiah from of a scheduled medical at Bristol and mounds of interest from elsewhere. #LUFC https://t.co/3ydQbE5RK0
— LUFC Blog (@lufcblog_) August 8, 2019
It has been said that Victor Orta made a strong case in person for Leeds to be the Nketiah’s destination, using his relationship with Unai Emery, whom he worked with at Sevilla.