Eddie Nketiah set for new Arsenal number that speaks volumes about role in squad

Eddie Nketiah is rumoured to have already signed his new Arsenal contract and is now set to be handed the club's iconic number 14 shirt by boss Mikel Arteta.

The young forward did not enjoy the same meteoric rise to the Gunners' first team like his fellow Hale-End academy graduates Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. Nketiah bagged a brace on his debut but then found senior minutes incredibly hard to come by and was eventually set on loan to Leeds United who were still a Championship outfit back then.

He encountered similar problems at Elland Road, which eventually led to Nketiah being recalled to the Emirates where he has been forced to sit and wait for a real run of games to stake his claim.

After an injury to Alexandre Lacazette towards the tail-end of last season with the Gunners still vying for the much-coveted fourth spot, Nketiah was thrown in at the deep end and barely looked back.

A brace against Chelsea during a memorable 4-2 win at Stamford Bridge ensured the Arsenal faithful made clear who they wanted to remain leading the line even when Lacazette returned to fitness. The young forward followed that performance up with a spirited display against Manchester United at the Emirates.

Nketiah finished the season like a man with a point to prove, adding another double to his name during the 2-1 home victory over Leeds United before signing off in style with a fifth goal of the season on the final day battering of Everton.

Just before his impressive run in the team to end the season, Nketiah appeared on the Beautiful Game podcast to admit he has always harboured one ambition in particular. "It has always been my goal to be the number nine for Arsenal", England Under-21's record goal-scorer admitted.

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While he may not be wearing the number nine shirt next term, he'll certainly be given the chance to lead from the front like Arsenal's number nine - though he'll be donning the number 14.

Nketiah has finally put to bed the relentless speculation surrounding his future and penned a new deal with the Gunners that will see him inherit a shirt number previously worn by the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Theo Walcott and club legend Thierry Henry.

It is a testament to the kind of faith Arteta clearly has in the 23-year-old that he would entrust Nketiah with a number that comes with huge connotations to the history of Arsenal. The Gunners boss has been a huge vocal advocate of the young striker.

Speaking after Nketiah's Stamford Bridge heroics, Arteta said: "If there is one player that I have been unfair with I think it's him. He has given me every right to do something different, and if Eddie doesn't play more, it's my fault and because as a manager I missed something or I haven't had the courage to play him more. Today he showed me more how wrong I was."