Marseille 'step up' interest in £40m Arsenal forward as Mason Greenwood alternative

Nketiah joined the Arsenal academy in 2015 from Chelsea and made his first appearance for the Gunners in 2018 under former manager Arsene Wenger.

He was sent on loan to Leeds United during the 2019-20 season but has struggled to nail down a starting role for the North Londoners since his to the Emirates Stadium.

The 25-year-old once again found himself on the outskirts of Mikel Arteta's squad last term, with Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz preferred as the primary choices for the forward positions.

Despite being labelled a "top-level" striker by Arteta, Nketiah scored just six goals in 37 appearances across all competitions last season, with less than half of those appearances being starts.

Arsenal to offload Nketiah this summer

After missing out on the Premier League title last season, Arteta is expected to look to bolster his squad this summer, and adding a new striker is believed to be among the club's priorities.

That will likely mean that the Gunners will need to offload at least one of their current forwards and recent reports have suggested that Nketiah is the most likely to depart.

According to Football Insider, Marseille had previously made contact with Nketiah's representatives and are preparing to make an official bid for the 25-year-old in the coming days.

The report adds that Marseille's new boss Roberto De Zerbi is a huge admirer of the Arsenal forward and has put him at the top of his transfer wishlist.

However, it is understood that the major hurdle in getting a deal done is likely to be the Gunners' £40m valuation of the player, with the Ligue 1 outfit believed to be more comfortable with a price tag closer to £20m.

Nketiah's current contract at the Emirates runs until the end of the 2026-27 season, meaning the club can hold out for their asking price as they are under very little pressure to sell him this summer.

Marseille considering Nketiah as Greenwood alternative?

Les Phoceens were rumoured to have agreed to a deal in the region of £27m to sign Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood earlier this week.

However, it appears that they are now looking elsewhere for striking options due to fears of backlash from supporters after Marseille mayor Benoit Payan criticised the club's decision to sign the Red Devils attacker.

In addition to Nketiah, Marseille have also been linked with a move for Brighton striker Simon Adingra as an alternative target.

The Ivorian played under De Zerbi at the American Express Stadium last season and is believed to be highly rated by the Italian tactician.

Adingra featured in 31 Premier League matches for the Seagulls last season, during which he scored six goals and one assist. He also contributed to three goals in eight matches in Brighton's Europa League campaign.