Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah will "have a fight on his hands" to play regular football next season, according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown.

The 22-year-old is close to signing a new long-term contract with the Gunners, although with Mikel Arteta hoping to bring in at least one frontman, Brown fears for the youngster's game-time.

What's the latest news involving Nketiah?

With Nketiah's Emirates deal expiring later this month, the 2021-2022 campaign looked set to be his last as an Arsenal player.

But an excellent end to the season, which saw him score five goals in seven appearances, including a brace in the victory at Chelsea, appears to have led to the striker, described as 'phenomenal' by Arteta', committing his future to the club.

According to The Athletic, Nketiah is 'on the verge' of putting pen to paper on a new five-year contract, which will see his stay at the club extended until the summer of 2027, while the Daily Mail believe Arsenal are expected to pay him wages of £100,000 per-week, plus potential bonuses of £5m.

Despite his imminent contract extension, with Arsenal being strongly linked with Gabriel Jesus amongst other number nines, Brown reckons Nketiah's first-team chances might be "limited".

What did O'Rourke say about Nketiah?

He told GIVEMESPORT: "He's obviously backing himself and thinks he can get in the team, he's confident in his own ability, which is totally fair enough.

"I don't think Arteta ever wanted to let him go, I think Arteta likes him as a player, but you'd have to say his opportunities might be limited, he'll have a fight on his hands to get in."

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Could Nketiah be Arsenal's first choice striker next season?

Despite ending last term as the club's number one frontman, having moved ahead of Alexandre Lacazette in the pecking order, Nketiah's game-time next season is likely to hinge on how the Gunners perform in the transfer window.

Providing they sign someone like Jesus, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, or Tammy Abraham, it's unlikely they're going to splash out £40m-£50m and that player not come straight into the starting XI.

But as Nketiah proved last season, working his way into the team is still an option, and this time he'll have the added bonus of Arsenal being in the Europa League, which he'll be hoping is a competition he can use to catch Arteta's eye.