Will Eddie Nketiah be sold? Mikel Arteta makes decision on Arsenal forward's future amid Brentford and Crystal Palace interest

The English forward, who has appeared in 23 matches for the club across all competitions this season, will not to be sold or loaned out in the upcoming January transfer window, as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta sees him as a key part of the squad, The Sun reports.

Speaking to reporters, the Gunners boss said in October: "He’s got an eye for goal. You look at his stats from the last 10 years. What he’s done is remarkable. He needs minutes, opportunities and service. If he gets that, Eddie is going to score goals, that’s for sure. He’s a great player for Arsenal. He can be better, yes. And the best thing is the talent that he’s got, but especially his mentality is incredible. When he has that mentality with that talent, he’s going to get much better."

As per The Sun, Nketiah has drawn interest from Premier League sides Brentford and Crystal Palace in recent times while the north London club in turn have been linked with a move for The Bees' star forward Ivan Toney.

But even if Toney ends up joining Arsenal, they will not allow their 24-year-old player to leave as they would need a strong bench if they want to go all out for the Premier League title in the second half of the season.

Arteta's side will head into Christmas as the league leaders after they managed a 1-1 draw at Anfield against Liverpool on Saturday. They will be next seen in action in the Premier League on Thursday as they take on West Ham.