Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal striker will stay this month

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has insisted that Eddie Nketiah won't be heading for the exit door this month.

The striker has entered the final six months of his contract, and he has been touted to leave on a cut-price deal.

Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion are interested in his services, but Arteta has a firm stance on his future.

The Gunners are currently short of centre-forward options, and Arteta has insisted that the graduate will stay put.

He told Arsenal.com: "The situation is that Eddie is our player and Eddie is going to stay here with us. He's our player and he's under contract, so he will stay with us."

Arteta axed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from first-team duties recently following a disciplinary breach.

There are suggestions that the Gabon star could be sold before the transfer window closes on January 31.

The Gunners want to bring in Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic to replace him, but a deal is far from being finalised.