Arsenal academy product Nathan Butler-Oyedeji has ignited a competition for his signature between two sides in the Championship and clubs in Germany, according to reports.
The striker has been with the Gunners since he was eight years old and signed a professional contract with the club back in 2021. However, he has yet to make a first-team appearance for Arsenal, with his future in North London now increasingly uncertain.
Butler-Oyedeji spent the second half of the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Accrington Stanley which ended disastrously as he failed to score a single goal in 11 appearances whilst the club were relegated from League One.
However, on transfer deadline day, it was announced that the then-20-year-old would move to Cheltenham Town on a season-long loan, offering him a second chance to prove himself in England’s third tier. Unfortunately, the young frontman failed to make any impact once again and his loan spell was cut short in January.
Nevertheless, Football Insider are reporting that Championship duo Swansea City and Bristol City have registered interest in the Arsenal U21s attacker and will look to compete with German clubs Schalke and FC Nurnberg for his signature this summer.
Furthermore, the outlet are reporting that Arsenal are now looking to allow Butler-Oyedeji to leave on a permanent basis after his two failed loan moves to Accrington Stanley and Cheltenham.
Speaking to The Beautiful Game Podcast back in 2023, Butler-Oyedeji revealed that he is open to dropping down to the third and fourth tiers of English football as well as moving abroad to get some game-time which is important for his development.
“I don’t really mind [where his next move will be], League One, League Two, I’m open to abroad as well.
“We’ve spoken to the club [Arsenal], but I still need to speak to them to iron another few things out.”
Writer’s View
His two loan spells, in hindsight, weren’t the correct choices by Arsenal. While getting experience in men’s football is important, it was always going to be tough for Butler-Oyedeji to get consistent minutes as both Stanley and Cheltenham were locked in tense relegation battles.
The youngster’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season and it’s highly unlikely that the Gunners will offer him a new deal despite performing quite well for the U21s this term. Perhaps a new challenge, maybe even in a foreign country, is what he needs to reach that next step.