Mikel Arteta confirmed plans for club talks over the future of Eddie Nketiah after Arsenal recalled the striker from his loan at Leeds United.

With five goals, Nketiah was the second-top scorer for Leeds upon his return to Arsenal. He also won a penalty, and his shot led to a goal against Fulham the week before last. Unfortunately, he only made two league starts, both in the last seven days.

Arsenal made the decision to exercise their option to bring him back in January. Rumours suggest they’re likely to loan the 20-year-old out again before the end of the month.

For now, the club haven’t confirmed any kind of decision. Mikel Arteta said in his press conference on Thursday that they need to hold conversations to decide what is best for the player, even if that means deviating from the original plan.

“We have to sit down with the loan department and we’ll do that this afternoon, to discuss the best possible way for him to keep developing,” Arteta said.

“We have to sit down with him, hear from him – that’s very important because we need to know what he needs as well – and make the right decision for the next five months.

“I have to speak with him. I think the first idea was that he was going to be on loan for the rest of the season. We have to assess the situation again now. At the moment [I don’t know] but I will have some answers very soon.”

Nketiah scored three and assisted one in seven appearances (three starts) for Arsenal in pre-season.

That form earned him a loan move, but Gabriel Martinelli’s breakthrough, as well as Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remaining at the club, makes it hard to envision Nketiah staying at Arsenal for the second half of the season.