West Ham United are now leading the race to sign Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal when his contract expires this summer, according to a report.

The Daily Mail report that West Ham United are ready to take advantage of Eddie Nketiah’s contract situation, and they’re in pole position to pounce if he doesn’t extend with Arsenal.

Nketiah’s deal is set to run out next month, though the Mail add that another meeting is planned between his representatives and the Gunners to see if they can find a resolution.

Football.London wrote this week that Arsenal remain optimistic that Nketiah will sign a new deal to stay at the Emirates Stadium, despite rejecting offers to extend earlier this season.

The topic of Nketiah’s contract has become more of a talking point in recent weeks, with the 22-year-old scoring four goals in five consecutive starts – the most Premier League starts in a row he’s ever made.

If Nketiah’s goals do get Arsenal into the Champions League, it’s not exactly a surprise that they’d be keen to keep him around.

But the big question is whether they could convince him he’d still be playing matches next season.

Charles Watts writes for Goal that Nketiah has resisted a number of attempts to extend his contract, and further talks are expected in the coming weeks before he decides whether to stay or go.

Plenty of reports have suggested Crystal Palace are interested in Nketiah, and Watts confirms they still maintain a strong interest, adding that Brighton are also monitoring the situation. It looks like we can now add West Ham to the list.

If Nketiah did move to a Premier League club, Arsenal would be owed a compensation fee determined by a tribunal – as a young former academy player – despite his contract running out.