Crystal Palace forward Eddie Nketiah close to switching allegiance to Ghana

England forward Eddie Nketiah is reportedly on the verge of switching his international allegiance to Ghana, with the required paperwork being prepared for submission to FIFA.

The Crystal Palace striker is understood to be considering a move to the Black Stars after being overlooked by England since making his senior debut in 2023.

Nketiah, 27, has recovered from a knock and has become a regular under new Palace manager Pierre Sage. His continued involvement at club level has strengthened Ghana’s interest as preparations are made to complete the process with FIFA.

The former Arsenal forward remains eligible to represent Ghana despite having won one senior cap for England.

Nketiah made his England debut in a friendly against Australia in October 2023, coming on as a substitute in a 1-0 victory at Wembley.

Under FIFA’s eligibility regulations, players can change their international association in certain circumstances when their previous senior appearances came only in non-competitive matches.

That provision means Nketiah can potentially make the switch because his sole senior England appearance came in a friendly.

Born in Lewisham to Ghanaian parents, Nketiah has represented England extensively at youth level and enjoyed an outstanding spell with the Under-21 side.

He is England Under-21’s all-time leading scorer, having scored 16 goals in 17 appearances for the Young Lions.

Despite that record, Nketiah has not been included in subsequent senior England squads, opening the possibility of a return to his Ghanaian heritage at international level.

Nketiah began his professional career at Arsenal after leaving Chelsea’s academy and went on to make more than 100 appearances for the Gunners. He also spent time on loan at Leeds United before establishing himself in Arsenal’s first team.

He joined Crystal Palace in 2024 and has since become an important attacking option at Selhurst Park.

A successful switch would give Ghana another experienced forward option as the Black Stars build towards their upcoming international commitments.

However, the process still needs to be completed, with the relevant documentation expected to be submitted to FIFA for consideration before Nketiah can officially represent Ghana.

If the switch is approved, Nketiah would become the latest England youth international with Ghanaian heritage to choose the Black Stars at senior level.