Ethan Nwaneri has been working closely with one more senior Arsenal star as Mikel Arteta plots his long-term future.
Ethan Nwaneri is set to extend his stay at Arsenal.
There is already plenty of excitement at the Emirates Stadium surrounding the teenage wonderkid.
Mikel Arteta handed the 17-year-old his senior debut back in November 2022, when he was just 15. At that point, as the Hale End academy ace come on from the bench against Brentford, he became the youngest player in both Arsenal and Premier League history.
Arsenal fans have been desperate to see more of Nwaneri since then, and they finally got their chance earlier this season. The midfielder made his second appearance for the first-time as a second half substitute in the 6-0 thrashing of West Ham United.
The Arsenal players on the bench at the London Stadium had been urging Arteta to bring Nwaneri on, and the Spanish coach obliged. This shows just how a high a regard the youngster is held in by the Gunners’ senior squad.
Ethan Nwaneri now learning from Martin Odegaard at Arsenal
The Gunners are now set to secure Nwaneri’s long-term future. According to the Daily Mail, Nwaneri will sign his first professional contract with the north London club, with an official announcement expected in the coming days. Meanwhile, he is also being “mentored” by club captain Martin Odegaard.
The Norwegian playmaker is the ideal role model for Nwaneri to be learning from. Not only is the skipper technically brilliant, he also sets an excellent example of professionalism for the youth team ace to learn from. Odegaard has been descried as a “perfect” Arsenal captain, because of the way that he leads by example on the pitch, executes Arteta’s tactical vision, encourages and fires up his teammates, and demonstrates an extraordinary work ethic.
If Nwaneri can successfully mould his own game upon Odegaard’s, then he will significantly boost his chances of becoming a key figure in Arteta’s plans.
Experienced stars stepping up for Arsenal under Mikel Arteta
Odgeaard is not the only Arsenal star with a mentoring role. Declan Rice has also revealed that he has been learning plenty from Jorginho since his arrival at Arsenal.
In general, the Gunners have a very young first-team squad. It is therefore vital that the most experienced figures in the dressing room, such as Jorginho, embrace the responsibility that comes with their seniority.