Ethan Nwaneri may be afforded the chance to shine in the Arsenal first-team next season if one player departs this summer.
Ethan Nwaneri is one of the most exciting young prospects currently on the books at Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta has already shown faith in the Hale End academy wonderkid. In September 2022, then aged just 15-years-old, Nwaneri became the youngest player in Arsenal and Premier League history when he made his debut as a late substitute against Brentford.
The teenager had to wait for his next opportunity to play at senior level, but it came earlier this season when the Gunners thrashed West Ham United at the London Stadium. Arteta could hear the Arsenal players urging him to bring Nwaneri on against the Hammers, and the Spanish coach did exactly that.
Nwaneri has now committed his long-term future to the club and has certainly been earmarked as a potential star of the future.
However, with the Gunners now competing for the biggest prizes in the game, the standard is so high and it is arguably harder than ever for youngsters to break through and cement their place in the first-team setup.
If Emile Smith Rowe were to leave the Emirates Stadium in the upcoming summer transfer window though, space in Arteta’s plans may open up for Nwaneri.
How Emile Smith Rowe move could open the door for Ethan Nwaneri at Arsenal
Smith Rowe now faces a fight for his Arsenal future. The 23-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium in recent seasons, as injuries have stalled his career.
Arteta has a big decision to make this summer regarding Smith Rowe, and there is certainly an argument that the three-cap England international needs to move on for the good of his own career.
Journalist Charles Watts, speaking on his Inside Arsenal YouTube channel, has now had his say on how the midfielder’s current situation could define Nwaneri’s future.
The reporter said: “As much as I really don’t want Emile to go, I still think the most likely outcome this summer is that he does go. Again, from conversations I’ve had…If he was to go, it got me thinking, at some point Nwaneri is going to need to be given that pathway to be able to really perform on a more regular basis.
“Yes, he’s still very, very young, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be playing…If Emile does end up going, that feels like a really good opportunity then for Nwaneri to step up.”
Mikel Arteta may have to make sacrifices in order for Ethan Nwaneri to emerge at Arsenal
At 17-years-old, it may be too soon to expect Nwaneri to have an impact for the first team on anything like a regular basis, but it certainly wouldn’t be unheard of and he is a huge talent deserving of opportunities.
It is a fact, though, that if he is to make the grade at Arsenal then a pathway of progress needs to exist for him. Sacrifices, such as the sale of Smith Rowe for example, may have to be made in order to facilitate that.