Arsenal have a wonderkid on their hands in young midfielder Ethan Nwaneri, and the future certainly looks bright for him.
Nwaneri has already made two Premier League appearances in his career, with Mikel Arteta valuing him so highly that he made him the youngest player in the history of the competition when he came on as a substitute against Brentford in September 2022.
The 17-year-old is perhaps the biggest talent in the Hale End Academy, and he is also thriving at youth level for England.
The England under-17 side were participating in the European Championships, and Nwaneri scored twice in three games to help his side set up a quarter-final tie with Italy.
Ethan Nwaneri scores but England eliminated on penalties from under-17 Euros
Nwaneri added his third goal of the tournament to open the scoring in the quarter-final, and it was his best goal yet.
A driving run from Tottenham Hotspur starlet Mikey Moore found Nwaneri inside the box. The Arsenal wonderkid then took a deft touch to set himself up before unleashing a fierce left-footed strike into the top corner to give his side the lead in the 16th minute.
Nwaneri also hit the post with a thumping free kick in the second half, and scored his penalty in the subsequent shootout, but England were eliminated.
Arsenal fans want Ethan Nwaneri to feature in first-team more
Nwaneri’s outstanding goal and performance did not go unnoticed by Arsenal fans, who were quick to point out that he has the talent level to make an impact for Arteta’s side next season.
“Yeah he’s got to be getting some minutes for us next season,” one fan posted on X.
“This kid is ridiculous,” one posted in response to his goal.
The Hale End hype did not stop there, with one also highlighting fellow wonderkid Chido Martin-Obi as another potential superstar within the Arsenal ranks.
“Him and Obi-Martin are going to play a big role for Arsenal in years to come,” a fan claimed.
“Confident we’ll see a lot more of Nwaneri next season. Will be 17 & a half when the season starts, similar age to Foden when he came through at City. Expecting 5-10 appearances,” one fan pointed out, comparing Nwaneri to Man City star Phil Foden.
One fan even claimed that Nwaneri could affect Arsenal’s transfer plans, amid links to Rennes wonderkid Desire Doue.
“If we’re promoting Ethan Nwaneri next season I don’t know if chasing Desire Doue is good use of transfer funds. We have several high #10 profiles and Ethan Nwaneri will add to an exciting depth. I’ve long admired Doue but Nwaneri is right here. Use the cash where we lacking,” he posted.
It is clear that Nwaneri is a top-level talent, and it only appears to be a matter of time before he is included in the first-team on a more regular basis.