Ethan Nwaneri is one of Arsenal’s most exciting young talents.
The teenager made his senior Gunners debut when he was just 15. He became the youngest player in the history of the Premier League to make an appearance when he came on as a substitute against Brentford in the 2022/23 season.
That would’ve been an incredible moment for Nwaneri, but the 2024/25 campaign is the one that should be considered his breakthrough season.
The youngster has played a lot of games at Arsenal this term, but in recent weeks, he hasn’t had the game time that he would’ve liked.
Ben White may have just explained why.
Ben White explains Ethan Nwaneri’s ‘unfortunate’ situation at Arsenal
Ethan Nwaneri has looked extremely comfortable at senior level.
The teenager made an excellent impression during pre-season last summer. That convinced Mikel Arteta to loan out Fabio Vieira and put his faith in Nwaneri.
The Arsenal manager, however, was initially hesitant to start the Hale End graduate. He didn’t play much when Martin Odegaard was injured earlier in the season.
But, after impressing in the Carabao Cup, Nwaneri started many games in Bukayo Saka’s role after the latter suffered his hamstring injury.
However, since the Arsenal number seven’s return, Nwaneri hasn’t played much, and White feels that his situation is ‘unfortunate’ because he is competing for the same role that the two best attacking players at Arsenal start in – Saka and Odegaard.
While hailing the youngster on Sky Sports, White said about Nwaneri: “I think it’s unfortunate that obviously you’ve got Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard in his position.
“But yeah, he’s so good in training, he’s literally probably the best trainer every day. His technical levels are the best, and he’s got so much to learn and do – it’s just crazy.”
Arsenal need to convince Ethan Nwaneri to stay
Nwaneri’s situation at Arsenal is a bit complicated.
There is no doubt that the teenager is a tremendous talent, but the two main positions he plays in are currently occupied by Odegaard and Saka. One is Arsenal’s captain and the other is their most important player.
That is probably why Nwaneri has not signed a new Arsenal contract yet, which is extremely worrying as clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool are keeping tabs on his situation.
Arteta needs to step in and convince Nwaneri that he will get plenty of opportunities at Arsenal.
A clear pathway has to be explained – if not, Arsenal could lose their biggest talent to a rival club at some point in the next two years.
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