Plenty has been said about the future of Ethan Nwaneri, but there remain questions about the position the Arsenal star could take in the future.
Having come through the ranks of the Hale End academy, some have tipped the 18-year-old to play as a midfielder or a winger.
Having largely played on the right for the Arsenal senior side so far, it remains to be seen if Mikel Arteta will change his position again.
However, the Arsenal boss did predict one role that Ethan Nwaneri could play, which he fulfilled for the England under-21s at the Euros.
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Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri features as a striker for England under-21s
With so much competition in the Arsenal side, many questions have surrounded exactly where Mikel Arteta could fit Ethan Nwaneri into his plans.
The youngster is particularly versatile, possessing the quality to feature across the frontline if required.
Arsenal fans got a glimpse of that once again as their academy talent was given another chance for the England under-21s in the European Championships.
The Three Lions took on Spain in the quarter-finals of the competition, which was a recreation of the final just two years ago.
It ended in a similar fashion as England ran out winners, with goals from James McAtee, Harvey Elliott and Elliott Anderson providing the victory.
While Nwaneri didn’t start, he did play a role from the bench as he was substituted late in the game to help secure the win.
In doing so, he was used as a central striker, replacing Jay Stansfield as an option through the middle.
It’s a new position for him to feature in, with Nwaneri previously playing on the left wing for the under-21s, as well as the right.
It shows how much faith is placed in his ability to simply play anywhere up front, while it meets a prediction from his club manager, Arteta.
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What Mikel Arteta has previously predicted with Ethan Nwaneri’s position
While Nwaneri largely played as a midfielder for the Arsenal youth teams, and on the right for the senior side so far, there is an endless possibility of places he could feature.
Arteta surprised many in December 2024 when he suggested that the youngster could be a striker in the future, along with other roles.
He revealed: “Ethan can play as a right attacking midfielder, a left attacking midfielder. He can play as a right winger, and there is another position I think he can develop into – number nine.
“He has got the goal in front of him and he looks at the goal and he has a tremendous ability to put the ball in the back of the net.”
It’s the sort of clinical edge that Arsenal need, though there has been little evidence of Nwaneri featuring in those positions so far.
Perhaps the coming season will see more of him in those new positions, offering something different to the Gunners.
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