Arsenal starlet Ethan Nwaneri has now opened up about talks he has held with Mikel Arteta.
Ethan Nwaneri is one of the most promising youth prospects currently on the books at Arsenal.
The 16-year-old midfielder trains regularly with the first team squad, and travelled with them to Dubai for their recent mid-season training camp.
Arsenal fans are desperate to see more of Nwaneri in action, and will therefore be delighted to learn that Mikel Arteta has held conversations with the teenage wonderkid concerning his plans for him.
It is no secret that Arteta rates the England under-17 international extremely highly. In September 2022, the Spanish coach handed the Hale End academy gem his senior debut. Nwaneri came on as a late substitute against Brentford in a Premier League clash, becoming the competition’s and Arsenal’s youngest ever player in the process.
He has not featured for the first team since then, but in the meantime he has committed his future to the club, apparently convinced that a pathway to the first team exists for him at the Emirates Stadium.
Nwaneri has now given an insight into his relationship with Arteta. Speaking to the club’s official website, the youngster said, “I’ve had some really valuable conversations with Mikel and his staff about where I need to improve and what I need to add to my game. They’ve been so helpful with talking about the smaller details and also giving me guidance on how I can reach the physical level required to play first-team football.”
Ethan Nwaneri faces long potential wait for next Arsenal chance
Training with the Arsenal first team has certainly given Nwaneri an important insight into the standard that will be required of him if he is to truly make the grade at Arsenal. As he puts it, “I’ve played up age groups throughout all of my time at Hale End and Colney and I feel like that’s helped me to adapt physically to training. It’s all about the finer details if I want to improve and I feel like I’m in the best environment possible to identity and work on them.”
Arteta and his coaching staff will be regularly pushing Nwaneri to his limits at the club’s London Colney training centre, looking to find out what the London-born teenager is really made of.
Meanwhile, the player will be desperate to do all he can to show that he is ready for another run out in a competitive fixture. The fact that the Gunners are no longer in any domestic cup competitions and are competing in the Champions League, rather than the Europa League this season, does not bode particularly well for his chances. Though, Arteta was willing to throw Nwaneri into a Premier League match last time, so game time is still possible for the youngster.
Nwaneri will certainly be hoping for more playing opportunities next season, and may be allowed to leave the club on loan in order to get them.
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