The way that Arsenal’s established stars treat Ethan Nwaneri provides an insight into what is expected of the teenager.
Ethan Nwaneri is one of the most exciting young prospects currently on the books at Arsenal.
When Mikel Arteta handed the Hale End academy prospect his first team debut in September 2022, when he was still just 15-years-old, he became the youngest player in both the club’s and Premier League history.
Since then, excitement around the youngster has mounted exponentially. At one stage last season, Arsenal players were urging Arteta to play Nwaneri. This gave an indication as to how highly thought of the England under-17 international is within the club.
There is now a plan to make Nwaneri a more integral first team figure at Arsenal, and his performances in pre-season so far have suggested that he is ready to take that all-important next step in his career.
With Emile Smith Rowe expected to leave Arsenal this summer, a natural pathway towards regular game time is opening up for Nwaneri and it could be the case that he is now heading into what will become his breakout campaign in North London.
What senior Arsenal players think of Ethan Nwaneri
Charles Watts is certainly convinced that the teenage wonderkid is ready to take on a bigger role in Arteta’s plans, largely because of how the youngster is treated by his more senior colleagues on the pitch.
Speaking on his Inside Arsenal YouTube channel, the reporter said: “He just looks like he belongs in this environment, he looks like a first team player already. I think the most important thing, as well, is you can see just how much the senior players trust him.
“They will give him the ball. Even when he’s under pressure, they will give him the ball because they completely trust he’s going to be able to protect that ball… that’s the key thing.”
In the Gunners’ pre-season tour so far, Nwaneri has started both matches, playing against Bournemouth and Manchester United. In both games he has acquitted himself well and looked comfortable with the standard.
Of course, given the nature of these non-competitive matches, this is not proof that Nwaneri is ready to play regularly in the Premier League or Champions League, but he will certainly be gaining confidence and valuable experience from these outings.
Arsenal must loan out Nwaneri if he needs game time in January
Arteta clearly has faith in the young midfielder, and will surely be planning to give him game time this season. However, if by January Nwaneri is still very much on the the outskirts of the squad, then the Gunners must give him a loan spell.
It is certainly clear that Nwaneri has reached a stage in his development where he has very little to gain from continuing to play at under-21 level.
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