Arsenal and Chelsea have done a lot of business in the transfer market in recent years.
Mikel Arteta began by signing Willian in 2020, and his signing has been followed by the recruitment of the likes of Jorginho, Kai Havertz, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Noni Madueke from the Blues.
Chelsea haven’t signed a senior Arsenal player since Olivier Giroud nearly eight years ago, but they have their sights set on one player now – Ethan Nwaneri.
If you were in Ethan Nwaneri’s shoes right now, would you stay at Arsenal or leave on loan?
Chelsea have a ‘concrete’ interest in Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri
Chelsea have had an eye on Nwaneri for a long time.
The teenager, who broke the record to become the youngest player in Premier League history, was of interest to several clubs in the summer.
Nwaneri had entered the final year of his Arsenal contract, and there were fears at one stage that he could leave the Emirates.
Chelsea tried to sign him then but failed because Nwaneri put pen to paper over a new long-term contract in North London.
Now, after failing to start a single Premier League game all season, there are rumours that he could be on the move, and CaughtOffside claim that Chelsea retain a ‘concrete’ interest.
The Blues, who just parted ways with Enzo Maresca, are really keen to sign the Arsenal number 22, but the feeling right now is that he is more likely to join a mid-table club on loan than move to Stamford Bridge.
What’s the lowest transfer fee you would sell Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri to Chelsea for?
Arsenal need to map out a clear plan for Ethan Nwaneri
Nwaneri has barely played for Arsenal this season.
The 18-year-old has been limited to just 446 minutes of football in all competitions, and he has even been left out of the squad on a few occasions.
That is unlikely to change in the second half of the season following the return of Martin Odegaard and Havertz from their injuries.
Arsenal can’t just keep Nwaneri on the bench or outside as a spectator. They need to create a proper plan to keep him happy at the club.
If they don’t, it won’t be a surprise at all if a rival club like Chelsea try to turn his head in the coming months.
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