Arsenal are hoping to keep Ethan Nwaneri at the club beyond this summer amid interest from Chelsea and Manchester City.
According to a report from Evening Standard, Chelsea and Manchester City are keen on signing 16-year-old Arsenal midfielder Ethan Nwaneri. But the Gunners are hoping to agree scholarship terms with the player. Arsenal have submitted an attractive offer to the youngster, and he will be able to sign those terms when he turns 17.
Chelsea and Manchester City have a track record of paying lucrative money for academy prospects. And Chelsea have recently signed 18-year-old forward Omari Hutchinson from Arsenal.
The Blues will be hoping to raid their London rivals once again, with Ethan Nwaneri being a top target. But it remains to be seen whether they can win the race and beat Manchester City to the Arsenal wonderkid.
Nwaneri is the youngest-ever player to play in the Premier League after he came on during the game against Brentford in September 2022. The midfielder was just 15 years and 181 days old at the time.
He is highly rated at Arsenal and has a bright future ahead of him. The midfielder is regarded as a prodigious young talent, and Arsenal will not want to lose him. On top of that, the Gunners will devastated if he ends up joining one of their bitter rivals in Chelsea.
Arsenal have until Friday to agree on scholarship terms with the teenage sensation. Nwaneri’s current schoolboy registration runs out later this week, and he will be able to move on to other clubs.
Arsenal have a proven track record of nurturing talented young players, and they could help the 16-year-old develop into an important first-team player for the club. It remains to be seen whether they can convince Nwaneri to snub the opportunity of joining other Premier League clubs this summer.
The talented youngster is unlikely to get first-team opportunities at Chelsea and Manchester City. So staying at Arsenal would make a lot of sense for him. He needs to continue his development with high-quality coaching, and Arsenal can provide them with that.
Furthermore, Mikel Arteta has shown a willingness to trust young players early on in their careers, and he could provide Nwaneri with a clear pathway to the first team. If they can assure him first-team minutes before signing his scholarship terms, the midfielder could be swayed to continue at the Emirates.
