Ethan Nwaneri is set to sign a long-term contract with Arsenal after an impressive start to his career at his boyhood club.
According to a report by Graeme Bailey on TBR Football, Arsenal are set to to reward Ethan Nwaneri with his first long-term contract for a promising career. The teenager has thoroughly impressed when given a chance this season as he has shown all the hallmarks of becoming a bright star for the club in the near future.
Mikel Arteta has often been criticised for not integrating academy talents, especially when fellow rivals have done it regularly. A few talented players have come out of Arsenal’s Hale End academy, and back in the 2022/23 season, the manager introduced Ethan Nwaneri in a game against Brentford, which, in hindsight, was a great signal of intent from the Spaniard ahead of the future.
With his introduction as a late substitute, Nwaneri became the youngest-ever Premier League debutant. However, he never saw the big stage again until November 2024, when he came on as a substitute against West Ham. With that big gap between his debut and becoming a first team squad member rather large, it is now clear that Arteta did not want to rush with the 17-year-old wonderkid’s development.
Nwaneri was the subject of interest from many top clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester City, when he was under the age of 17. However, he has penned professional terms with the Gunners, as this is also his boyhood club, and his family are all supporters of the North London outfit. In any case, after the level of performance he has shown, scoring four goals already in a timeframe of 250 minutes, he is set for a longer deal.
Arsenal had shown no interest in loaning him out, as Arteta recently confirmed the fact that Nwaneri and fellow academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly are part of the first team. The Gunners had planned on offering a new contract for the 17-year-old wonderkid a couple of months back, and now the idea could come to fruition.
Nwaneri set for Arsenal deal
FA rules dictate that players signing their first professional deal cannot extend their contracts beyond a certain number of years; those restrictions get lifted once the player turns 18. Arsenal have already initiated contract discussions with Nwaneri, as the 17-year-old wunderkind is set to sign his first long-term deal with the club, which will cement his future.
The idea is to complete the deal in and around March, when Nwaneri turns 18, and Arteta is eager to continue his steady integration into becoming a first-team regular. The teenager’s new deal will be a fitting reward for his performances this season, as he also scored his first Premier League goal last Saturday when he came off the bench against Nottingham Forest.
