Arsenal have utilised the bustling talent from their renowned Hale End academy over the years, evident in the squad selected by Mikel Arteta during his reign.
The Spaniard has continued the progression of Bukayo Saka, who has been at the club since the age of eight, with his market value now sitting at a staggering figure of €200m (£170.5m) as per CIES, telling a margin of his journey to the top.
Integrating the stars of the future has always been Arsenal’s trajectory, and is likely to continue as a new wave of talent eye the first team. One of which is superstar prodigy Ethan Nwaneri.
Who is Ethan Nwaneri?
16-year-old Ethan Nwaneri is one name that is spoken about heavily when it comes to Arsenal’s current crop of academy talent.
There was speculation over the teenager’s future earlier in the summer, with noise quickly silenced as it was announced that the club had sealed the midfielder on a scholarship deal with his first pro deal on the table for when he turns 17.
As relayed by Fabrizio Romano, the contract will be for 2.6 years, including the “highest salary offer” made by the Gunners for an academy player, indicating just how well thought of he is at the Emirates.
Deployed in central attacking midfield with the ability to drift onto the left wing, the lively forward has shown his worth in the academy side to get people talking over his potential breakthrough into the senior squad.
How good is Ethan Nwaneri?
Lauded as “special” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Nwaneri has already broken records for the Gunners, becoming the youngest ever player to play in the Premier League at 15 years, five months and 28 days old.
The youngster has all the ability to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Saka, as highlighted by his electrifying start to the 2023/24 Premier League 2 so far, in which he’s scored four goals in four appearances.
It’s reassuring for Arteta to know that one day he could have the eventual heir to Martin Odegaard already in his ranks, with the tricky Londoner displaying a similar playing style and position to the Emirates skipper.
While Odegaard’s fall down the ranks due to age and form seems light years away, Nwaneri’s breakthrough could come beside the Norwegian rather than in his place, with one name looking to be a potential weak link in the position already.
Signed from Chelsea for a staggering £65m, Kai Havertz has had a strange start to life in the north of the capital, where he has been criticised for his performances in the shadows of Arsenal’s intricate midfield.
The German was blasted by journalist Josh Bunting for his “unacceptable” big miss against Manchester United, with the 24-year-old adding pressure to his price tag with some less-than-impressive performances so far. Indeed, he is yet to find the net or register an assist after his big-money move.
A player as hungry and talented as Nwaneri should revise the mishaps of the Champions League winner to his advantage, a similar way that Saka rose to fame in place of £72m flop Nicolas Pepe.
At just 16, the Hale End starlet has a long way to go to impress those at the Emirates, however having seen those before him succeed, the time may come sooner rather than later for the dazzling playmaker. Watch out, Havertz…
