Arsenal are reportedly ‘in serious danger’ of losing young star Ethan Nwaneri amid interest from Chelsea and Manchester City.
Nwaneri made history as they youngest ever Premier League player when he made an appearance late on against Brentford in September, and is the only player to have appeared in the English top flight before his 16th Birthday.
Speaking on the decision, Mikel Arteta revealed “I met the boy and really liked what I saw. [Academy manager] Per Mertesacker and the academy staff gave me really good information about him as well.
“It’s another step, another experience. In your career, all the steps are not going to be forward. After that, maybe he needs three backwards to go another one forward, but as well I think it sends a really strong message about who we are as a club.”
Ethan Nwaneri 🔥#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/ca9wxNb85q
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 7, 2023
He has not been seen in an Arsenal squad since, however, and there are now reports suggesting that he may not be in north London for too much longer.
As per the Telegraph, ‘he is the subject of significant interest from some of Arsenal’s biggest rivals’, adding that ‘Manchester City and Chelsea are understood to be among the Premier League clubs who have paid close attention to Nwaneri’s development’.
They will hope that the plight of Omari Hutchinson, who swapped Hale End for Chelsea last summer and has managed just two appearances, will be enough to encourage their young talents that the grass isn’t always greener away from north London.
