Arsenal’s youngest ever player - Ethan Nwaneri is destined for the top

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„“Ethan Nwaneri blew away the record for the youngest ever Premier League player when he came on in Arsenal’s 3-0 win at Brentford last season, aged just 15 years, five months and 28 days. The previous record was set by Harvey Elliot for Fulham, who was aged 16 years and 30 days. It’s a name lots of Gunners are very excited about, and many at the club seem convinced Nwaneri is destined to join the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe and develop from an academy hopeful to a first team star. Nwaneri will receive his first market value in the latest Premier League market value update on December 19.

Manchester City and Chelsea both tried to prize the youngster away from North London this summer with offers of higher wages, but manager Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay, outlining a path to the first-team, and Nwaneri signed a two-year scholarship deal with the club. With electric dribbling and superb ball-striking ability, he's been a star player throughout the Gunners youth ranks.

Nwaneri has four goals in four games for the Arsenal U21’s this season in the Premier League 2, and recently scored five second half goals in a 7-1 FA Youth Cup demolition against Crewe Alexandra U18's. After that victory, former Gunners midfielder and now the Arsenal U18 's manager Jack Wilshere was full of praise for Nwaneri: “He actually really gave a new meaning to a game of two halves, right? In the second half when the game opened up a bit more, when you have someone with that ability, and then I saw a killer instinct in him today, he wanted that goal. Every goal he scored he wanted it. He prepped his touch and finished it nicely.”

Nwaneri is yet to feature for the Arsenal first-team since that Brentford game, but he was on the bench for the Gunners 6-0 Champions League victory against Lens, and may be hoping to be part of Arteta’s plans across the busy festive period. After handing Nwaneri his debut last campaign, the Spaniard said, “The first time I met him, I looked into his eyes and I had that feeling. I really liked what I saw. [Academy manager] Per Mertesacker and the academy staff are giving me really good information, [Sporting director] Ed ú as well."

The 16-year-old exciting attacking midfielder was part of the England U17 squad at November’s U17 World Cup, and despite the young Three Lions ultimately disappointing as a team, crashing out to Uzbekistan U17, Nwaneri did score for England in their opening game, and was involved in all four fixtures, despite being the second youngest member of the squad. A potential future star for both England and Arsenal, don’t forget the name - Ethan Nwaneri.

From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2006 and 2007. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.

Arsenal’s youngest ever player - Ethan Nwaneri is destined for the top

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