Ethan Nwaneri of Arsenal on the ball during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Arsenal FC
Ethan Nwaneri in action for Arsenal (Picture: Getty)

Ethan Nwaneri is yet to start a first-team match for Arsenal – but that could all change rather quickly.

The 17-year-old broke records two years when, aged 15, he became the youngest player in Premier League history after a brief cameo against Brentford.

His progression since then has been slow and managed, but Mikel Arteta may soon be forced to trust his latest academy talent with a starting berth in the heart of his midfield.

New summer signing Mikel Merino remains sidelined with a shoulder problem and club captain Martin Odegaard’s ankle injury is now worse than initially feared.

Declan Rice, Jorginho and Thomas Partey offer a wealth of experience elsewhere in midfield but Nwaneri offers the Gunners something a bit different, and there is plenty of reason to suggest that the teenager is ready to take prove that.

‘Unplayable’ in the academy

Ethan Nwaneri of Arsenal during the U18 Premier League match between Arsenal U18 and Tottenham Hotspur U18
Ethan Nwaneri joined the Arsenal youth set-up at age nine (Picture: Getty)

Joining the Hale End academy set-up at age nine, the midfielder was already a key cog in the Under-18 side just five years later at the age of 14.

By the 2022-23 season, Nwaneri was already impressing Jack Wilshere who raved about the player’s qualities following a 3-3 draw with Manchester United in which Nwaneri bagged a brace.

‘In the second half, he was very good. He was unplayable at times. He had so many good moments,’ Wilshere said at the time.

Later that season, he moved into the Under-21 side, impressing in Premier League 2 fixtures to the extent that he soon began training with the first-team.

A debut soon followed against Brentford in September that year, with Nwaneri making another appearance off the bench the following season against West Ham.

Ethan Nwaneri of Arsenal applauds the fans next to Gabriel Martinelli following the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Arsenal FC
Ethan Nwaneri made his Premier League debut at age 15 (Picture: Getty)

At international level, it has been a similar story. Making his Under-16 debut at just 14 years old, Nwaneri went on to star in the Under-17 set-up with 15 goals in his 28 caps.

More recently, the teenager has been promoted to the Under-19 side, scoring in a 3-2 defeat to Germany during the most recent international break.

Ready for the step-up

Arteta, perhaps learning from Pep Guardiola’s meticulous management of Phil Foden, has not felt the need to rush the Nwaneri into first-team action.

Two substitute appearances in as many seasons has given the midfielder a taste of the big time but, crucially, afforded him the time to mature – tactically and physically – at his own pace.

Having impressed ion the Gunners’ pre-season tour, Nwaneri has now been a part of all four of Arsenal’s matchday squad this season and Arteta is clearly confident that the 17-year-old is now ready to be relied upon.

Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta chats to Ethan Nwaneri during the pre season friendly between Arsenal XI and Leyton Orient XI
The teenager has been carefully managed by Mikel Arteta (Picture: Getty)

‘We have to face it and use the opportunity as the kids have given us a lot of hope and right reasons to count on them. If we have to then we will, for sure,’ the Spaniard said last week.

‘He’s been doing really well, physically very mature, personally very mature, his game understanding has improved a lot. And then let him do. He has an enormous quality, a lot of talent and he needs the space to shine.’

And it is not just Arteta, but his fellow Arsenal teammates, that are taking notes of Nwaneri’s marked development in recent months.

‘He’s growing a lot and he’s improving every single day,’ Jorginho said on Wednesday.

‘He’s a talented player with good skills, he can dribble, he can break lines, he can find the goal and find the pass, so I think he can have a good future in front of him if he stays the way he has been in training and trying to improve every day.’

Deputising for the captain

Ethan Nwaneri and Martin Odegaard during an Arsenal training session
Nwaneri will look to step in for the injured Martin Odegaard (Picture: Getty)

With an injury set to rule Odegaard out for longer than originally hoped, Nwaneri may now have his golden opportunity in the coming weeks.

With Fabio Vieira now back at Porto on loan, the 17-year-old appears the only like-for-like replacement for the Danish attacking midfielder, although Arteta may chose to stick with Leandro Trossard who deputised in a deeper role to great effect against Spurs.

This weekend’s clash with Manchester City may also call for caution and a more defensively-minded midfield combination, but Nwaneri’s dynamism and eye for a goal makes him a real point of difference from Arsenal’s other midfielders and that may well appeal to Arteta as he looks to fill the temporary void left by his captain.

Should the Spaniard look to roll the dice, that opportunity could come in the Champions League against Atalanta or in subsequent Carabao Cup and league fixtures against Bolton and Leicester.

What is for certain, though, is that Nwaneri appears more than ready to take that next step when it’s afforded to him.

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