Arsenal FC wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri could step up into the first-team next season, according to Charles Watts as he spoke exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column.
Nwaneri recently caught the eye with his performances for England at the Under-17 European Championships, and it makes sense that there could soon be a role for him in Mikel Arteta’s first-team.
The teenager made his first-team debut for Arsenal when he was 15, becoming the youngest Premier League player in history, and Watts expects we could soon see more of him in action for the Gunners.
With Emile Smith Rowe perhaps set to leave this summer, Watts suggested that could open up room for Nwaneri to get into the side more often, even if he’s still not quite ready to feature week in, week out.
However, it seems clear Watts rates Nwaneri very highly, suggesting he could be similar to Bukayo Saka in that he can go straight into the first-team rather than going out on loan first.
Nwaneri to play more for Arsenal next season?
“Ethan Nwaneri is someone Arsenal fans will have been aware of for some time now and he really caught the eye for England Under-17s at this summer’s European Championships,” Watts said.
“So what next for the latest homegrown wonderkid to come out of Hale End? I think we’ll see Nwaneri stay at Arsenal next season and become more of a fixture in the first-team. I can’t see him being a regular, but I think we’ll see Mikel Arteta start to give him some minutes to ensure he continues to develop at the rate that Arsenal want him to.
“There are certain players that you look at and think that they can skip going out on loan and move straight into the first-team picture. Bukayo Saka was one and I think Nwaneri is another.
“If Smith Rowe goes, it could be the perfect chance to promote Nwaneri. He’s such a talent and it’s really important that Arsenal leave him a pathway to continue to develop. Sometimes you need to leave a place in the squad to give a highly talented youngster a chance and I think this is definitely one of those occasions.”
