‘Ethan Nwaneri to sign new Arsenal deal as Mikel Arteta’s youth record backed’
Ethan Nwaneri is expected to sign a new deal at Arsenal despite rumours of him potentially being set to leave the Gunners this summer.
Nwaneri’s rise to becoming a first-team regular has been a rapid one over the last few years, after he became the youngest player to ever appear in the Premier League at the age of 15 in September 2022.
Now 18, he played a prominent role in Mikel Arteta’s squad last season with 37 appearances to his name, but his future at the Emirates Stadium has been made unclear by recent developments.
The attacking midfielder is yet to sign a new contract with his boyhood club, and new reports have claimed that Arsenal are concerned about whether Nwaneri will decide to pen fresh terms amid interest in his services from a number of Premier League sides.
Nwaneri featured heavily off the bench last season, but talkSPORT have also stated that he is reluctant to sign a new deal at the Emirates Stadium without guaranteed playing time, but new claims have now surfaced about his desire to stay or depart.
Martin Keown predicts Nwaneri to sign a new Arsenal contract
Whether Nwaneri will sign a new deal with the Gunners is unclear, with The Telegraph also recently reporting that Chelsea have shown an interest in signing him as Blues winger Noni Madueke closes in on a move to Arsenal.
Speaking live on talkSPORT on Monday, 7 July, former Arsenal stalwart and current pundit Martin Keown predicted Nwaneri to sign a new deal with the North London outfit, noting Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli as examples of Arteta’s impressive way of handling younger players in recent years,
He said: “I take you back to the (FA) Cup final that Arteta won…in that game who sat on the bench and didn’t come on? Saka. That looked painful. Martinelli, a lot of people were crying out for him to make a start, but I think (Arteta) does it when he thinks it’s right.
“I think Nwaneri is on the same path. He is a wonderful talent. He’s being protected by Arteta. It’s not to do with ability, he will get his chance. Okay, maybe it’s a bartering situation for the contract, but I’ve met the family, the father, very calm, lovely family.
“He’s an intelligent boy, he will eventually sign for Arsenal, there is no doubt about it. I just think he wants to make sure he plays football, and that is healthy.”
Nwaneri should not leave Arsenal this summer
Football Insider verdict
Arsenal’s 2024/25 season was one of promise but ultimate let-down, as they finished second in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of both the Champions League and EFL Cup.
Nwaneri’s emergence as a fully-fledged senior player was arguably one of the biggest positives to take from the campaign, and his 11 goal contributions in 37 appearances were proof that he is ready to be a major asset to the club going forward.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 37 | 9 | 2 |
It does come as a surprise to see him demanding more assurances of game-time, but Madueke’s impending arrival has understandably made him wary of a potential lack of minutes next season.
Regardless of that potential incoming, he is still only 18-years-old and it would feel like an unwise move for him to leave the club that has nurtured him for his whole career so far just to join someone like Chelsea, who have even more competition for places and less guarantee of game-time.