The Premier League’s youngest-ever player, Ethan Nwaneri, will sign his first professional contract with Arsenal very soon amid interest from Premier League clubs.
The 17-year-old has been at the North London club since he was nine years old and last season became the youngest-ever player to feature in a Premier League game at 15 years and 181 days.
Mikel Arteta brought Nwaneri on as a late substitute in a league match away at Brentford and the youngster has gone on to play another game since.
The midfielder is highly rated by many at Arsenal and the youngster is set to sign his first professional deal at the Emirates amid interest from both Man City and Chelsea, says Gunners journalist Charles Watts.
Ethan Nwaneri’s new Arsenal contract to be confirmed very soon
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column, Watts discussed Nwaneri’s contract situation and stated that a new deal is very close.
“As far as I’m aware, Ethan Nwaneri’s first professional deal will be confirmed very soon. It’s been agreed for a long time and he has now turned 17, so confirmation should follow imminently,” the Arsenal journalist said.
“Getting him signed up is a big boost for Arsenal because there was a time not so long ago that people at the club were resigned to losing him.
“Both Chelsea and Manchester City were pushing very hard to get him and it was looking very likely that he would leave. But Arsenal kept trying to persuade him to resist what they were offering and to stay put and I understand Mikel Arteta took a very active role in that.”