Who is Ethan Nwaneri? Arsenal's 17-year-old midfield prodigy

Ethan Nwaneri came off the bench for Arsenal in their 3-0 win over Brentford on Sunday in 2022 at the tender age of 15 years, five months and 29 days to become the youngest player in Premier League history.

Fast-forward to the the 2024/25 season and the youngster is starting to make waves. The 17‑year‑old scored twice on his full debut as the Gunners beat Bolton Wanderers 5-1 at the Emirates.

Arsenal have a rich history of blooding young players, particularly midfielders, with Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere, Jermain Pennant, and more recently Jack Porter, being all just 16 when they made their first-team debuts.

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Already a staple of Arsenal's under-18s, despite playing against teenagers sometimes three years older than him, Nwaneri bagged an assist against Blackburn on his Premier League 2 debut in March.

Eligible for England and Nigeria at international level, the youngster has thus far made seven appearances up to Under-17 level with England, bagging a goal and an assist for them as they beat Mexico in April.

What position does Nwaneri play in?

A left-footed attacking midfielder, Nwaneri prefers to line up on the right-hand side from where he can cut inside his marker and go for goal with his favoured foot, or slip in an attacking runner.

He is fast filling out his frame, though, and is happy to play through the middle too where has has also proved an aerial threat at youth level.

How good is Nwaneri?

Nwaneri is certainly extremely promising, with his combination of pace, power and technique seeing him play up the Arsenal and England age groups throughout his career so far.

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He assisted Charles Sagoe Jr. for the third of four goals in a 4-1 win over Blackburn in Premier League 2 in March - his debut at that level - and is at least some of the reason the Gunners let Lucas Paqueta join West Ham from Lyon this summer.

Nwaneri is a calming presence who can be deployed either deeper or higher up the pitch. He has great close control, being able to turn and get away from opponents with ease.

He is dangerous in the final third, whether that be through dribbling or picking out a pass, making him an eventual replacement for Martin Odegaard.

“He’s improving daily,” Arteta said following Nwaneri’s performance against Bolton “You can tell he’s playing without pressure, with confidence, with a way of making decisions that tells you that the boy is ready at this level.

“Today he had a really strong performance and I’m happy to see that. There are a lot of positives to take from it: first of all the performance and then the way we scored the goals.

What clubs are interested in Nwaneri?

Premier League clubs are no longer allowed to sign overseas players under the age of 18 since Brexit, which will only drive interest in the homegrown Nwaneri up higher. But, in any case, no clubs have been linked so far.

When does Nwaneri's contract expire?

Nwaneri signed his first professional contract earlier this year after turning 17, but it's not clear when its expiry date is.

How old is Nwaneri?

Born on 21 March 2007, Nwaneri is a full year younger than Fabregas was when he made his Arsenal debut in 2003.

He shares a birthdate with Ronaldinho, Lothar Matthaus and Antoine Griezmann among others, and wasn't even alive when the Emirates first opened.