Arsenal are almost done with pre-season preparations with the Premier League starting next weekend. A number of players have caught the eye in Mikel Arteta’s team in these games and one player who has taken his chances with both hands is Gunners academy sensation Ethan Nwaneri.
Ethan Nwaneri impresses in pre-season, earmarked for bigger role at Arsenal
The 17-year-old English starlet is widely regarded as one of the biggest young prospects coming up in the Premier League. He is earmarked as the star of the Arsenal academy and there have been calls for a bigger first-team role for him. These pre-season games have further gone on to solidify his case.
Mikel Arteta will surely be making plans to integrate Nwaneri into the senior team in due course. As a 17-year-old, his game time needs to be managed and he can’t be thrown into the deep end of the pool yet. However, the Gunners are making efforts to ensure that the teenage midfielder feels valued.
Bonuses and pay rise – Arsenal tie down promising Nwaneri with new contract
Sporting director Edu Gaspar has initiated talks with the player’s entourage over a new contract as a reward for his pre-season performances. This contract is expected to give him a bonus for entering the first-team and has a healthy pay raise weaved into it once Nwaneri makes 10 senior appearances for Arsenal.
The contract will also include an optional extension by a year. His first-team integration, planned for March 2025 will also see him trigger more financial games. All in all, this is a package to show Nwaneri how much the Gunners value him and see him as a part of their future.
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Ethan Nwaneri VS Leverkusen pic.twitter.com/TNVQYiJBxT
— Arsenal Out Of Context (@ArsNoContext) August 8, 2024
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At such a young age, it is very easy to see your focus sway when the money starts coming in and Nwaneri needs to be careful to keep his feet on the ground. With big money comes big responsibility and we have seen many instances of prodigies not realising their potential due to not having the right guidance at a young age to deal with fame.
If Nwaneri can buckle down and continue working on his game like has done during his time in the academy, a first-team debut might be just around the corner. It won’t be surprising to see Arteta trust him with a bit-part bench role this season. If things go well, Nwaneri could be a future star at the Emirates and that’s exactly what all Gunners fans hope for. Only time will tell us if the 17-year-old can realise his potential.
🚨 Ethan Nwaneri contract talks … Edu Gaspar has moved fast to “reward ” Ethan Nwaneri and give him a “bonus ” for entering the first team . In the contract it’s believed an extra year option activated with ten first team appearances with a healthy payrise and from March 2025… pic.twitter.com/qfkOgu6eqb
— Arteta’s Red Army #ArsenalFanaticsNews (@Arsenal23Wenger) August 9, 2024
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