Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri has impressed fans with his recent performances for the Gunners and has also caught the eye of Mikel Arteta.
With mounting injuries and regular suspensions, fans have consistently called for Arteta to welcome 17-year-old Nwaneri into Arsenal’s lineup after strong performances in the Carabao Cup.
His four appearances in the Premier League this season, albeit brief, have shown potential and his strike in the 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Preston North End solidified his position as the club’s most exciting young prospect.
“I can talk about how good he is right now,” Arteta said during Friday’s press conference. “At 17 years old, to be in a position like he is in at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, I think sums up really well the level that he has.
“What is going to happen in the future is mainly is going to depend on him and how much he wants it. At the moment he wants it a lot and he’s surrounded by the right people and then you will need a crystal ball to see where he is going to be in a year, two years, three years. My prediction is going to be very positive.
“It is rare to see a talent like this at 17 years old, that’s true. But when we gave him his debut in the Premier League, there was a lot of talk about it but we didn’t do it because he was a gift, we did it because we knew the pathway that we wanted to build with him and we wanted to send him a really strong sign about how much we trust him and how much we wanted him to stay with us.
“I think the biggest thing is to push him, and then when he is being pushed, you always grab him right behind to make sure that he’s always stable and protected. But with this talent, you have to push him. The protection is necessary to keep an eye on him and be at the right distance, but he needs to see that he can fly and don’t clip any wings.”
Arteta also compared a young Mikel to the promising midfielder, admitting Nwaneri is showing more than the boss did at his age.
“[I was] not at that level. I was really lucky as well because somebody trusted me at that age and gave me the opportunity, which is what they need as well. For the talent to emerge, somebody has to give you the chance, the belief, then you have to be surrounded by the right team, the right players If you do that, you have a chance.”
