By Ethan Nwaneri, the youngest player in Premier League history, has opted to stay with Arsenal despite interest from Chelsea and Manchester City, the club has confirmed. Nwaneri, who made his debut for Arsenal at the age of 15 years and 181 days, has committed to the team on a scholarship and will sign a professional contract when he turns 17 in March 2024. Another England youth international, Myles Lewis-Skelly, also signed scholarship papers with Arsenal along with Nwaneri.
After finishing their academy stint in Hale End, the 13 new scholars—including Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly—will train at London Colney for the following two seasons. Per Mertesacker, the academy manager; Luke Hobbs, the director of academy coaching; and Jack Wilshere, the Under-18 head coach, will oversee their growth. Edu, the sporting director, will offer general help as their careers develop.
Per Mertesacker expressed his happiness and offered his congratulations to the freshmen scholars. He emphasised the club’s dedication to fostering their development as people as well as footballers. The goal is to encourage the growth of “Strong Young Gunners” by moulding them into not just the finest players but also the best people they can be.
This revelation represents a big victory for Arsenal since, despite competition from formidable opponents, they were able to keep hold of the incredibly talented Nwaneri. The choice demonstrates Nwaneri’s confidence in the club’s talent-development programme and its capacity to foster emerging potential. It also demonstrates the club’s will to invest in the future by hiring great players and giving them the support and direction they need to succeed on and off the pitch.
The Arsenal Academy team will continue to work closely with each player as they begin this new chapter, offering essential support and direction throughout their journey. This group of players has a lot of promise, and the club is eager to watch them develop as they work to reach their full potential inside the Arsenal ranks.
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