Ethan Nwaneri
Club: Arsenal
Age: 17
Position: Attacking midfielder
Nation: England
Ethan Nwaneri, the Premier League’s youngest-ever player, could finally be about to get his chance to truly make a mark on the division.
His appearance off the bench at Brentford in 2022, aged 15 years 181 days as a schoolboy, means he is part of the league’s history, but Nwaneri will hope that’s not the extent of his legacy.
Mikel Arteta has faced criticism for the limited opportunities he’s afforded to academy players since Arsenal have become title contenders, although Nwaneri seems most likely to buck that trend.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, part of the same cohort as Nwaneri, was a tough omission from this list. The 17-year-old is comfortable playing anywhere in midfield and has shone over the summer.
Nwaneri is fighting with Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice for minutes in those advanced midfield roles, but has shown in pre-season that he can be an asset for Arsenal this season, albeit likely off the bench.
Arteta has praised Nwaneri’s unique ability to escape from seemingly impossibly tight spaces, comparing him to Jack Wilshere, who was his coach in the Arsenal academy.
Arsenal managed to fight off reported competition from Chelsea and Man City to keep Nwaneri at Arsenal, but Arteta will be under pressure to give the 17-year-old minutes this season or risk losing another Hale End product.
If Nwaneri can deliver on his promise, Arsenal could have another star boy on their hands.