Manchester United's search for talent could see them make an approach for Ethan Nwaneri, with The Athletic reporting that they have now entered the race to sign the player.
Is Ethan Nwaneri leaving Arsenal?
The youngster was introduced to the footballing world this season by Mikel Arteta, with the manager opting to bring Nwaneri onto the field in Arsenal's win against Brentford back in September. He managed only a minute of action – he was a substitute late on in the fixture – but it brought his name into the public eye and suggests that he is highly regarded by the Gunners. When you consider that this appearance also made him the Premier League's youngest ever player, the hopes are clearly high for the England youth gem.
He's certainly impressed for his country's reserve sides, managing eight goals in 17 games for the England Under-17s. Prior to that, he also managed one goal in six games for their Under-16 team. He's also played on ten occasions for Arsenal's Under-18's and has scored four goals with three assists in just ten games for them too.
The potential is there then and that also means the interest is high in the 16-year-old despite his age. According to a report from The Athletic's reliable Simon Johnson, Manchester United have registered their interest in Nwaneri. Chelsea and Man City have previously held an interest in doing a deal for the forward but now the Red Devils have entered the race and all three of them will be hoping to poach him from under the nose of rivals Arsenal.
When does Nwaneri's Arsenal contract expire?
Right now, Nwaneri doesn't have a professional deal with the Gunners – because of his age, he is still on schoolboy terms with the club. That agreement will come to an end this month, and it means that unless he pens a new deal with Arsenal and commits his future to the Gunners, it could make him more easy to snap up from one of the interested clubs.
Considering his talent though – in terms of his performances for his club and country's reserve sides – Mikel Arteta will not want to lose the player this summer. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig called the the forward a "wonderkid" for example, showing how highly he is already viewed. The player though may be tempted into considering his potential options – and United could appear attractive given their penchant for bringing through young English talent down the years.
