Mikel Arteta expected to promote 17-year-old Arsenal youngster and use him in first-team squad this season

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Given the amount of Arsenal players Mikel Arteta has missing after the Euros and Copa America there was always going to be heavy emphasis on young players on the US tour. 

Against Bournemouth in the early hours of Thursday morning, Arteta handed starts to all of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand.

Both Nwaneri and Oulad M’Hand started in midfield, whilst Lewis-Skelly got a chance to prove what he’s been learning as an inverted full-back.

All three impressed, and given the amount of players who could still leave Arsenal this summer, perhaps the trio will believe that first team chances could soon be on the horizon.

Emile Smith Rowe is set to leave Arsenal for Fulham – a heart-wrenching decision for a lot of fans in north London, but ultimately one those supporters will understand too.

And looking at the eleven who started against Bournemouth, it seems likely that both Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah could also still leave.

That being said, The Athletic has now been detailing how these departures could benefit 17-year-old Nwaneri next season. 

Ethan Nwaneri will get Arsenal chance after Emile Smith Rowe departure

Nwaneri impressed Arsenal fans with his ball control and passing against Bournemouth in his 84 minutes.

And according to the report mentioned, Nwaneri could be one of the beneficiaries of Smith Rowe’s imminent departure, alongside Fabio Vieira.

Nwaneri is now expected to play a significant role in Arteta’s first team-team during the coming season, a talent that is seemingly now deemed ready.

In terms of Vieira, it’s long been felt that it would only be one of him or Smith Rowe that would remain at the club this summer.

READ MORE: What Arsenal actually plan to do with Thomas Partey this summer

And with the interest in the Hale End graduate – who simply isn’t getting the minutes a player of his ability deserves, it feels like an amicable solution.

Vieira now needs a good pre-season under his belt, and fortunately he’s started in fine fashion with his strike against Bournemouth.

Of course, the challenge for Arteta and Arsenal will be to ensure that Nwaneri’s career heads into a similar direction to Bukayo Saka, and not Smith Rowe.

All that being said, Arteta was very annoyed with a different Arsenal youngster in the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth.