So many insiders thought ‘unplayable’ Arsenal player was going to leave this summer

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Journalist Charles Watts has shared that 16-year-old midfielder Ethan Nwaneri was looking set to leave Arsenal this summer.

Speaking on Youtube, Watts said that almost every agent he spoke to thought Nwaneri would be joining Manchester City or Chelsea.

But Watts shared that Arsenal managed to change his thinking and do now have big plans for him.

Watts said: “Arsenal have big plans for him, they really rate him, Mikel Arteta really rates him.

“They fought really hard to keep him because, for a long time, it was pretty much a given that he was leaving.

“Loads of agents I spoke to were absolutely convinced he was gone & he was going to sign for either Manchester City or Chelsea, but Arsenal managed to change his thinking.”

Such is his reputation, it seems Nwaneri could be the brightest prospect at Arsenal’s Hale End academy for some time.

And that’s a bold statement given Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Folarin Balogun have all graduated in recent years.

Insiders thought Nwaneri would leave Arsenal this summer

At 16-years-old Arsenal’s Nwaneri seemingly had the biggest clubs in the world taking notice of his contract situation.

And when you see that Nwaneri scored a hat-trick in the Premier League 2 against Leicester City’s under-21s last Friday, you understand why.

Not only did Nwaneri score three goals in an age category beyond his years, he was also playing in central midfield.

No wonder he’s got a growing reputation as being ‘unplayable’. 

Mikel Arteta has already handed Nwaneri his Arsenal debut in the Premier League – a reward for all his progress.

And it seems that Arsenal’s faith in Nwaneri eventually swayed his decision to stay.

Gunners fans will surely be hoping that they will see Nwaneri in the first team once again in this campaign.

Whilst the side have lofty ambitions this season, it genuinely seems that Nwaneri can help them.

If his previous appearance in an Arsenal shirt was perhaps a ploy to stop Nwaneri departing, his next will probably be the start of a long future with the side.