Ethan Nwaneri Commits Future to Club
Exciting Young Talent Signs New Deal, Eager for 2025/26 Season
Having celebrated an outstanding year by penning a new contract, Ethan Nwaneri is keenly anticipating the upcoming 2025/26 season and beyond. The 18-year-old forward, who has been with the club for a decade, expressed his contentment and desire to continue his development in a familiar and secure environment.
Breakout Campaign Fuels Ambition
Following a breakthrough season that saw him make 37 appearances and score nine goals, Ethan Nwaneri is now focused on making an even greater impact with his future secured. He shared his enthusiasm after signing the new deal:
“It means everything to me, I’m so happy to have got it done. This is where I feel at home, and where I’m going to develop the best. I’m ready.
I’m very excited. I see this as my first real season, and part of a proper squad in the changing room. I’m so excited for what I can bring to the team and how I can help the team.
I’m a very versatile player, so I think I’m going to play anywhere across the front five, and I’m ready to do what the manager needs.”
Setting Records and Raising Expectations
Already etched in history as the Premier League’s youngest-ever player at 15 years and 181 days in September 2022, Ethan Nwaneri truly cemented his place in the first-team setup last season. His impressive debut season included his first two senior goals against Bolton Wanderers and memorable strikes against Girona and Manchester City, finishing as the club’s joint-fifth highest scorer.
Reflecting on his adaptation, Nwaneri stated, “I’ve had to adapt to the demands of the Premier League, so I think I’ve changed physically, but also mentally as well in terms of dealing with setbacks and injuries. I think I’ve definitely become stronger.
I think I’ve actually become more direct over the past few years and I’ve added more goals, so I’m excited for what will come next.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
With Ethan Nwaneri and teammate Myles Lewis-Skelly now integral parts of Mikel Arteta’s squad, a palpable sense of optimism is growing at Hale End. Younger academy prospects are inspired by their journeys, with eight players featuring in this summer’s pre-season tour. Nwaneri’s advice to them is to remain patient and persistent.
“Keep patient and have goals in your head,” he advised. “When you’re at Hale End, the next target is to get to the Sobha Realty Training Centre. And when you’re there, it’s to get in the under-21s. Then the first thing was just to keep patient, keep working hard every day at your craft, and have the long-term vision in the back of your head, but just be ready when it comes.
It’s a good pressure that [the academy players] are going to be watching you, so you need to show them the right things. It means a lot that the young generation is looking up to me now because when I was their age, I was looking up to the Hale End graduates and the Arsenal players in general. Reiss Nelson, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe – so many players. Ainsley Maitland-Niles – all these players I was looking up to when I was young. You don’t compare, but you’ve shared something, like a moment. They’ve been where you’ve been, and you’re trying to get to where they are.”
Ethan’s journey underscores the pathway for young talent at the club, mirroring the ascent of stars like Bukayo Saka, who has become a key figure for both club and country. In 2023, Saka’s market value was estimated at €130 million, showcasing the significant economic impact of emerging academy stars (Transfermarkt).
