Arsenal - Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly
Image credit: Getty Images
The Hale End academy continues to bear fruit as Arsenal teenage sensations Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have been nominated for the 2024/25 PFA Young Player of the Year award.
The highly rated duo headline a six-player shortlist celebrating the Premier League’s most outstanding young talents, with the winner to be unveiled at the PFA Awards ceremony at the Manchester Opera House on August 19.
Eighteen-year-old Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly enjoyed breakthrough campaigns under Mikel Arteta, playing pivotal roles in Arsenal’s push for silverware during the 2024/25 season. Nwaneri, a creative attacking midfielder often deployed on the right wing, made 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring nine goals and providing two assists, stepping up impressively during Bukayo Saka’s absences. His performances drew comparisons to Saka himself, who won the same award in the 2022/23 season.
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Lewis-Skelly, also 18, transitioned seamlessly from midfield to left-back and featured 39 times across the season. His mature displays and adaptability earned him a call-up to the senior England squad, where he marked his debut with a goal against Albania in March.
Joining them on the shortlist are Chelsea’s £30 million forward Liam Delap, who scored 12 goals for relegated Ipswich Town, Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, reportedly on Liverpool’s radar and Real Madrid’s Dean Huijsen, formerly of Bournemouth.
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Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly (Image credit: Getty Images)
The nominations highlight the continued success of Arsenal’s youth development strategy. Nwaneri, the Premier League’s youngest-ever debutant at 15, has grown into a confident and versatile attacker praised by Arteta for his ability to play across multiple forward roles. Lewis-Skelly, once a central midfielder, has reinvented himself as a commanding left-back known for his physicality and tactical intelligence. His goal in Arsenal’s emphatic 5–1 victory over Manchester City and his cheeky Erling Haaland celebration cemented his growing cult hero status among fans.
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Their close friendship, forged during their early days at Chelsea’s academy and strengthened after they joined Arsenal at the age of eight has also been credited as a key factor in their development. Arsenal correspondent Amy Lawrence described their bond on the Handbrake Off podcast as “a beautiful thing,” likening it to the relationship between Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. The pair even revised for their GCSEs together during the 2023 UEFA U17 European Championship.
Both players are expected to sign long-term contract extensions in the coming weeks, with their PFA nominations coming shortly after their recognition in the 2025 Golden Boy rankings where Lewis-Skelly finished fourth and Nwaneri eighth among Europe’s top U21 prospects.
Although Arsenal finished second in the Premier League and reached the Champions League semi-finals this past season, the rise of Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly has been one of the brightest storylines at the club. Their nominations reflect not only individual excellence but also a promising future for the Gunners, who may soon see one of their own crowned the Premier League’s finest young player.
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