Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly close to another important deal this summer, and it’s not one that will cost the club a transfer fee. The Gunners are again spending big as they prepare for another tilt at the Premier League title, with Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke expected to sign next week.
Those transfers are set to cost a combined fee of around £112million. Negotiations are also ongoing for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, despite the Portuguese club seemingly being stubborn over the star. It follows the squad already being strengthened by the arrivals of Real Sociedad midfielder Marin Zubimendi and Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
However, the pursuits of Eze and Madueke had prompted speculation over the future of one of the club’s rising stars. Ethan Nwaneri, 18, enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2024/25, playing 37 club games and scoring nine goals.
His current contract expires next year, though. It means he will be eligible to leave on a free transfer if the club can’t tie him down on a longer deal, a prospect that will only become more likely if he’s starved of game time.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the club has reacted by entering advanced talks with the teenage forward over an improved contract. Arsenal chiefs have reportedly outlined their future vision to Nwaneri and are confident he’ll soon put pen to paper.
Nwaneri is said to have sought assurances over playing time before agreeing in principle to the terms. He’s been at Arsenal since he was eight and has represented England at various age-grade levels.
Indeed, he was part of Lee Carsley’s squad that won the Under-21 European Championships this summer. Nwaneri appeared as a substitute in the final as the young Three Lions beat Germany 3-2 to retain their title.
In May, Arteta praised the impact of the club’s academy product and argued he had limited his appearances late in the season as a precaution, saying: “There are moments where players are used more and less, and he has played a lot.”