Via The Athletic (£), David Ornstein reports that Arsenal are in the final stages of negotiations with Ethan Nwaneri over a new contract.
The 18 year old currently has one year left on the first professional contract he signed in March of last year when he turned 17. Discussions have been ongoing for some time and it now seems as if he’ll follow in the footsteps of Myles Lewis-Skelly who put pen to paper on a new long-term deal in June. It quashes interest from elsewhere, with Borussia Dortmund reportedly keen on bringing him to Germany, as well as other Premier League clubs who have been sniffing around.
Nwaneri made 37 appearances in his debut senior campaign, scoring 9 goals and providing 2 assists in all competitions. Many of those came on the right hand side as he deputised for Bukayo Saka after his hamstring injury, but the imminent arrival of Noni Madueke suggests a more central role for Nwaneri in the season ahead.
Pre-season may tell us a little more about where he’s going to be deployed, and he’ll join up with the squad for the pre-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong having had a break following his involvement in the U21 European Championships this summer. He’s also had a number switch from 53 to 22 for the new campaign.
As well as Lewis-Skelly, the Gunners have also tied Gabriel Magalhaes down to new terms, and it’s expected discussions will continue with Bukayo Saka and William Saliba about extend their contracts.