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Unai Emery | AFP via Getty Images
Aston Villa have the chance to bring in some new faces before the end of the January transfer window
Aston Villa drew 0-0 away at Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening in their latest outing. They weren’t able to find a breakthrough against the Eagles at Selhurst Park and were forced to settle for a point. The Midlands outfit remain in 3rd place in the Premier League table after 21 fixtures behind Arsenal and Manchester United.
Unai Emery’s side are back in action this weekend as they aim to keep their momentum going. They have an away trip to Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup on Saturday night. A place in the fourth tier lies in store for the winner.
Aston Villa should make loan swoop for Arsenal winger Ethan Nwaneri
According to the Independent, AFC Bournemouth are keen on a loan move for Arsenal winger Ethan Nwaneri this winter. CaughtOffside have also recently claimed that he is on the radar of Chelsea as well. Aston Villa should now join the queue for his signature in this transfer window.
Nwaneri, 18, is under contract at the Emirates Stadium until the summer of 2030. He has made 11 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners this season and has chipped in with one goal. The teenager has found it hard to get starts in this campaign though due to competition from the likes of Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli.
Therefore, a temporary exit to somewhere like Villa Park would be beneficial for him. He is being tipped for a bright future in the game and is a promising talent. Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said last year: “Nwaneri is more a creator through his final ball, his dribbling and the quality of his passing. (Cesc) Fabregas was very strong mentally but this boy looks as well and when I look at him, his maturity, it’s difficult for me to think he’s 17 years old. The sign of a special talent is they are ready early.”
Why Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri would be ideal for Aston Villa
Nwaneri would give Aston Villa another option to pick from at the top end of the pitch. He is someone who likes to cut in on his left foot from the right and cause problems to opposition defenders. If he joined, he would give Emery more competition and depth going forward which would help with their workload over the coming months.
The England youth international has been on the books at Arsenal for his whole career to date. He has risen up through their academy and was a regular at various different youth levels. The London-born man made his first-team debut at the age of just 15 against Brentford in 2022.
He hasn’t looked back since and has since played 50 matches altogether, finding the net on 10 occasions. His immediate future is up in the air right now though amid attention from the likes of Bournemouth and Chelsea. The Gunners won’t want to sell him permanently and he still has a big things ahead of him with his current club.
They need to send him somewhere else over the coming months though to boost his development. There is no point him sitting on the bench with his talent. Aston Villa should try and lure him in to strengthen their ranks and inject something different into their starting XI.
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