Mikel Arteta
Arsenal are the reigning Premier League champions, reached the Champions League final, and have just smashed their closest rivals 3-0 to start the new season with a victory in the Community Shield.
Everything in north London is quite rosy at the moment, with Mikel Arteta having landed his top midfield target in the transfer window by signing Bruno Guimaraes for around £75m from Newcastle, while the club are still pursuing new additions in attack.
The Gunners have also got an abundance of young talent coming through who are knocking on the door to the first team, with Marli Salmon and Max Dowman in particular impressing throughout the last 12 months.
But one incredibly talented young player who helped pave the way for them looks set to be on his way out of the Emirates Stadium this summer, in Ethan Nwaneri.
Arsenal are one of the best attacking units in Europe, scoring well over 100 goals in all competitions last season on their way to a first league title in 22 years, and two cup finals.
Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres, Leandro Trossard, Eberechi Eze, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, and Noni Madueke were the attacking options for the majority of the campaign. Since then Trossard has joined Besiktas and been replaced by Christos Tzolis, who got two assists in the Community Shield win over City, while Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus are expected to depart before the window closes.
But part of the reason that Nwaneri can't get any regular minutes in the attack is because the manager opted to spend a stunning £52m on Chelsea flop Noni Madueke last summer instead of giving him a pathway into the lineup.
Nwaneri featured for just 447 minutes across all competitions for the north London side in the first half of last season before being loaned to Marseille, before a change of manager meant that he struggled for regular game time there too. But whenever he plays, he tends to impress, and fans are annoyed that he looks set to be allowed to move on.
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Fees correct prior to summer 2026
Arsenal Losing Nwaneri Due to £52m Mistake
Ethan Nwaneri
Nwaneri signed a new long-term deal at the Emirates Stadium last summer, but it seems to have been for nothing. Madueke is clearly ahead of him in the pecking order despite clear flaws in his game, and there seems to be no way back for the teenager.
But you'd be hard-pressed to find an Arsenal fan who feels that the £52m arrival of Madueke last summer was a successful signing, despite the success of the team last season.
Nwaneri is a more talented player, who has come through the club's academy, has an affinity with the fans, and has a much higher ceiling than Madueke. Yet according to Fabrizio Romano, the playmaker will definitely be leaving Arsenal this summer, with a number of clubs ready to make their move.
Allowing him to leave is yet another huge mistake in the market by Arteta, and it could see the future of Arsenal playing elsewhere instead of where he should be. It may also be the difference in retaining the Premier League crown for the first time in their history, or going backwards this season.