Ethan Nwaneri has used his sparkling Arsenal form as a springboard into the England Under-21s squad. And many deem it inevitable that the talented 17-year-old will eventually make the step up to the senior Three Lions team and follow in the footsteps of his teenage team-mate Myles Lewis-Skelly.
But it is far from guaranteed. And that's not just down to whether Thomas Tuchel selects him, as Nwaneri also has a choice to make regarding which nation he represents. The attacking midfielder, who can also play out wide, has a Nigerian father and is eligible to play for the Super Eagles.
Nwaneri has chosen England from Under-16 all the way through to the Under-21s, and he will eventually become 'cap-tied' if he goes on to become a regular for the country of his birth.
With little time to waste, Nigeria have reportedly 'launched a bid' to lure Nwaneri away from the Three Lions. And a report from SportsBoom indicates that high-ranking officials from the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) plan to meet with the youngster's family and make their case.
In recent years, Nigeria have successfully secured the services of Ola Aina, Calvin Bassey, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi, despite all of them being eligible to play for England.
But former Nigerian international Sam Sodje believes the nation's football federation will have a tough job convincing Nwaneri to follow suit. "He’s a fantastic talent," the ex-Charlton man told SportsBoom. "I watched him play against Brentford, and I was very impressed.
"However, convincing him to choose Nigeria over England will be a challenge. The English FA is also keen on keeping him, and they won’t let such a talent slip away easily. But in football, you never know."
Nwaneri made his England Under-21 debut off the bench in a 5-3 defeat to France last week. He was back in action to score his first goal at that level on Monday, as he curled in for the hosts' second of the game in a 4-2 victory against Portugal.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has been forced to put his faith in Nwaneri this season due to a wave of attacking injuries. Often filling in for Bukayo Saka on the right wing, the 2007-born prodigy has racked up eight goals in 29 games across all competitions, including five in 10 cup matches.