Ethan Nwaneri has a chance to impress Mikel Arteta amid Borussia Dortmund interest

Ethan Nwaneri is attracting interest from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund as he faces a chance to impress Mikel Arteta during Arsenal's pre-season campaign.

The midfielder's future as a Gunner is currently uncertain at this point of the summer transfer window with no clear avenue into the first team squad and plenty of clubs expected to be interested if he is made available.

However, no decision appears to have been made on his Arsenal career just yet and as he is lined up for a start in his side's pre-season opener against Girona, he has an opportunity to prove his worth to his manager amid the uncertainty surrounding his future.

Ethan Nwaneri has a chance to impress amid uncertain Arsenal future

Nwaneri has been one of Hale End's most talked about prospects since coming off the bench late on in a 3-0 win at Brentford in September 2022. At 15 years and 181 days old, he became the youngest Premier League player of all time, breaking the record set by Harvey Elliott three years earlier.

He eventually broke into the Arsenal first team during the 2024/25 season, scoring nine goals and providing two assists in 37 appearances, and was given chances to show his quality in the league while Bukayo Saka was absent with a long-term injury.

However, his minutes decreased significantly last campaign, partially due to the signing of Noni Madueke and the emergence of Max Dowman as he played just 12 times before being shipped out on loan to Marseille for the second half of the term.

His impact in the south of France was minimal though as he made only 11 appearances despite making a bright start with a goal against Lens on his debut.

Upon his return to the Gunners, Nwaneri faces plenty of competition in both the number 10 and right wing positions. Eberechi Eze and Martin Ødegaard are heavily favoured in the former role while Bukayo Saka and Madueke seem to be higher in the pecking order on the flank. Dowman is an option that is capable of playing in both roles.

If the academy graduate is to break back into Arteta's setup, he has to capitalise on the opportunities he is presented with during pre-season. With Saka, Madueke, Eze and Ødegaard yet to return after the World Cup, Nwaneri has the chance for minutes in both positions and needs to impress Arteta, starting with tomorrow's clash with Girona.

Arsenal are yet to make a decision on the star's future and with him still being only 19, they do not want to sanction a sale, but if he fails to prove his quality, it's hard to imagine the club not at least entertaining offers. A loan could help further his development while a permanent sale with a possible buy-back clause could be an avenue to be explored.

Nwaneri is still tied to the Gunners until June 2030 after putting pen to paper on a long-term contract last summer so it is clear he is viewed as part of the plans for the foreseeable future, but he has to take the chance to impress while he can. If he doesn't, a departure must be looked at.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow