Arteta: My crystal ball says Nwaneri’s future will be positive

Not unexpectedly, Mikel Arteta was asked a clutch of questions about Ethan Nwaneri at his press conference this morning.

The 17 year old shone in midweek as Arsenal beat Preston 3-0 in the Carabao Cup, and Nwaneri gabbed his third goal of the season with a superb first half strike into the top corner.

Quizzed on his future and the potential he has, the Arsenal manager said, “Well, I can talk how good he is right now, and at 17 years old to be in the position that he is in one of the biggest clubs in Europe, I think sums up really well the level that he has.

“What is going to happen in the future mainly is going to depend on him and how much he wants it.

“At the moment he wants it a lot and he’s surrounded by the right people and the crystal ball to see where he’s going to be in a year, two years, three years, my prediction is going to be very positive.”

Inevitably there were comparisons with other young players who have made the breakthrough at such an early age.

“It’s rare to see a talent like this at 17 years old, that’s true. When we gave him his debut in the Premier League there was a lot of talk about it, but we didn’t do it because it was a gift.

“We did it because we knew the pathway that we wanted to build with him and we wanted to send him a really strong sign about how much we trust him and how much we wanted him to stay with us.

“We are delighted to have him. He really believes that he’s more than capable to take anybody’s place, and his teammates, you know?

“He’s earned the right of the trust of them, which I think is vital for a teenager coming through.”

Fans have been clamouring to see more of him, for understandable reasons, but at 17 there’s are still some issues in terms of fitness and full physical maturity. Nwaneri was taken off against Preston on Wednesday as he was suffering from cramps, leading Arteta to remind people there is a big gap between youth level and the demands in the top flight.

“It’s a huge jump, you know,” he said. “We need to understand where he’s coming from, if he had any issues in the last three, five years.

“In his growth, in his development, and the physical part and the mental part, not just the tactical, are really important to take care of, because the load goes through the roof straightaway.”

With a tough trip to Newcastle tomorrow, one we’ll undertake without captain Martin Odegaard, there might be a chance for Nwaneri to shine at Premier League level, and you wouldn’t bet against him to do that if the opportunity arises.