Arsenal have rebuilt their ranks over the past few years under Mikel Arteta, and the foundations now appear to have been laid for academy graduates to come through and thrive.
Bukayo Saka has been the face of the pathway from the Gunners’ youth football to the first team, and the England international may not be the only notable name to have come through the Hale End ranks for too much longer.
Arteta has put his faith in youngsters Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly in recent weeks, and their gradual integration could see them primed to play a key role for Arsenal by the end of the season.
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Nwaneri, 17, has been the name on the lips of the Gunners for a matter of years. He was already playing under-18 football whilst aged 14 and his performances at that level soon saw him competing for the clubs’ under-21s.
He then became the youngest player to ever play in the Premier League when making his Arsenal debut aged 15 years and 181 days in 2022. Nwaneri made one appearance in the following campaign, and Arteta now appears to be ready to hand the midfielder regular opportunities – no matter what the occasion is.
So far this season, the teenager has come off of the bench to feature in the north London derby against Tottenham and was a late substitute against Leicester City. Nwaneri also bagged a brace in the Gunners’ Carabao Cup win over Bolton.
Similarly, Lewis-Skelly also looks set to be brought into the frame more frequently as well. With Arsenal’s midfield issues threatening to boil over, Arteta has turned to the 18-year-old to showcase his quality in the past few matches.
Lewis-Skelly was handed his Premier League debut against Manchester City, and then earned himself a European cap in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week.
With big-game appearances already under the belt, Arteta has shown that Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri both have bright futures at the Emirates Stadium, and the Spaniard may have quickly learned not to leave it too late to hand out opportunities to bright prospects.
During the summer transfer window, the Gunners had no choice but to watch on as talented youngster Chido Obi-Martin signed for Manchester United. After scoring 32 goals in 18 matches for Arsenal’s under-18s, Manchester United lured the young Dane to Old Trafford to leave a bitter taste in the mouth of Arteta, who wanted Obi-Martin to stay at the club and become a scholar.
The reasons behind the switch remain speculative, but Arsenal may feel that the 16-year-old may not have had his head turned if he had already experienced life in the first-team squad more regularly.
