Arsène Wenger believes Ethan Nwaneri is poised to take on a starring role for Arsenal, despite his young age, drawing comparisons to Cesc Fàbregas.
The 17-year-old was Arsenal’s standout player in Saturday’s crucial 2-0 victory over Leicester City, providing the assist for Mikel Merino’s first goal of the match. Nwaneri is set to play a key role in Mikel Arteta’s squad as the Gunners face a shortage of forwards. His potential has already been recognized by Wenger, a legendary figure at the club.
Wenger sees similarities between Nwaneri and Fàbregas, who also broke into the first team as a teenager under Wenger and went on to captain the club. “Nwaneri is more of a creator, with his final ball, dribbling, and the quality of his passing,” Wenger said on beIN SPORTS. When Richard Keys mentioned Fàbregas’ mental strength after his early breakthrough, Wenger replied, “Yes, of course, Fabregas was mentally strong, but this boy shows similar traits. When I look at him, his maturity, it’s hard to believe he’s only 17.”
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Keys added, “But that was the same with Fabregas, wasn’t it? He was such a good player.” Wenger responded, “Of course, but the sign of special talent is that they are ready early.”
While it’s still to be seen if Nwaneri will have the same influence as Fàbregas, his performance in the recent match has excited Arteta, especially with the news that Kai Havertz will be sidelined for the rest of the season due to injury. Arteta praised Nwaneri’s impact, saying, “Every time he was on the ball, he made things happen. He offered a level of threat that the rest of the team didn’t.”
Nwaneri, who became the youngest player in Premier League history two seasons ago at just 15, has continued to impress. This season, he has already made 24 appearances, scoring seven goals.
Arsenal currently sit seven points behind Liverpool at the top of the Premier League and will look to close the gap when they host struggling West Ham at the Emirates on Saturday.
