Arsenal have announced that teenager Ethan Nwaneri has signed his first professional deal with the North London side this afternoon.
The youngster committed his future to his boyhood club after turning 17 exactly a week ago, making him eligible to sign a professional contract.
Nwaneri has made his name as one of Arsenal's brightest stars in their academy in recent years, and is well known amongst fans as he became the youngest ever Premier League player when he made his debut at just 15 years and 181 days against Brentford in September 2022.
The 17-year-old reportedly rejected proposals from other top European clubs including Manchester City to stay with the Gunners, who were willing to go all in to secure his services long term.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and academy manager Per Mertesacker have heaped a lot of praise on the Englishman and are delighted that the club have offered him a well deserved contract.
Nwaneri's Sensational Statistics
The record breaking wonder kid has racked up some insane statistics in his professional and youth level career. Obviously the one that will be mentioned the most is breaking the record for youngest ever Premier League player in 2022 as mentioned earlier, but he has by no means kept quiet since then.
This season so far, Nwaneri has made 15 appearances across the U23 and the U18 groups for his club, and has scored 14 goals in the process, which is almost unheard of for a midfielder playing at any level.
What is even more impressive is that half of these goals have come in the Premier League 2, which is the highest level of academy football in England.
In the FA Youth Cup, the young prodigy averages a hat-trick in each game played, scoring six goals in two appearances.
The 17-year-old has also come a formidable part of the international setup with England U18s, featuring in the recent World Cup as well as the recent squad. Alongside fellow Arsenal & England teammate Myles Lewis-Skelly, they have become the word on the street within the Hale End ranks.
If you are not a follower of academy football, it would be helpful to compare Nwaneri to some well known stars who have come from the same position as him.
Nwaneri's two Premier League appearances thus far in his debut season with a scholarship contract are more than Bukayo Saka and Cesc Fabregas had made in this point of their careers. Both players have gone on to have fruitful careers with the Gunners so this is truly outstanding.
These numbers are not normal for a teenager, so it will be interesting to see how his career progresses from here.
What next for Nwaneri?
The question that you may be asking is what should we expect from the young midfielder in the near future, and here is exactly what you need to know.
Reports have come out that Arsenal's club captain Martin Ødegaard has become Nwaneri's official mentor, which makes perfect sense as they play the same position on the pitch, but have also experienced similar situations off the pitch.
Ødegaard burst onto the scene at 15 years old and struggled handling the pressure that came with being a wonderkid in the current world of football. The Norweigan was deemed a flop at 20, before reviving his career and transferring to Arsenal where he is now one of the best midfielders on the planet.
Nwaneri is in the exact position that Ødegaard was in at this age, so learning to handle pressure from someone who he can relate to will him be crucial to the youngsters future success.
Without even mentioning that if Nwaneri can begin to learn from Ødegaard's play style, although they are completely different players, would benefit him massively.
The 17-year-old is a top talent that is rated across the world of football, but will he fulfil his potential and become one of football's biggest stars? Or will he fail to reach the heights expected of him? Only time will tell.