Arsenal are reportedly at serious risk of losing 15-year-old prospect Ethan Nwaneri as their Big Six rivals keep a close eye on developments.
The 2007-born midfielder became the youngest player to ever play in the Premier League when he came off the bench in September's 3-0 win over Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Nwaneri has continued to sporadically train alongside the first team, but he has not been considered for more minutes under Mikel Arteta as he continues his development at youth level.
The England Under-17 international has scored twice for the Arsenal Under-18s - managed by Jack Wilshere - during their run to the FA Youth Cup semi-finals, and he has featured regularly for the Under-21s at Premier League 2 level.
However, The Telegraph claims that Arsenal are facing an increasingly uncertain future with Nwaneri, who is wanted by some of the Gunners' main rivals this summer.
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Manchester City and Chelsea are both thought to be interested in signing Nwaneri, who has scored three goals in nine appearances for England at Under-17 level.
Nevertheless, Arsenal remain optimistic that they can retain the services of the teenager, who has been on the books at London Colney since 2015 but cannot sign a professional contract until he turns 17 in March 2024.
While predominantly playing as a number 10, Nwaneri has also gleaned experience out wide and as a centre-forward this season, scoring two goals and setting up three more in eight appearances in the Under-18 Premier League.
Nwaneri was just 15 years and 181 days old when he replaced Fabio Vieira in added time against Brentford, having been called up to the squad to cover for the absent Martin Odegaard.
The teenager broke the previous record for the youngest Premier League player, set by Harvey Elliott at 16 years and 30 days old in 2019, and Arteta explained that he had a gut feeling with Nwaneri prior to his debut.
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"It was a feeling that I had yesterday, I don't know why. The first day I met him I looked him in his eyes and everyone was telling me about him, Per was telling me about him, and because of the injuries we only have 12 or 13 senior players yesterday to put in the squad and we decided to bring him, and that's it," Arteta told arsenal.com.
"It's one step, one experience, so enjoy it and congratulations! It's just one step and all the steps in your career are not forward and you have to know that.
"You can go forward then backwards and then forwards. You fall, you go back - that's, unfortunately, this industry and the football career of any player."
Chelsea poached highly-rated attacker Omari Hutchinson from Arsenal's academy in the most recent summer transfer window, and the Gunners are also working to fend off interest Amario Cozier-Duberry and Myles Lewis-Skelly, the latter of whom is said to have agreed a new deal at the Emirates Stadium.
Ben Knapton
