“Can’t afford to stay still” – Arsenal taking no risks with important deal | OneFootball

Arsenal are making a new contract for midfield wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri a priority at the moment as they know they can’t afford to stand still on these issues.

That’s according to Charles Watts as he spoke exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column, with the journalist also praising Nwaneri of fully deserving a reward for his fine form.

The 17-year-old already signed a professional contract earlier this year, but Watts has confirmed that he’s likely to get another new and improved deal after the superb impact he’s had in Mikel Arteta’s first-team this term.

Nwaneri is the latest talent to come up through Arsenal’s academy, following other success stories like Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe in recent years.

Ethan Nwaneri celebrates a goal for Arsenal (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

The England youth international looks like he really could have a very special career ahead of him, so it’s not surprising that Arsenal want to do their best to ensure they don’t take any risks over his future.

Ethan Nwaneri contract update

“A new contract for Ethan Nwaneri is certainly something on the agenda at Arsenal right now,” Watts said.

“The club is happy with the work it has done when it comes to rewarding their players over the past couple of years, but they are well aware that they can’t afford to stay still when it comes to contracts.

“Nwaneri only signed his first professional deal in March, but his progress since then has been rapid, with the 17-year-old having already scored four goals in 11 appearances this season.

“There is no rush to extend his deal, but Arsenal’s approach to contracts in recent years is to ensure players are rewarded for their performances and their standing in the squad.

“Nwaneri has already made himself a key part of Arteta’s squad and Arsenal will look to reward him for that, with discussions understood to be ongoing over a new deal.

“And when you look at what he’s doing and the talent that he has, it’s impossible to say he doesn’t deserve it.”