Ethan Nwaneri looks like an absolute sensation at Arsenal.
At the age of just 17, Ethan Nwaneri is already starring for Arsenal in the Champions League and the Premier League.
Nwaneri has been massively praised for his performances this season, and the sky appears to be the limit for this young man.
Nwaneri is a really versatile footballer too, he’s been making his name down the right wing as of late, but, in the Arsenal academy, he was more of a number 10.
Mikel Arteta has claimed that Nwaneri could play as a number nine in the future, but according to Ian Wright, speaking on the Wrighty’s House Podcast, Nwaneri shouldn’t be a striker.
Ethan Nwaneri shouldn’t play as a striker
Wright was asked what position Nwaneri will eventually play in.
The pundit says that Nwaneri can be whatever he wants to be, but he’s not keen to see him used as a number nine.
“What’s he going to be, positionally, do you think? What do you think?” Wright was asked.
“Well, we’re looking at how Saka has just got, he’s just kind of made that right side his own in the way that he’s developed. But you look at Ethan, Ethan, I don’t know, Ethan could play, I think he could play anywhere up there. I wouldn’t put him as a nine,” Wright said.
“They say he’s played as a nine in the youth team. But I wouldn’t put him in a nine, but I’d put him anywhere around there. Just anywhere.”
Ethan Nwaneri record as a striker
Wright says he doesn’t want to see Nwaneri play as a striker for Arsenal, but the youngster does have an incredible record as a number nine at youth level.
Indeed, while Nwaneri is seemingly more suited to a deeper role due to his incredible technical ability and his smaller stature, he does know how to find the net when he plays up front.
| Ethan Nwaneri record as a striker | |
| Games | 8 |
| Goals | 10 |
| Assists | 2 |
Nwaneri’s return as a striker is utterly brilliant, and you can’t really argue with those numbers.
Arsenal need a proper striker, and Arsenal want Alexander Isak in the summer window, but with Kai Havertz out for the season and the Gunners lacking attacking options, perhaps using Nwaneri as a makeshift number nine at some point this season wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Once Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are back fit, perhaps Nwaneri could work well as a centre-forward.
