Liverpool are among several top clubs interested in swooping for the Premier League’s youngest ever player Ethan Nwaneri before he signs a professional contract with Arsenal.
The youngster made his debut aged 15 years and 181 days against Brentford as the Gunners won 3-0, with the decision to allow him to play having a mixed reaction across the sporting world - despite him only featuring for three minutes.
TalkSPORT host Jason Cundy, who featured for Chelsea in the early 90s, believed that the decision to bring Nwaneri on was a purely selfish decision from Mikel Arteta.
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“I’m sorry, but I think that’s a really poor decision… because it’s about Arteta. It’s all about Arteta. I think that’s self-indulgent – ‘I am the manager who played the youngest ever player in the Premier League. That was me’.
“When I saw the kid on the bench I thought it was great. The first time I was on the bench at 17, so I thought what a brilliant experience for the kid.
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“But when he was warming up, and then he was coming on, I was thinking, ‘This is ridiculous’. This has got nothing to do with the kid, this is all about Arteta. It’s self-indulgent.”
Naturally, Nwaneri’s inclusion has caused a stir amongst potential suitors, especially with a minimal fee involved due to the fact he hasn’t signed a scholarship with the Gunners, which he is unable to do until he is 16.
According to the Liverpool Echo, Jurgen Klopp’s side are very interested in the teenager, and of course have a history of swooping for young talent in recent years for cheap fees.
Harvey Elliott, the previous youngest ever player in the league, was signed from Fulham in 2019 for a reported £4.3m.
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Fabio Carvalho also joined this summer for £7.7m from the same club, with other players like Calvin Ramsay, Sepp van den Berg and Ki-Jana Hoever swapping boyhood clubs for Anfield in their formative years.
Nwaneri will likely stay with Arsenal, though, as this show of faith by the manager showcases the club’s belief in his abilities.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Liverpool, Arsenal, Liverpool Transfer News & Rumours