Arsenal wonderkid chooses contract extension over Chelsea or Man City move

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Arsenal wonderkid chooses contract extension over Chelsea or Man City move

Ethan Nwaneri has rejected the advances of Chelsea to commit his long-term future to Arsenal, sources have confirmed to 90min.

The 16-year-old is widely regarded as one of the finest young prospects in the country, with his first appearance for the Gunners - against Brentford in September last year - making him the youngest player in Premier League history at 15 years and 181 days old

90min reported in March that Chelsea were pushing hard to take Nwaneri to Stamford Bridge, as talks over a professional contract between the player and Arsenal hadn't yielded much progress.

Manchester City and Manchester United were also monitoring developments from afar, though it was believed at the time that Chelsea were leading the race for his signature.

However, sources have told 90min that negotiations between Arsenal and Nwaneri have progressed to the extent that an agreement is now in place. The teenager will sign scholarship terms at the Emirates Stadium, before putting pen to paper on a professional contract in March 2024, when he turns 17.

His new deal is another boost for Arsenal, who are enjoying an exciting summer transfer window after finishing as runners-up to Manchester City in the Premier League last season.

A £105m fee has been agreed to take Declan Rice to Arsenal from West Ham, while Kai Havertz's move to north London from rivals Chelsea was confirmed on Wednesday night. Ajax defender Jurrien Timber is expected to follow, with his signing slated to take the club's spending past £200m.

Manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu have also worked hard to tie down a number of young, exciting prospects to long-term contracts. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Aaron Ramsdale have all signed new deals over the past six months, with William Saliba expected to imminently join them after an impressive first full season at the club.