Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes Ethan Nwaneri could transform into a striker as the teenage star continues his development.
Nwaneri has broken into the first-team squad this season, primarily playing in midfield as one of Arsenal’s two No8s.
The 17-year-old has impressed, scoring four goals, and he is primed to get another start when the Gunners host Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
Nwaneri will likely play in midfield, possibly in place of captain Martin Odegaard, but Arteta thinks he could end up as a striker.
“Ethan can play as a right attacking midfielder, a left attacking midfielder,” said Arteta. “He can play as a right winger and there is another position I think he can develop into - No9.
“He has got the goal in front of him and he looks at the goal and he has a tremendous ability to put the ball in the back of the net.”
Arteta celebrates his five-year anniversary in charge at Arsenal on Friday and is determined to win more trophies.
The Spaniard has lifted the FA Cup and two Community Shields so far in north London, but does not want to stop there.
“We want to win and do everything we can to win it,” said Arteta. “The pressure is about being at a big club or winning the major trophies. This is what we want to do.”
Arsenal will be without Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu on Wednesday night due to injury.
Arteta, however, is expected to name a strong team and Declan Rice has shaken off a niggle to be fit.
“We will decide that in the morning in relation to how the squad is,” he said. “It’s obviously the quarter-finals so it’s a very important match. We will try to be the best team to win it.
“It’s always really tough [against Crystal Palace]. When you look at the results they’ve had recently and their approach, it’s always really tough.
“It’s another layer of difficulty, particularly when you play a team twice in four days. We’ve prepared for that.”
