Chelsea would like to sign Arsenal attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri, but the Gunners are not interested in selling him to one of their rivals, according to reports.
The teenager is expected to be sold this summer, with the Premier League champions looking to balance the books, but writing on his Substack, journalist Simon Phillips said that a transfer to Stamford Bridge is “highly unlikely” to happen:
“Chelsea are one of the clubs who have some interest in the England U21 international. The issue Chelsea are facing, though, is a reluctance from Arsenal to sell any of their players to their London rivals.”
“So again, this is another possible transfer move that looks highly unlikely at this point, and it’s just some initial enquiries from Chelsea.”
“They have been interested in Nwaneri for some time, actually and have reached out to his agents previously regarding a possible move to Stamford Bridge.”
A Chelsea icon has compared him to Messi
Speaking in February last year about Nwaneri following a performance against Leicester, former Blues midfielder Joe Cole was fulsome in his praise of the England Under-21 international:
“These touches he produces, in and around the box, tiny little touches I don’t want to say it, but it’s like Messi. I’ve said it.”
While those remarks do seem a bit over the top, there is no doubt that Nwaneri is very technically gifted, and there is potential for him to thrive if given the right environment.
Nwaneri may end up moving abroad
The 19-year-old went out on loan to Marseille for the second half of last season, and while it proved to be a chastening experience for him due to limited game time, the chances are that he will make the switch to another country this summer.
Borussia Dortmund are said to be among his suitors, although there are question marks over whether the Bundesliga side are willing to match Arsenal’s valuation.
Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here
