Arsenal’s teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri remains a potential option for the Super Eagles, but neither the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) nor its representatives have formally approached him regarding a switch from England to Nigeria.

The 17-year-old teenager has been a revelation for Mikel Arteta's men this season, winning the hearts of several Gunners fans with his superb performances.

According to TransferMarkt, Nwaneri has scored seven goals for Arsenal after 23 appearances for the North London club this season.

Newly appointed Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has enlisted Alex Iwobi, also a graduate of Arsenal’s Hale End Academy, to use his connections to persuade Nwaneri to consider playing for Nigeria.

Despite these speculations, there has been no direct contact between the NFF and Nwaneri's family, and the young midfielder continues to develop his career with England’s youth teams.

No contact yet from Nigeria Football Federation

Although Nwaneri qualifies to play for Nigeria through his father, Obi Nwaneri, no discussions have taken place regarding his potential switch.

Sources close to the player confirmed that neither the NFF nor Iwobi has reached out to the family.

Nwaneri is two goals away from equalling the prodigious scoring record set by England legends Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, 90MIN reports.

While Obi Nwaneri is familiar with Iwobi from his time at Arsenal, the two have never spoken directly about Ethan’s international future.

This suggests that any potential move to the Super Eagles remains in its early stages, if at all a possibility.

At just 17, Nwaneri has already gained recognition at the youth level, having represented England at U16, U17, and U19 levels.

In 2024, the Arsenal youngster captained the England U19 team in multiple matches, further solidifying his place in their youth system.

Nwaneri’s England ties and Nigeria’s midfield search

While Nwaneri is still eligible to switch allegiance to Nigeria, he is provisionally cap-tied to England after appearing in a UEFA U17 European Championship qualifier against Lithuania in 2022.

If the 17-year-old decides to play for the Super Eagles, he would need to apply for a one-time switch with FIFA.

Nigeria has been actively scouting midfield talent across Europe, particularly after missing out on Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze and Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, both of whom chose to represent England and France, respectively.

With Nwaneri's rapid rise at Arsenal, the NFF may still try to convince him to join the Super Eagles in the future, but for now, no official efforts have been made.