If you were to ask Arsenal fans to think of one positive to come out of this season, most would say the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
The rapid and incredible development of the pair, from inexperienced youth players to key members of the first team, has been unbelievable.
The former has already amassed nine goal involvements for this season, while the latter has started two games for England and scored in his first.
It feels like the sky’s the limit with both, but recent reports linking the club with an incredible Premier League winger could spell trouble for Nwaneri’s development.
Arsenal target Premier League winger
According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Arsenal are one of several teams incredibly keen on signing Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo this summer.
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In fact, the report revealed that the Gunners have been long-term admirers of the Cameroonian International with incoming sporting director Andrea Berta having now made him a ‘key target.’
However, the Bees have set a £50m price tag on the winger, and should the North Londoners act on their interest, they may have to contend with Liverpool and Newcastle United as well.
It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, and while Mbeumo would undoubtedly improve Arsenal’s squad, there is a worry that he could impact Nwaneri’s development.
Why Mbeumo could be bad news for Nwaneri
So, to get straight to the point, the signing of Mbeumo could either hamper Nwaneri’s development or potentially expedite it.
It could be a problem for the simple fact that, with him in the squad, the Hale Ender might get far fewer opportunities to start off the right, as it would seem unlikely that the Brentford ace would come in as the third choice there.
We say this because while the 18-year-old has been impressive this season, the often “unplayable” Cameroonian, as dubbed by Bees boss Thomas Frank, has been a serious threat for some time now.
For example, last season, he scored nine goals and provided six assists in just 27 appearances, and so far this year, he’s done even better, scoring 15 goals and providing six assists in 33 appearances, totalling 2767 minutes.
That means the Avallon-born monster is averaging a goal involvement every 1.57 games, or every 131.76 minutes, which is a level of consistent output that would surely improve the North Londoners’ chances of finally winning the league next year.
Appearances
27
33
Minutes
2079′
2767′
Goals
9
15
Assists
6
6
Goal Involvements per Match
0.55
0.63
Minutes per Goal Involvement
138.6′
131.76′
However, while the signing of the former Troyes ace could negatively impact the Enfield-born gem’s chances of playing on the wing, there is a slight possibility that Arteta could decide to play him in the middle of the park when he has other options out wide.
After all, Nwaneri’s most played position across youth and senior football is attacking midfield, and with Martin Odegaard underwhelming for much of this season, there is a world where he could provide more energy and dynamism to that area of the pitch, in turn furthering his development as a first-teamer.
Ultimately, signing Mbeumo would undoubtedly improve Arsenal’s squad and attacking options, but Arteta and Co should be careful if they intend to keep Nwaneri as a winger moving forward, as signing the Brentford star could seriously impede his development.
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