Super Eagles not ruled out for Arsenal's Nwaneri but Iwobi, NFF yet to reach out to parents

Allnigeriasoccer.com understands that Ethan Nwaneri remains a potential option for the Super Eagles, though the Arsenal midfielder has yet to receive a formal approach from the Nigeria Football Federation or its representatives regarding a switch from England to the three-time African champions.  

Local media reports indicated that new Super Eagles manager Eric Chelle has asked Alex Iwobi —also a Hale End Academy graduate like Nwaneri— to use his Arsenal ties to explore the possibility of convincing the young midfielder to play for Nigeria.

Born in London, Ethan qualifies to play for the Super Eagles through his Nigerian father, Obi Nwaneri, who offers extra training sessions to him and his younger brother at Hale End, Emerson.

Allnigeriasoccer.com can report with certainty that neither the Nigerian Federation nor Iwobi has engaged in discussions with the player's parents about the talented midfielder potentially representing the Super Eagles.

While Obi Nwaneri is familiar with Iwobi from his Arsenal days, they have never spoken or communicated in the past.

Ethan Nwaneri is still eligible to represent the Super Eagles as he has yet to make a competitive appearance for his country of birth at senior level. 

The 17-year-old has earned caps for England at U16, U17 and U19 levels and captained the Young Lions in multiple games in 2024.

By coming off the bench in a European U17 Championship qualifier against Lithuania in October 2022, Nwaneri became provisionally cap-tied to England, meaning he needs to file a one-time switch with Fifa if he is convinced to play for Nigeria in the future. 

It's no secret that Nigeria Football Federation scouts have been scouring Europe for a reliable playmaker after missing out on the services of Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze and Bayern Munich's Michael Olise, who were both invited to the Super Eagles, but opted to commit their international futures to England and France respectively. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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