CHELSEA are showing interest in Ethan Nwaneri, according to reports.
The Arsenal youngster has one year left on his contract at the Emirates.
Nwaneri, 18, signed his first professional contract with the club when he turned 17 in 2024.
Talks are said to be at a “delicate” stage, with the two parties yet to find an agreement.
And the matter of keeping one of their brightest stars could soon become far more complicated for the Gunners.
That is because London rivals Chelsea are monitoring the situation, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Blues are poised to strike if Nwaneri fails to agree new terms with the north London club.
Nwaneri, part of England’s winning Under-21 European Championship squad, is understood to want game time guaranteed.
He made his Premier League debut for Arsenal in 2022 against Brentford at the age of 15 years, five months and 28 days old.
But he enjoyed a real breakout season in 2024/25, making 37 appearances in all competitions.
He scored nine goals in all comps and provided two assists.
Arsenal faced a similar prospect of losing Myles Lewis-Skelly for free amid interest from Real Madrid before the Hale End graduate put pen to paper on a new deal.
This potential deal does not impact Arsenal’s move to land Noni Madueke from Chelsea after it was claimed the Three Lions winger had agreed terms over a transfer.
Elsewhere, Chelsea have confirmed the £52m arrival of Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund.
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