By Dayo Awoniyi
Arsenal have bolstered their youth academy with the signing of promising Nigerian midfielder Emmanuel Ahaneku, who joins the club’s Hale End Academy from Coventry City.
According to talent scouting platform The Talent Hunter, the 14-year-old has officially completed his move to North London, signing a schoolboy contract as he begins his development toward a full scholarship with the Gunners.
Ahaneku was highly regarded at Coventry, where his performances earned him opportunities to train with the club’s Under-18 side despite his age.
His switch to Arsenal underscores the club’s ongoing commitment to nurturing emerging talents of Nigerian descent through its famed youth system.
He now joins compatriots Ethan Nwaneri and Mishel Nduka at Hale End, the latter having arrived from Charlton Athletic last month.
Arsenal’s academy has a proud record of producing players of Nigerian heritage, including Bukayo Saka, Alex Iwobi, Nathan Tella, Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise, Chuba Akpom, and Ovie Ejaria.
With his technical ability and composure in midfield, Ahaneku will be hoping to follow a similar path from academy prospect to first-team breakthrough in the coming years.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
