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“Creator of final ball” – Arsene Wenger compares Nwaneri to Fabregas

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“Creator of final ball” – Arsene Wenger compares Nwaneri to Fabregas

By Wale Mustapha

Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has drawn a comparison between Nigerian-born winger Ethan Nwaneri and the club’s legendary former captain, Cesc Fàbregas.

At just 17 years old, Nwaneri has emerged as one of Arsenal’s standout young talents this season, earning recognition as one of the brightest prospects in European football.

His impressive performance in Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium further cemented his growing reputation.

Wenger, who guided Arsenal through their golden years—including the Invincibles season—hailed Nwaneri as a “creator and special talent,” drawing parallels to a young Fàbregas.

“Nwaneri is more a creator of the final ball through his dribbling and the quality of his passes,” Wenger said.

“Fàbregas was very strong mentally, but this boy looks like he is as well. When I look at him and his maturity, it’s difficult for me to think that he’s 17 years old.”

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Samuel Ahmadu
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.
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