Mishel Nduka: Arsenal U18 and England-Nigeria midfielder linked with Man City move

Mishel Nduka, the England-Nigeria attacking midfielder currently at Arsenal U18, is being linked with a move to Premier League champions Manchester City in what would be a significant youth transfer between two of England’s leading academies.

The 16-year-old, who operates as an attacking midfielder and is right‐footed, has emerged as a regular at Arsenal’s under-18 level this season. He has featured in the U18 Premier League and has already been exposed to older age-group football, with appearances recorded in Premier League 2 and the UEFA Youth League, placing him on the radar of top-flight recruitment departments.

Nduka formally joined Arsenal’s U18 set-up on 1 July 2026, progressing from the club’s youth ranks after an earlier switch from Charlton Athletic in September 2025. His pathway through two prominent London academies by the age of 16 has underlined his status within youth development circles and explains why a club of City’s scale is assessing his situation.

For Arsenal, interest from a direct domestic rival at youth level poses a test of their ability to retain a player who has already been trusted with minutes across domestic and European youth competitions, including 10 appearances in the U18 Premier League and game time in both Premier League 2 and the UEFA Youth League this term.

No agreement is in place and the talks remain at rumour stage, but with Nduka freshly integrated into the Arsenal U18 squad and without a publicly defined contract end date, his immediate future officially remains in north London.