Liverpool Cool Interest in Arsenal Starlet Ethan Nwaneri

Liverpool have cooled talk of a move for Arsenal starlet Ethan Nwaneri this summer, despite holding genuine admiration for the teenager’s talent, according to a source close to the situation.

The stance cuts across dramatic claims made on Wednesday, when a “team of five elite reporters” announced on X that Liverpool and Arsenal had been “locked in intense, high-level talks all day” over Nwaneri, adding that Arsenal were looking to sell the youngster in this window.

Inside Liverpool’s winger hunt

Liverpool are in the market for a right-sided attacker to eventually take over from Mohamed Salah, and Nwaneri’s profile naturally sparks intrigue. The 17-year-old can operate off the right or as a No 10, and his emergence has turned heads across Europe.

Liverpool’s primary focus, though, remains on Paris Saint-Germain duo Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye. Those two sit at the top of their winger shortlist, with Nwaneri only surfacing as a surprise name in recent days.

Even that appears to have been overstated. Anfield Sector moved quickly to dampen expectations of a bid, posting on X that while there is “admiration for his abilities as a footballer” there is “no desire to complete a transfer currently as things stand.”

Liverpool are instead expected to keep pushing PSG over Barcola and Mbaye. The French champions have quoted a staggering combined price of around €200m (£171m), a figure Liverpool are trying to drag down in negotiations.

Arsenal’s position and Nwaneri’s market

Arsenal, for their part, are not openly touting Nwaneri or fellow academy product Myles Lewis-Skelly, but they are listening.

Asked about possible exits for the pair, Arsenal CEO Richard Garlick said: “There’s been a lot of speculation around players. I can’t stop other clubs being interested. I think Myles has had a fantastic end to last season and has started this one really well – we’re very, very happy with him.

“Ethan has had a great pre-season as well and I think it’s just a case of looking at what opportunities there are that will help both of those in terms of their career moving forward. We are not actively looking at selling those homegrown players but if the right opportunity came up – right for them and the club – we’d obviously consider that.”

That “right opportunity” is exactly what Europe’s biggest talent-spotters are trying to create.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has detailed the scale of interest, revealing that AC Milan, several German clubs and Galatasaray have all made contact with Arsenal, while Premier League rivals are now circling too.

“Talking about Ethan Nwaneri… a lot of interest,” Romano said. “AC Milan made contact with Arsenal, German clubs made contact with Arsenal, Galatasaray made contact with Arsenal, and then, Premier League clubs are coming.

“There is a feeling at Arsenal that Premier League clubs are now going to knock on the door and try to get a deal done for Ethan Nwaneri.

“So there’s going to be a lot of movement on the boy, and obviously it’ll be on Nwaneri to decide, because the expectation is to see a lot of proposals and movement.

“He’ll be a very interesting market opportunity, but at the same time it’s Nwaneri deciding with his agents and family, so we have to wait and see what’s going to happen there.”

Dortmund join the chase

One of the most serious suitors sits in Germany. TEAMtalk report that Borussia Dortmund are actively searching for a new winger and hold concrete interest in Nwaneri, seeing him as the next major attacking project to develop and, potentially, showcase on the Champions League stage.

Any club hoping to land him will have to pay for the privilege. Reports value the England youth international between £35m and £50m, and Arsenal are expected to push for a buy-back clause to retain some control over his future.

So Liverpool step back, PSG talks roll on, and the Nwaneri auction gathers pace elsewhere. The next move belongs to the player and his family – and whichever club convinces him they are the fastest route from prodigy to Premier League star.