Mishel Nduka has barely spent a year at Arsenal and is already attracting attention from across the Premier League, with the Nigeria-eligible midfielder set to leave the Gunners’ Hale End Academy less than 12 months after joining, Footynaija.com reports.
Nduka joined Arsenal last September from Charlton Athletic, where he had spent eight years developing before the Gunners beat off competition from Brighton and Wolverhampton Wanderers to secure his signature.
The midfielder wasted no time justifying the move. He made 13 appearances across the under-18 Premier League, UEFA Youth League and Premier League 2 last season, accumulating 625 minutes of action and making his debut in each competition before turning 16, a remarkable achievement for a player his age.
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His performances also earned him seven caps for England’s under-16 side between December and April, underlining the level of respect he commands among the country’s youth coaches.
Despite all of that, Arsenal are now set to lose the 16-year-old, according to recent reports, with all of the Gunners’ top rivals having watched him closely throughout the season.
The development comes alongside similar news regarding Kyran Thompson and Emerson Nwaneri, who are also understood to be departing the club this summer, pointing to a broader unsettling moment in Arsenal’s academy ranks.
Nduka is eligible to represent Nigeria at international level despite representing England at youth level, a dual eligibility that adds another dimension to his story. Arsenal’s academy has a strong track record with players of Nigerian descent, having produced Bukayo Saka, Alex Iwobi and Ethan Nwaneri, making Nduka’s potential departure a development that Nigerian football observers will watch closely.
