Norwich City: Ben Knapper should use Arsenal connections to land wonderkid - View | OneFootball

It remains to be seen what division Norwich City will be playing in next season, but if they're a Championship side for the 2024/25 season, then Arsenal could provide them with the perfect loan signing.

The Canaries' sporting director, Ben Knapper, took over at Carrow Road in November 2023, but prior to his time with Norwich he worked for Arsenal, where he had spent 13 years.

Knapper held a variety of roles at the Emirates Stadium, such as scouting and analysis, before becoming the club's loan and pathway manager, meaning he'll have in-depth knowledge of the club's promising youngsters.

17-year-old midfielder Ethan Nwaneri has been mightily impressive for the Gunners' U21 side this summer, and Knapper should be looking to use his links with Arsenal to arrange a loan deal in the coming months.

Ethan Nwaneri is too good for U21's football and needs a loan next season

Despite being just 17-years-old, Ethan Nwaneri has already appeared to have outgrown Premier League 2 football, and should be looking to move away from the Gunners on loan next season.

The midfielder is the youngest player to ever play in the Premier League after making his debut for Mikel Arteta's side in September 2022 in a fixture against Brentford, and it's clear to see just how highly-rated he is at the Emirates Stadium.

He made one further first-team appearance this season, coming off the bench in the Gunners' 6-0 demolition of West Ham in February, and has spent the majority of his time playing for the club's U21 side this season.

The attacking midfielder has made 12 appearances in Premier League 2 this season, scoring ten goals and registering two assists. This is clearly an impressive return, and the rest of his stats make good reading, too.

In total, he's made 17 appearances for Arsenal's youth sides this season, and has scored 17 times. Despite being so young, it's clear that he's too good for this level of football, and it would be a waste if he spent the 2024/25 season playing for the Gunners' youth sides.

With this in mind, Championship clubs may be queuing up to take Nwaneri on loan next season, and Norwich have to use Ben Knapper's connections to try and sign him.

Norwich City need to be in the mix to sign Ethan Nwaneri

It remains to be seen whether Norwich will be playing in the Premier League or Championship next season, but if it's the Championship, then Ethan Nwaneri would be a perfect loan signing.

The Canaries have opted for a 4-3-2-1 formation this season, and Nwaneri would play in Ashley Barnes' role behind the striker.

Barnes has done a decent job, but at 34, he's getting on a bit, and the Arsenal loanee would provide good strength in depth.

It would be a real shame if Arsenal decided to loan Nwaneri out and Norwich weren't at the front of the queue, and Ben Knapper really needs to use his connections.

It would be unrealistic to expect Nwaneri to join the club and start all 46 Championship games, but given the chance, he'd likely impress in the Championship, and a loan spell this early in his career would stand him in good stead for the future.

After all, he made his Premier League debut at just 15, so he's clearly a special talent, and he's too good a player not to take a chance on this summer.