U23 defender Joseph Olowu has chosen to represent Nigeria over England, according to reports, and he’s also considering a possible departure from Arsenal this summer.

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Joseph Olowu with the Arsenal u23s (Photo via Instagram / jolowu27)

Nigerian outlet Vanguard report that Olowu has ended speculation about the country he will represent internationally by choosing Nigeria over England. The Arsenal u23 defender was reportedly on the Nigeria Football Federation’s radar for the ongoing 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup, before he suffered his season-ending injury in January.

Despite missing out on playing in the tournament, Olowu is expected to attend one of Nigeria’s matches in the coming days to show his support, meeting with the players and coaches when he arrives.

In terms of his Arsenal career, Olowu was playing fairly regular football at right-back for the u23s in the first half of the season. He wasn’t a guaranteed starter, but he appeared in most of the matches he was fit for, whether from the start or from the bench.

Unfortunately, the 19-year-old then missed the entire second half of the campaign with that injury he sustained in January. There’s also a sense that he wouldn’t even have got as much game time as he did if Jordi Osei-Tutu had been fit and available for the opening months of 2018/19.

As a result, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the defender moving on this summer. Vanguard write that a departure “cannot be entirely ruled out as he is seeking first team football”.