Arsenal are in talks and confident to agree new contracts with Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, according to a report.
Though the game was ultimately overshadowed by a ridiculous red card to Myles Lewis-Skelly, Saturday’s match against Wolverhampton Wanderers should have been notable for the fact that it was the first Premier League fixture he’d started alongside Ethan Nwaneri.
There’s been a lot of talk around Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri over the last few years, with the pair proving themselves as outstanding talents in the youth teams and earning their first-team opportunities under Mikel Arteta.
September’s League Cup game against Bolton Wanderers gave them each their first starts, and Saturday saw them take to the pitch together in a Premier League match for the first time – barring a couple of late substitute showings.
Fabrizio Romano reports that negotiations are underway to get a new deal done for both players, with Arsenal confident that they’ll each sign long-term contracts this year.
Nwaneri’s situation is a little more complicated at the moment, given he doesn’t turn 18 until March 21st. As it stands, he’s not eligible to sign a new contract with Arsenal, but that will change on his birthday.
Lewis-Skelly is already 18, and Arsenal will want to get his contract situation sorted as soon as possible.
Both players are currently at Arsenal under the terms of their first professional deals. Those deals can only last a maximum of three seasons, including the one in which they were signed.
As a result, both players’ contracts currently expire in 2026. But their new contracts are likely to be four or five-year deals lasting until 2029 or 2030.
After all the work Arsenal have put in to get the pair to this stage, and all the opportunities they’ve handed them both, they now need to close negotiations to protect their value and ensure it wasn’t all for some other club’s benefit.