According to Nigerian outlet Blueprint, Arsenal's 19-year-old attacking midfielder Nwaneri, currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund, is considering switching his international allegiance from England to Nigeria. Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle has previously contacted the player's representatives in the hope of persuading him to play for the national team.
The report states that Nwaneri is open to representing Nigeria. Chelle previously held discussions with the player's agent in London, hoping to convince him to commit his international future to Nigeria. However, neither Nwaneri nor the Nigeria Football Federation has officially confirmed any agreement between the two parties.
Nwaneri has also reportedly followed the Nigeria national team's official social media accounts recently, which has caught the attention of Nigerian fans. However, social media activity alone does not confirm that he has decided to switch allegiance.
Nwaneri was born in England to a Nigerian father and a mother of British and French descent, which makes him eligible to represent Nigeria through his father.
Nwaneri has previously played for England at U16, U17, U19 and U21 levels. However, under FIFA regulations, players who have represented one country at youth level can still switch national associations under certain conditions.
Because Nwaneri has not yet played in an official international match for the England senior team, he can still represent Nigeria, provided he meets FIFA's eligibility requirements.
Nigeria's interest in Nwaneri goes back some time. In March 2025, it was reported that Chelle planned to meet Nwaneri in London to persuade him to join the national team.
Chelle wants to improve the team's creativity in attack. Nwaneri, who can play as an attacking midfielder, right winger and playmaker, is seen as a player who could add tactical options in the final third.
According to reports, Nigeria has been closely following Nwaneri's development in European football. In the second half of the 2025/26 season, when Nwaneri was on loan at Olympique Marseille in Ligue 1, Chelle also scouted his performances in person.
England, however, also hope to keep the young player. Nwaneri has come through England's youth national team system and was called up to the senior team's pre-tournament training camp in Florida, USA, ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Because attending a training camp is not the same as playing in an official match for the senior team, this experience alone does not prevent him from representing Nigeria.
Nwaneri joined the Arsenal academy at the age of 8 and made his first-team debut in September 2022. He came off the bench in a Premier League match against Brentford, becoming the youngest player in Premier League history at 15 years, 5 months and 28 days old.
Since then, Nwaneri has gradually become part of Mikel Arteta's first-team squad and has had opportunities to play in English domestic and European competitions.
In January 2026, Arsenal loaned Nwaneri to Olympique Marseille so that he could gain more experience through first-team football. He made 11 appearances and scored 2 goals for Marseille, then returned to Arsenal at the end of the season.
On September 1, 2026, Borussia Dortmund announced that Nwaneri had joined on a season-long loan from Arsenal, running until the end of the 2026/27 season. The move gives him a chance to continue his development and gain playing time in the Bundesliga.
If Nwaneri ultimately decides to represent Nigeria, he will give Chelle more attacking options. He is versatile enough to play behind the striker, on the right wing or as a more advanced midfielder.
At the same time, his arrival would increase competition for attacking positions in the Nigeria squad, which already includes Ademola Lookman, Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze and Moses Simon.
Nigeria has also previously persuaded players who developed in the English football system to join its national team. For example, Ola Aina played for England's youth teams before choosing to represent Nigeria, and Iwobi, who also came through the Arsenal youth system, ultimately chose to play for Nigeria.
However, Nwaneri has not yet made a formal decision to switch allegiance. The final decision rests with the player, and if he chooses to represent Nigeria, the Nigeria Football Federation will also need to ensure that the relevant procedures comply with FIFA's eligibility regulations.