Who Is Samuel Chukwueze and What Would He Bring to Arsenal?

Samuel Chukwueze is hardly a household name in England. However, he could soon become very familiar to Arsenal fans. The Nigerian youngster’s arrival in north London is imminent, and he could be set to make a significant impact.

At a time when another Nigerian teenager, Alex Iwobi, has broken into the first team and performed impressively, there is excitement building about the forthcoming appearance of two more African talents in the squad.

Chukwueze and compatriot Kelechi Nwakali will soon be wearing Arsenal red—Arsene Wenger confirmed as much at the end of January, per David Hytner of the Guardian: "The talks are progressing well. Do I expect them to be done this month? Yes. Of course, there are work permit issues and medical issues, because they have to take medicals. But it is progressing well."

There has not yet been an official announcement, but that should soon be rectified.

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It’s a significant coup for the Gunners. Both players, who are graduates of the esteemed Diamond Football Academy, played key roles in 2015’s FIFA U-17 World Cup-winning Nigeria team. That side also included Kelechi Iheanacho, who has gone on to shine for Manchester City this season.

Nwakali is a marauding midfielder in the Patrick Vieira mould, but Chukwueze is a different type of player. He is more akin to Iwobi—a mobile winger with the capacity to cut inside. He’s left-footed, quick and a strong finisher. 

That much was clear when Emmanuel Amuneke took a group of youngsters to the U16 version of the Portuguese youth tournament the Iber Cup. Nigeria were victorious, with Chuwueze grabbing an incredible 12 goals in five games. Remarkably, Chukwueze was only 14 at the time.

His proficiency at dribbling and finishing has led to some flattering comparisons. Nigerian football journalist Colin Udoh wrote in the Mirror that the Nigeria U17 team’s press officer, Morakinyo Abodunrin, has drawn parallels between Chukwueze and Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben. He said: “He could be as good as Robben. He has the speed and the skill to do so. But he needs to be properly guided.”

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The player himself seems happy enough to talk up those similarities. After scoring the fastest goal of the U-17 World Cup, netting against hosts Chile after just 25 seconds, Chukwueze told FIFA.com: "I know I did well today, but I still have a lot of work to do to improve. I try to base my game on that of Arjen Robben, who can run with the ball at speed, score goals and set them up too. I want to be an all-round player like him."

The Nigerian has a long way to go before he can be said to have emulated Robben. However, it’s not a bad level to aim for—and the raw ingredients are certainly there. 

Much will depend on how Chukweuze can acclimatise to life in England. Once he does so, he must face up to significant competition. Arsenal have other promising young players such as Iwobi and Jeff Reine-Adelaide already in the squad. It’s likely he’ll have to prove himself in the academy before he even gets a look-in at first-team level.

That won’t intimidate Chukwueze. At 16, he has already experienced an incredible journey. That looks set to continue with Arsenal.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.