50 best teenage wonderkids: Nigerian forwards from Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool, Monaco make list

Goal. com has published its annual list of the fifty best teenagers in the world with four Nigerian forwards making the cut.

Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri, Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha, Manchester United's Chido Obi and Monaco's George Ilenikhena have been included on the prestigious list.

To be eligible for inclusion on the list, players must have been born on or after January 1, 2006.

The highest ranked Nigerian player is Ethan Nwaneri, who occupies sixth position, while Ilenikhena, Ngumoha and Obi are 21st, 42nd and 50th on the list.

Nwaneri, the youngest-ever Premier League debutant at 15, has quickly become vital for Arsenal. 

At 17, he's stepped up during injuries, impressing with versatility, skill, and powerful finishing. 

Despite competition from top clubs, Arsenal’s faith has paid off — Nwaneri looks destined to become a future superstar.

Ilenikhena is the youngest Nigerian-born player to score in the UEFA Champions League, aged 17 years and 119 days when he found the net for Royal Antwerp against Barcelona in December 2023.

Monaco invested around €20m (N33.4 billion) to sign him and bring him to Stade Louis II in the summer of 2024.

The 18-year-old has directly participated in eight goals (6 goals, 2 assists) in twenty-eight games since his move to Monaco.

At just 16, Ngumoha has impressed at Liverpool, becoming their youngest-ever first-team starter in January 2025. 

He trains regularly with Arne Slot's senior squad, with more chances expected soon.

Chido Obi, the highest goal scorer in the history of the U18 Premier League with 37 goals in 26 appearances, joined Manchester United last summer after rejecting a scholarship deal at Arsenal.

Following his outstanding displays for the youth teams, the Denmark youth international has been fast-tracked into United's first team by manager Ruben Amorim, making debuts in the Premier League and FA Cup.

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal is the top ranked player on the list, followed by Estevao Willian (Palmeiras), Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain) and Endrick (Real Madrid).

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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