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Arsenal duo make 2025 Golden Boy shortlist

By on October 17, 2025

Arsenal pair Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have earned places on the 25-man Golden Boy shortlist.

The award names the most impressive young male footballer playing in Europe over a calendar year.

It is organised by a leading Italian paper (Tuttosport) and decided by sports writers across the continent.

Rapid rise from the academy to the first team

Both players came through Arsenal’s Hale End academy and have seen fast progress this season.

Ethan Nwaneri has now made 44 senior appearances, scoring nine goals and setting up two.

Myles Lewis-Skelly has played 46 times, scoring once and creating three goals.

Both youngsters have shown real promise in different positions on the pitch.

They have also signed new long-term deals, committing their futures to the club.

On the international stage, their development has continued. Nwaneri lifted the Under-21 European Championship with England earlier this year.

Lewis-Skelly has already won six full England caps, a notable achievement. These honours underline how both players have adapted to higher levels quickly.

List of nominees and how it was chosen

The final 25 was revealed in Genoa by Patrick Vieira at the event. The list contains the top 20 names from the Golden Boy Index ranking.

Five extra players were added as wildcard picks to complete the list. The nominees include talent from across Europe and a range of big clubs.

Notable names are Pau Cubarsi, Warren Zaire-Emery and Leny Yoro.

Real Madrid supply several entries, while Paris Saint-Germain also feature heavily. Arsenal’s inclusion of two home-grown players shows the strength of their academy.

Other nominees include players from Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

Wildcards on the list include Jobe Bellingham and Francesco Pio Esposito.

There are also players from Porto, Liverpool and Club Brugge among the extras.

Golden Boy 2025 nominees

Pau Cubarsi – Barcelona

Desire Doue – Paris Saint-Germain

Dean Huijsen – Real Madrid

Kenan Yildiz – Juventus

Myles Lewis-Skelly – Arsenal

Warren Zaire-Emery – Paris Saint-Germain

Arda Guler – Real Madrid

Franco Mastantuono – Real Madrid

Ethan Nwaneri – Arsenal

Jorrell Hato – Chelsea

Geovany Quenda – Sporting Lisbon

Estevao – Chelsea

Leny Yoro – Manchester United

Senny Mayulu – Paris Saint-Germain

Nico O’Reilly – Manchester City

Eliesse Ben Seghir – Bayer Leverkusen

Victor Froholdt – FC Porto

Lucas Bergvall – Tottenham Hotspur

Archie Gray – Tottenham Hotspur

Mamadou Sarr – RC Strasbourg

Wild Cards

Jobe Bellingham – Borussia Dortmund

Francesco Pio Esposito – Inter

Rodrigo Mora – FC Porto

Giovanni Leoni – Liverpool

Aleksandar Stankovic – Club Brugge

The shortlist will now go to a panel of journalists for the final vote. The winner will be announced later in the year after the votes are counted.

For Arsenal, the nominations are a clear sign that their youth system delivers talent.

Both Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly will hope to push on and claim a place among Europe’s best young stars.