Nduka joins City's youth ranks after Arsenal exit

Mishel Nduka has confirmed his move to Manchester City, posting a picture of himself signing his contract on Instagram. The 16-year-old midfielder left Arsenal after opting not to extend his stay at their Hale End Academy.

His caption was brief:

Let's get to work.

Four words that suggest the teenager is ready for the challenge.

Nduka, a highly regarded England youth international, spent a year with the Gunners before deciding to move on. He had previously come through the ranks at Charlton Athletic before heading to North London last year.

At Arsenal, he made appearances at Under-19 level in the UEFA Youth League and also played in the Under-18 Premier League. Despite his age, he was given game time for the Under-21s in Premier League 2, facing Liverpool and Sunderland last season.

Now at the Etihad Campus, Nduka is expected to link up with either Oliver Reiss's Under-21 squad or Lauris Coggins's Under-18s. His arrival continues City's strengthening of their youth setup.

For England, Nduka has been capped seven times at Under-16 level and recently earned his first call-up to the Under-17s. He could feature in upcoming friendlies against Republic of Ireland, Israel, Venezuela and Germany, alongside new City teammates Theo Carrington, Oliver Houlihan, Prince Otabor Osifo, Xavier Parker, Darren Motsi and Javahn Woode.

Nduka is the latest addition to City's academy, following the signings of Jeremy Monga and Pierce Charles. Monga, who joined for £12.5m from Leicester City, and Charles, who re-signed from Sheffield Wednesday, have both already made their senior debuts. Unlike Nduka, they have tasted first-team football, but both have since been sent out on loan—Monga to Swansea City and Charles to Queens Park Rangers—to aid their development.

For Nduka, the focus will be on continuing his progress in City's youth ranks and perhaps following in the footsteps of those who have gone before him.