Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri joined Marseille on loan until the end of the season in January after struggling for minutes under manager Mikel Arteta this season.
Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri has made a great start to his loan move to Marseille (Image: AP)
Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri has made a dream start to his loan spell at Marseille, finding the back of the net just 13 minutes after making his debut. Nwaneri completed his move to the Ligue 1 club on Friday after having limited minutes under Gunners manager Mikel Arteta this season.
Arsenal are understood to have initially hesitated to send him off until Marseille threw him into the ring. The 18-year-old had offers from multiple Premier League teams including Crystal Palace, Fulham, AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United.
The Hammers are thought to have had their loan bid rejected earlier this month. German giants Borussia Dortmund also expressed interest.
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However, Marseille manager Roberto de Zerbi and Arteta are believed to have spoken directly about the teenager, admitting they share similar footballing philosophies.
The England youth international quickly distinguished himself for De Zerbi’s side, scoring a superb shot from outside the area early in the first half in the 3-1 win over Lens. Saturday’s clash with France’s top-flight side could be crucial in the Ligue 1 title race.
Third place Marseille are five points behind second place Reims and seven points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain. De Zerbi’s side have been watching the season with excitement, scoring a league-high 44 goals, and Nwaneri has already started adapting to the team’s attacking philosophy.
Many Gunners supporters believe the talented youngster could have remained an option for the team, especially with Arsenal having strong competition in the four competitions so far this term. However, when asked about Nwaneri’s future in north London, Arteta previously admitted that a player of his caliber needs more game time.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta spoke about Ethan Nwaneri. (Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
“Talented players need playing time, and Ethan didn’t have enough minutes this time. The last thing I want to do is stunt his development, because he’s a very talented player,” he said.
During transfer negotiations, the French club are understood to have indicated they were willing to pay a significant loan fee, believed to be around £2 million, depending on appearance and performance-related criteria.
Arsenal have confirmed Nwaneri’s temporary departure, but sources say the club continue to value him very highly and have firm expectations that he will eventually become a permanent fixture at Emirates Stadium.
Nwaneri’s departure is Arsenal’s second business deal of the season. Academy candidate Louis Copley joined League Two side Crawley Town on loan until the end of the campaign at the start of the transfer window.
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