Manager Habib Bayet left Etan Nwaneri on the bench as Marseille drew 1-1 with Nice on Sunday, continuing a frustrating situation for the Arsenal loanee.
Ethan Nwaneri’s time at Marseille wasn’t simple (Image: Franco Arland/Getty Images)
Ethan Nwaneri has been warned by Marseille coach Habib Bayet about his “day-to-day commitment” after being left on the bench. The Arsenal loanee did not feature on the pitch as Marseille drew 1-1 with Nice in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Nwaneri struggled for minutes with title-chasing Arsenal, but moved to the south of France in January in search of regular first-team football. However, this move did not go as expected, with Roberto de Zerbi leaving the club and being replaced by Bey.
The 19-year-old has yet to start since Bey took over as manager on February 19 and has had a disappointing experience at Marseille. He has played in 11 games, scoring two goals and providing one assist, but with only 412 minutes played and only four competitive starts, this is not what Nwaneri expected.
His place in Bey’s team became brutally clear when he was left on the substitute bench on Sunday. The Marseille manager made four changes, including the return of Mason Greenwood, but Nwaneri remained unused.
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Asked why he didn’t use Nwaneri in L1+, Bey had a scathing message for the youngster: “He’s a quality player, but he has to give us more with his daily commitment. Other players have contributed more.”
To make matters worse, Marseille currently lack attacking and creative options, with Hamed Traore, Igor Paixao and Amin Gouiri out injured. Although they have won just one of their last five games, Nwaneri remains at the center of Bey’s thoughts.
Following the departure of star forward Greenwood earlier this month, the Marseille manager was asked if Nwaneri would be the perfect replacement. His reply said it all.
“He (Nwaneri) is a great talent who needs to adapt to the intensity of Ligue 1,” he said. “He seems like the ideal replacement for Mason, but we have a number of quality players to choose from. He must understand that he has come to a club of a very high level.”
Ethan Nwaneri struggles with loan move to Marseille (Image: Catherine Steenkeste, Getty Images)
Nwaneri’s stock was much higher under coach De Zerbi. When he’s in good form, he starts as a No. 10, and showed what he’s capable of by scoring a goal in the 13th minute of his debut match in January. However, his progress was interrupted when De Zerbi joined Tottenham and there was a change in head coach.
This is despite reportedly having a clause in his contract that means the rental fee Marseille will pay increases the less time he plays. Marseille will effectively be charged more by keeping their England Under-21 star on the bench.
Therefore, Nwaneri is not getting the experience he thought he signed up for. “I was able to watch a big club like this and learn as much as I could and really add that to my skill set at the end of the season,” he said on his arrival.
“Obviously I wasn’t 100 percent fit yet when I got here, but I’m working on it. I talked to the staff and I think I’ll be able to play a lot more. I felt good in the last game, which is normal and of course it’s a process. I didn’t have any injuries, so I feel good to be honest.”
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