Arsenal’s “future captain” needs to follow Ethan Nwaneri out the exit door

Arsenal are flying at the moment.

The Gunners are seven points clear atop the Premier League, in the next round of the FA Cup, leading their League Cup semi-final, and their 3-1 win over Inter Milan on Tuesday was their seventh straight victory in the Champions League.

It really does feel like this is the year Mikel Arteta’s side are going to get over the line, and while there are still a few levels they can go, the team are starting to really click into gear.

Yet, the North Londoners are going to have to cope without Ethan Nwaneri for the rest of the season, given his loan move to Marseille, a move that should be followed by one of his Arsenal teammates.

Why Nwaneri’s loan is a great idea

Now, there have been some totally understandable objections to Nwaneri’s short-term loan.

After all, Arsenal do not have much luck when it comes to injuries, so surely it would be smart to keep the teenager around just to be safe.

However, while that is a more than fair objection, it doesn’t feel strong enough to disrupt the youngster’s development.

That is the main reason for sending him to France after all, to further his development.

Sure, he might have got some more minutes as the season progressed, but based on how the first half of the campaign has panned out, that doesn’t seem all that likely.

For example, despite being such an exciting player, the Hale Ender has only made 12 first-team appearances, totalling just 515 minutes.

Comparatively, last season saw the teenage sensation make 37 appearances, totalling 1378 minutes, in which he scored nine goals and provided two assists.

Now, the incredible talent was never going to make loads of appearances this term, but the lack of game time, largely down to the summer signings, has been difficult to ignore.

With all this in mind, a loan to a top side in a top league makes perfect sense, especially as the loan fee will reportedly decrease with more game time.

Therefore, Nwaneri will be able to develop away from the English media, and the talk of his lack of minutes won’t hang over Arsenal.

Interestingly, there is a strong argument that another of the club’s promising talents should follow suit.

The Arsenal star who should follow Nwaneri

Now, while there have been some objections to Nwaneri’s loan move, there will likely be even more fervent objections to the idea that Myles Lewis-Skelly should also leave Arsenal.

However, before the pitchforks and torches come out, there are a few reasons his departure this month on a loan could be good for all parties.

The first is that, similarly to his Hale End teammate, the minutes just have not been there this season.

For example, across all competitions last year, the midfielder-turned-left-back made a staggering 39 first-team appearances, totalling 2306 minutes.

However, this year, he has made just 24 appearances totalling 1117 minutes, and while that doesn’t sound too bad, only ten of those appearances have been starts, with just one of those coming in the league.

This decrease in game time has been in part due to Riccardo Calafiori’s fitness and form, as well as the arrival of Piero Hincapie.

However, it’s also been because of the teenager’s own lacklustre performances at points, like when he came on against Liverpool.

In fact, that performance was so under par that it led Arteta to start Jurrien Timber on the left for a couple of games.

Now, this isn’t an attack on the youngster, as his performances and mentality last season suggested that, in the words of club insider Hand of Arsenal, he’s a “future captain.”

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However, it seems like a loan move to another top side in another top-five league, where he will get plenty of minutes and be away from the English media, could be great for his development.

Ultimately, Lewis-Skelly is a truly excellent prospect, and someone who could become world-class, but as with his Hale End teammate, it might be best for him and Arsenal that he goes out on a short-term loan this month.

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