Arsenal starlet Ethan Nwaneri joined Marseille on loan until the end of the season in January – after struggling for game-time under Mikel Arteta this campaign.
Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri has enjoyed a dream start to his loan spell at Marseille after finding the net just 13 minutes into his debut. Nwaneri completed his move to the Ligue 1 club on Friday following limited opportunities under Gunners manager Mikel Arteta this season.
It is understood that Arsenal were initially hesitant to let him leave until Marseille threw their hat into the ring. The 18-year-old had been courted by several Premier League sides, including Crystal Palace, Fulham, AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United.
The Hammers are believed to have had a loan bid turned down earlier this month. German giants Borussia Dortmund had also registered their interest.
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However, Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi and Arteta, who are thought to have discussed the teenager directly, recognise that they share similar footballing philosophies.
The England youth international wasted no time making his mark for De Zerbi’s side, striking a superb effort from outside the area early in the first half during their 3-1 win against Lens. Saturday’s French top-flight encounter could prove pivotal in the Ligue 1 title race.
Third-placed Marseille are now just five points behind second-placed Lens and seven behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain. De Zerbi’s side have been thrilling to watch this campaign, netting a league-high 44 goals, and Nwaneri has already started to adapt to their attacking philosophy.
Plenty of Gunners supporters have pondered whether the talented youngster might have stayed as a squad option – particularly with Arsenal competing strongly across four competitions so far this term. However, when quizzed about Nwaneri’s prospects in north London – Arteta previously acknowledged that a player of his calibre required more game time.
He said: “Talented players need to have minutes and Ethan in this case wasn’t having enough minutes. The last thing I want to do is cut his development, because he’s such a talent.”
It is understood that, during transfer negotiations, the French club demonstrated their readiness to pay a substantial loan fee, believed to be around £2million – dependent on appearances and performance-related criteria.
While Arsenal have allowed Nwaneri to depart temporarily, sources suggest the club continues to rate him very highly, with firm expectations that he will eventually become a permanent presence at the Emirates Stadium.
Nwaneri’s departure marks Arsenal’s second piece of business this window. Academy prospect Louie Copley joined League Two outfit Crawley Town on loan until the campaign’s conclusion at the start of the transfer period.
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
