Ethan Nwaneri agrees loan transfer to Marseille for 'significant fee' as Arsenal teenager set to join Mason Greenwood & Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Orange Velodrome

The French giants have agreed to cover the player's salary in full, alongside a loan fee that is described as "sizeable" for a six-month stint. Fabrizio Romano reports the total package could be worth around €4 million, but the agreement reportedly includes a clause where the loan fee reduces based on the number of appearances Nwaneri makes. 

Nwaneri is expected to travel to France imminently to undergo his medical and sign the paperwork. He is currently with the Arsenal squad for their Champions League clash against Inter, with the plan being for him to fly to Marseille potentially as early as Wednesday, immediately following the European fixture.

The decision to send one of the brightest talents from the Hale End academy to the south of France was not taken lightly, but it appears to have been driven by Arteta, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein. Reports indicate that the Arsenal manager personally advocated for the move, viewing De Zerbi’s Marseille as the ideal finishing school for the teenager.

By sending Nwaneri to work under the Italian coach, Arsenal are ensuring that the player’s development continues in a system that shares mirrors the demands he faces at the Emirates Stadium. Direct conversations reportedly took place between the two managers to outline the plans for Nwaneri’s usage, with the Gunners hierarchy concluding that the Orange Velodrome offered the best pathway for his immediate growth compared to other potential suitors.

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Arsenal have utilised the French league as a development ground with great success in the past, most notably with William Saliba. The French defender spent time on loan at Nice and then Marseille, where he won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award, returning to Arsenal as a Premier League-ready starter. The Gunners will be hoping that Nwaneri can follow a similar trajectory, using the physicality and technical quality of Ligue 1 to bridge the gap between academy football and the Arsenal first team.

Nwaneri, who holds the record as the youngest-ever Premier League player, has outgrown youth football but has found minutes hard to come by in a title-chasing Arsenal side. A move to the Championship was mooted, but the technical level of Ligue 1 is viewed as a better fit for his specific skillset. At Marseille, he will be thrust into a high-pressure environment where results matter, playing in front of one of the most passionate and volatile fanbases in world football.

When Nwaneri arrives at the Orange Velodrome, he will not be the only player with Premier League connections in the dressing room. He is set to join a squad that already features former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood and, perhaps most intriguingly, former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The presence of Aubameyang could provide Nwaneri with an unexpected mentor figure. Despite the nature of Aubameyang's exit from Arsenal, the veteran striker knows exactly what is required to succeed at the Emirates and understands the weight of the Arsenal shirt. Furthermore, playing alongside established attackers like Greenwood and Aubameyang will provide Nwaneri with elite movement to target with his creative passing.