Bon voyage, Ethan Nwaneri! Arsenal confirm loan transfer of homegrown hero to Marseille

Nwaneri grabbed the headlines as a 15-year-old in September 2022 when he made his Arsenal debut but it wasn't until last season that he made his first-team breakthrough. He went on to rack up 39 appearances, scoring nine goals and adding two assists. This season, however, the playmaker has found himself on the fringes, prompting manager Mikel Arteta to call for patience over the teenager.

In December, he said: "Ethan’s attitude on that is exceptional, he wants to train and he wants to be outside and he wants to be in touch with that ball. In that sense, he’s top. In the same manner that other players have to cope with this kind of situation, preparing in the best possible way, I think he’s doing it. His attitude has been excellent and when he’s got the chance to play, prove that I’m wrong, that he needs to play more minutes and help the team as much as possible."

When he was asked how he had explained the situation to Nwaneri, Arteta impressed upon the rising star that not many players had played as much football as he had at his age and that this was part of his development.

The Spaniard added: "Probably, by looking at where he is. He’s 18 years old [and has] 50 appearances for the club. I want to see how many examples there are in English football with that number at that age. That’s a reality, that’s not if, if, if, that’s a reality. So if somebody were to tell him, any of us, two years ago, that number with the squad that we have, probably we would go, it doesn’t sound very realistic."

Earlier this week, Nwaneri revealed that Arsenal team-mate William Saliba played a big role in convincing him to head to Marseille for the second half of the season. The French international spent 18 months on loan at the French giants and spoke highly of the club and what it did for his growth.

Nwaneri said: "William Saliba told me OM is one of the best clubs in the world. Roberto De Zerbi is one of the best coaches in the world, he’s demanding. I’m ready to play under him and listen to what he wants for the team."

Marseille boss De Zerbi also spoke about Nwaneri's imminent arrival, along with Quinten Timber from Feyenoord, on Thursday. It appears the Italian is keen to throw them in at the deep end when they do get there. 

The former Brighton head coach told reporters: "As far as Timber and Nwaneri, they are two strong players and I’m really happy to have them in the squad. They could be ready as early as Saturday. These are two quality players, for sure. Timber also has experience, and Nwaneri has talent; he is a very high-potential player."

On Friday, Arsenal announced Nwaneri's switch to Marseille on loan. The youngster, whose contract at Emirates Stadium runs until 2030, will hope for some much-needed minutes in the coming months.

The club statement reads: "Ethan Nwaneri has joined Olympique Marseille on loan until the end of the season. Our hugely talented 18-year-old has made 12 appearances in all competitions this season and will now get more valuable game time with the Ligue 1 side.

"We wish Ethan all the best for his time with Marseille and look forward to seeing him develop his talent in one of the best leagues in Europe."

Now that Nwaneri's move to Marseille has been completed, the England Under-21 international will have his sights set on making his debut for the Ligue 1 outfit. The French team, who sit third in the division, host Lens on Saturday night but if he isn't ready for that clash, fixtures against Club Brugge in the Champions League and Paris FC in Ligue 1 lie ahead over the next week.