Arsenal midfielder Ethan Nwaneri has joined French club Marseille on loan for the rest of the season. The 18-year-old made 12 appearances for the Gunners this season, starting four games and scoring once in the Carabao Cup, but hasn’t played in the Premier League.
Nwaneri, who signed a new contract until 2030, has faced tough competition for first-team spots from summer signings Noni Madueke (£48.5m) and Eberechi Eze (£67m). While he was initially expected to stay at Arsenal, the chance to play regularly in another league persuaded the England Under-21 international to move.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said the loan is about giving Nwaneri game time to continue his development and praised Marseille as the “right place” due to former Arsenal loanee William Saliba’s positive experience there and the club’s manager, Roberto de Zerbi, trusting young talent.
Marseille are currently third in Ligue 1, eight points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain. Last season, Nwaneri mostly played on the right wing and scored nine goals in 37 appearances, marking himself as one of England’s brightest young talents.
