Arsenal were absolutely adamant that Ethan Nwaneri would not be allowed to leave the club this month on a permanent deal.
Nwaneri has joined Marseille on loan until the end of the season after the Gunners finally decided to let him go in search of game time.
Fill in the blank: Mikel Arteta’s decision to loan Ethan Nwaneri to Marseille is _________
Mikel Arteta has not given the midfielder many minutes this season at Arsenal, with the teenager having played just 12 times.
Following Nwaneri’s positive conversations with Arteta, the pair agreed it was right for him to leave on loan to Ligue 1.
Arsenal did not want to sell Ethan Nwaneri
Arsenal have absolutely no doubts that Ethan Nwaneri has a future in North London, and a permanent deal was never considered, reports The Athletic.
Only last summer did Nwaneri sign a new contract with Arsenal, putting pen to paper over a five-year deal and ending speculation over an exit.
But following the arrivals of Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze over the summer, there has been no room for Nwaneri to get any regular minutes.
But hopefully, now under Roberto De Zerbi in France, he will get the game time he needs to continue his development from last season.
Agree or disagree, Ethan Nwaneri would’ve had more of an impact than Martin Odegaard this season.
At Marseille, Nwaneri will be working under a top coach in De Zerbi, which should be great for helping him to improve.
Meanwhile, Nwaneri will have Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a mentor, with the 36-year-old still banging goals for Marseille.
Ethan Nwaneri is excited to work with Roberto De Zerbi
Nwaneri has revealed that he is excited to work under De Zerbi as he is ‘one of the best coaches in the world’.
“You know he’s one of the best coaches in the world, he’s demanding, and I’m just ready to play under him and listen to what he wants for the team,” he told FootMarseille.
It will be interesting to see Nwaneri’s role at Marseille, as one issue he could encounter is competition from Mason Greenwood for a spot on the right wing.
There is no number ten role in De Zerbi’s team, meaning he will compete with the former England international for a starting spot.
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