Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri is joining Marseille on loan until the end of the season.
The teenager is one of the most talented players produced by the Gunners’ academy, and he has impressed almost every time he has played.
However, Nwaneri has struggled for minutes at Arsenal this season because Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze are both ahead of him in the pecking order.
For that reason, a decision has been made to send him on loan to Marseille, where he will work under Roberto De Zerbi.
Fill in the blank: Mikel Arteta’s decision to loan Ethan Nwaneri to Marseille is _________
Ethan Nwaneri’s relationship with Mikel Arteta explained after Arsenal loan exit
Arsenal fans have been upset with Mikel Arteta for not giving enough opportunities to Ethan Nwaneri this season.
The 18-year-old has played just 515 minutes of football all campaign, which is simply not enough for a player as talented as he is.
Surprising reports emerged recently claiming that Nwaneri does not want to leave on loan and prefers staying at Arsenal until the end of the season.
However, a private conversation with Arteta behind the scenes at Arsenal seems to have changed his mind, and he has landed in Marseille to sign his loan deal.
Graeme Bailey has revealed that even though the Gunners boss personally convinced Nwaneri to leave the club on loan, there are no hard feelings between the two.
In fact, their private conversation has been described as ‘positive’, and Nwaneri was made to realise that a loan move was the right thing for him.
Bailey tweeted: “On Nwaneri – his move comes after positive talks with Arteta and Arsenal. No issues with the player and the club.
“He realises at 18, he has to bide his time, and a loan move now is the right move.”
How many goals and assists do you think Ethan Nwaneri will end the season with under Roberto De Zerbi at Marseille?
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David Seaman said he would ‘hate’ it if Arsenal loaned out Ethan Nwaneri
Many Arsenal fans were divided about the idea of Nwaneri leaving the club on loan.
Some felt that regular game time would benefit him massively, while others believed staying at the Emirates and waiting for his chances would be the better decision.
Arsenal legend David Seaman belonged to the second group, so much so that he claimed that he would ‘hate’ seeing Nwaneri leave.
He said on talkSPORT: “The thing with Ethan is that obviously he got a taste of the first team last season and a bit this season. But it’s one of those… he’s still young, he’s still learning.
“So, for me, he either goes out on loan, if anything, but if I were him, I’d stay where I am, because you never know what’s going to happen with injuries and things.
“With Ethan, I would hate him to go anywhere else because he is such a good player.”
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