Ethan Nwaneri’s loan spell at Marseille is not going the way he would have hoped.
The youngster struggled for regular minutes at Arsenal in the first half of the season, which is why he was sent out on loan.
However, the Arsenal academy graduate’s situation in France has not improved much, as he is still finding it difficult to break into the starting lineup since Roberto De Zerbi’s departure.
Now, Marseille manager Habib Beye has explained why.
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Marseille boss explains why Ethan Nwaneri hasn’t started a game under him
Ethan Nwaneri arrived at Marseille with high expectations, especially given his reputation as one of Arsenal’s brightest young talents.
Many felt he would get more opportunities in Ligue 1 than he did in the Premier League under Mikel Arteta this season, but that hasn’t been the case.
Since Beye took charge of Marseille, Nwaneri has not started a single game. All five of his appearances have come off the bench.
That, Beye says, is because the Arsenal loanee has not adapted to the French game yet.
He said, as quoted by Matt Spiro: “He’s a big talent who needs to adapt to the intensity of Ligue 1.
“He looks like the ideal replacement for Mason (Greenwood), but we have several quality players to choose from.
“He must understand he’s come to a very, very high-level club.”
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Marseille manager’s comments on Ethan Nwaneri do not fully add up
Beye’s explanation does not make much sense.
Nwaneri is the youngest player in Premier League history and showed that he can play in Arteta’s system, which is extremely demanding.
The Premier League is widely regarded as the most demanding league in the world, which is why Beye saying the Arsenal teenager needs to adapt to Ligue 1 raises questions.
Furthermore, Nwaneri scored just 13 minutes into his Marseille debut after barely training for a day with his new teammates. More recently, Nwaneri scored against Lille as well.
Those moments suggest that he is more than capable of contributing in Ligue 1, which is why he needs to be starting more games.
Beye must reconsider his opinion on Nwaneri and start him when Marseille take on Monaco on Sunday.
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