Andrea Berta could well be regretting the decision to let Ethan Nwaneri leave Arsenal on loan, given the winger’s lack of minutes at Marseille and the Gunners’ current injury list.
Nwaneri’s loan spell at Marseille is not off to a great start, with the French club in the midst of a crisis following fan unrest and Roberto De Zerbi’s recent sacking.
Fast-forward to May and tell us, was Ethan Nwaneri’s loan to Marseille beneficial?
Over the weekend, Nwaneri was an unused sub for Marseille, who were held to a frustrating 2-2 draw at home to Strasbourg.
At the time, it looked like a great move for the 18-year-old; however, the way the last two weeks have unfolded, suddenly it looks like a bad decision.
Mikel Arteta could have utilised Ethan Nwaneri at Arsenal
Ethan Nwaneri would have been a great option for Mikel Arteta’s squad right now, considering how many injuries Arsenal have.
Currently, Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino have both suffered worrying injuries and could be out for quite some time.
Martin Odegaard is also injured again after sustaining a knock during the team’s 1-1 draw with Brentford during midweek.
There is also the fact that Eberechi Eze is really struggling for form, which has left Arteta short of creativity in the middle of the pitch.
Last season, Nwaneri broke into the Arsenal squad and showed why he is one of Hale End’s best young talents.
In the Premier League 2024/25 season, FotMob shows that per 90 minutes, Nwaneri averaged 1.62 chances created, a successful pass rate of 89 per cent and 3.75 dribbles completed.
Fill in the blank: In five years, Ethan Nwaneri will be _________
How do you see the Arsenal youngster's future panning out…
At 17, his stats highlighted he could already hold his own in the top flight, but this term, Arteta did not seem to trust him as much.
Nwaneri ended up heading on loan to Marseille, and the Gunners have lost a player who could have actually been quite useful right now.
Ethan Nwaneri’s limited game time at Marseille
Meanwhile, at Marseille, Nwaneri’s game time is starting to dwindle, with the teenager being subbed off at half-time in two of the last three matches.
Against PSG and Rennes, the winger has been taken off at the break, but against Strasbourg, even when the team was struggling, he was left on the bench.
Nwaneri, who Declan Rice rates so highly, has been placed in a very tricky situation in Ligue 1, and it will be a good test to see whether he now sinks or swims.
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