Ethan Nwaneri Agrees Loan Transfer To Marseille

Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri has agreed to join French Ligue 1 side Marseille on loan for the remainder of the season after the two clubs reached a full agreement on terms.

The squad depth Mikel Arteta possesses at Arsenal have seen Nwaneri get limited game time. The 18-year-old midfielder tends to play in domestic cup competition but has now been offered a chance to explore other alternative.

Marseille have reached an agreement with Arsenal and it’s only a matter of time before Nwaneri is unveiled.

Ethan Nwaneri during a training session at Sobha Realty Training Centre. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

The deal involves a substantial loan fee which could rise to roughly €4 million depending on playing time. Marseille have also agreed to cover the player’s salary in full.

According to reports, Mikel Arteta personally advocated for the move, viewing De Zerbi’s Marseille as the ideal finishing school for the teenager.

By sending Nwaneri to work under the Italian coach, Arsenal are ensuring that the player’s development continues in a system that shares similarities to the demands he faces at the Emirates Stadium.

Direct conversations reportedly took place between the two managers to outline the plans for Nwaneri’s usage, with the Gunners hierarchy concluding that the Orange Velodrome offered the best pathway for his immediate growth compared to other potential suitors.

Nwaneri, who holds the record as the youngest-ever Premier League player, is now set to follow the footpath of William Saliba, who also enjoyed a successful loan spell at Marseille.

Saliba spent time on loan at Nice and then Marseille, where he won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award, before returning to Arsenal as a Premier League-ready starter.