Ethan Nwaneri is one of the latest talents to be churned out as Hale Ender and the Emirates Stadium faithful have taken a liking to him and his partner-in-crime, Myles Lewis-Skelly – but where does his future lie?
Unable to get a proper crack at the whip at Arsenal, the young Englishman upped and left in the summer transfer window as a means of getting more minutes under his belt. He joined Marseille.
Things have not gone swimmingly, however, and his fluffed penalty in his current employers’ Coupe de France quarter-final defeat to Toulouse.
He is yet to play again under the stewardship of Habib Beye – and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be involved much between now and the end of the campaign. Elsewhere, Romano has provided an update on his future.
Romano reveals Ethan Nwaneri latest
Speaking on his YouTube channel about the 18-year-old, Romano said: “Yes, for Nwaneri it’s not an easy situation at present obviously because he went to Olympique Marseille with the expectation to work under Roberto De Zerbi, and then De Zerbi decided to leave Marseille.
“So, it’s a completely different situation. Also, the expectation was for Marseille to continue their Champions League campaign, and then they got eliminated in the final minutes of the final game.
“So, it has been different compared to the expectations for Nwaneri. But, at the moment, I can guarantee that Arsenal maintain full confidence in the player,” Romano confirmed with confidence.
Romano then claimed that Arteta and his entourage retain full faith in the London-born star and his ability.
“So, Arsenal are waiting for him to complete the season at Olympique Marseille for this final 10, 11 games and then come back to the club, come back to Arsenal. They believe in Nwaneri 100%.
“So, the message from Arsenal is still optimistic. In the summer, they will speak to the player to understand what’s the best situation for him, whether it’s staying at Arsenal or maybe going on loan somewhere else.
“So, they will assess all the options with the player. But Arsenal maintain full trust in Ethan. Even if they understand it has been an unlucky loan so far at Olympique Marseille, they believe in the player, they trust the player, they trust his potential, and so nothing has changes in terms of long-term plans.”
Watch Romano’s update on Nwaneri below (8:07 onwards):
Contrasting reports surrounding Nwaneri’s future at Arsenal
Although Romano has claimed that Nwaneri – who broke through into Arsenal’s senior proceedings with poise and grace – will be welcomed back with open arms once his time in France comes to an end, there’s been inconsistent reporting of late.
The Telegraph, for example, claimed the Gunners are required to sell at least one first-teamer in the summer transfer window to balance the books after last summer’s splurge.
Nwaneri – alongside the likes of Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus and Lewis-Skelly – was among those named in the report that could be on the chopping block.
Read More: Arsenal 100 goals season milestone shows Arteta attacking evolution
An academy product and all, Ethan Nwaneri’s departure would represent pure profit on the Arsenal books but his sale would come as a detriment to the Gunners.
Not only is he one of the most exciting youngsters in world football but the club are not exactly blessed in his position: Eberechi Eze and Odegaard are both facing their fair share of struggles of late.
