At a Glance:
- Ethan Nwaneri’s loan to Marseille is not going as expected
- Coach cites behavioural issues as the main concern
- A loan move next season might be best for both Arsenal and Nwaneri
After a promising breakout season in 2024/25, Arsenal prospect Ethan Nwaneri seems to have hit a wall in his development in his second senior season.
It is funny that, in a campaign rife with issues for Arsenal on the attacking front, including Gabriel Martinelli’s performance struggles and Bukayo Saka’s injuries, Mikel Arteta never really considered Ethan Nwaneri as a wing option.
Granted, the 19-year-old was utilised more as a backup on the right-hand side of the midfield as an understudy to Martin Odegaard last season, but the first half of the season saw Nwaneri only rack up six Premier League appearances, with a lack of minutes a serious issue.
A January loan move to Marseille was meant to help the teenager prosper in a league known for developing prospects, but after a good start, it seems the relationship between Nwaneri and the French club has soured somewhat.
READ MORE: Arsenal News Today: Mika Godts update, Bruno Guimaraes deal, Kai Havertz injury news
Nwaneri must ‘give us way more’ despite being a ‘quality player’, says Marseille coach Habib Beye
It would only take Ethan Nwaneri 13 minutes to score on his Marseille debut in a 3-1 victory over Lens, and suddenly it seemed as if the youngster had made the right move for his career after he fell out of Mikel Arteta’s plans.
However, no attacking output over the next few games meant that Nwaneri struggled to make an impression on then-Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi, and is now facing, yet again, a lack of playing time under new coach Habib Beye.
He did not play in OM’s 1-1 draw this weekend with Nice, and Beye spoke on why the young Englishman was not part of the club’s plans against their Southern opponents.
“He’s a quality player, but he has to give us way more in his day-to-day commitment. Other players gave way more. Ethan [Nwaneri] has great qualities, he’s a great talent—[but he] needs to adapt to the intensity of Ligue 1.
“There are still aspects of his game that need to be much stronger in terms of counter-pressing, [including] his defensive efforts to win the ball back,” said Beye, speaking to L1+.
| Team | Nwaneri’s stats in 2026 |
| Arsenal | 2 games, 0 goals or assists |
| Marseille | 11 games, 2 goals, 1 assist |
| England U21 | 2 games, 2 goals, 0 assists |
Nwaneri has had some success in the past couple of months, scoring a brace for the England U21 national team, which was something Beye highlighted as a positive.
“What’s very good is that he scored for the national team. Sometimes with the national team, you get playing time, and that’s very positive for us,” stated the Senegalese coach.
What will next season look like for Ethan Nwaneri?
Do not get it mistaken, Ethan Nwaneri’s loan to Marseille has not been a total waste of time. He was impressive in his debut against Lens, and popped up with an important assist versus Lyon and the only goal of the game against Lille in a 2-1 loss.
But two goals and one assist in 11 games for Marseille will not instill any confidence in Arteta upon the midfielder-cum-winger’s return to the North London club, and emerging prospects such as Max Dowman seem to have taken some buzz away from Nwaneri’s name.
A loan move, perhaps to a promoted Championship team—with Frank Lampard’s vibrant Coventry side maybe an apt choice—could give Nwaneri vital minutes in the top league of English football that he so desperately needs.
