Marseille in talks with Arsenal over Nwaneri loan

Ethan Nwaneri from Arsenal is wanted by French club Marseille for the rest of the season.

One of the aspects of the deal being worked on is the loan fee, which is still being discussed.

Nwaneri was not expected to join the club this season on loan, according to a report from BBC Sport, with the initial impression that the 18-year-old would benefit from playing for a title-challenged squad.

However, the player finds the prospect of playing football in a different league or nation while also receiving regular game time appealing.

The England Under-21 international has started four games for the Gunners in the Premier League, making just 12 appearances for them, and has also scored once in the Carabao Cup this season.

Nwaneri, who has already signed a new contract through the summer until 2030, has found his way into the first team in opposition to the signings of Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze.

Nwaneri’s expectation of regular minutes has increased as a result of his previous year’s preference for regular minutes, and he has not been surprised by the fact that he has two England internationals to play for.

Eze has struggled to make his way into the starting lineup for Arsenal in recent weeks, scoring 23 minutes in each of the Gunners’ last six Premier League games. In four of those games, he was a substitute.

Nwaneri made nine goals in all competitions last season, mostly on the right wing, making himself one of England’s most gifted young players.

Arsenal are leading Chelsea from the first leg of the first leg, seven points clear of the top of the Premier League, have a 100% record in the Champions League, and are currently reaching the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.

The Gunners are attempting to end their season-long search for a trophy with the signings of midfielders Martin Zubimendi, Eze, and Viktor Gyokeres as “win now” signings.

In order to achieve goals, manager Mikel Arteta has chosen to use experienced players in midfield, with both Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie being preferred in the position this year.

After playing for the Bayer Leverkusen team that won the Bundesliga between 2023 and 2024, Hincapie has the experience to bring home a league title.

Myles Lewis-Skelly, a fellow academy graduate from Nwaneri, has found it harder to do things because of this.

Lewis-Skelly also made his first appearances for Arsenal last year, making 42 appearances across all competitions, including in both the impressive Champions League quarter-final victory over Real Madrid.

Lewis-Skelly scored against Albania in a 2-0 victory, and he looked set to become the Three Lions’ starting left-back at the World Cup because of how well his performances were. Thomas Tuchel gave him his England debut.

Lewis-Skelly has started nine of his 23 games this year, but he has only started once in the Premier League and has left the England squad.

Without any form-related declines, it will always be difficult for young players to transition from the academy to the first team at a club like Arsenal.