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EXCLUSIVE: Ethan Nwaneri joined Marseille during the January transfer window and has endured an eventful few weeks at the club
Ethan Nwaneri made a dream start to his loan spell at Marseille but the club soon unravelled after his arrival. The Arsenal youngster has experienced a change of manager and been dropped to the bench during his turbulent first month in France.
The 18-year-old was allowed to leave the Gunners after struggling to gain regular game time. His 12 appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side totalled just 515 minutes and Nwaneri had yet to start a league game this season.
That quickly changed upon joining Marseille, with former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi naming Nwaneri in his starting XI the day after the midfielder joined the club. It took just 13 minutes for the Arsenal loanee to score against Lens with an impressive finish in a 3-1 home win.
His debut goal appeared to instantly vindicate Arsenal’s decision to loan out the teenager. Nwaneri earned another three starts under De Zerbi but both the player's and manager’s fortunes had already begun to sour.
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The midfielder was substituted at half-time in the manager’s last two games in charge, with a 5-0 defeat to PSG leading to De Zerbi’s dismissal. What had seemed a perfect fit just weeks earlier was torn apart and journalist Fabrice Lamperti, who covers Marseille for La Provence, believes Arsenal will now feel much differently about Nwaneri being at the club.
“Right now, yes, I think Arsenal regrets their decision,” Lamperti told football.london. “He's not playing much, the manager has left, and it's a mess.
“Looking on the bright side, this experience will teach him a lot, especially mentally. It will help him grow and show him what he's capable of.”
After what turned out to be his last match in charge, De Zerbi explained that he had taken off Nwaneri against PSG to protect the Arsenal academy graduate. Caretaker boss Jacques Abardonado left the loanee on the bench for a draw with Strasbourg before new permanent manager Habib Beye gave Nwaneri 20 minutes in a 2-0 defeat to Brest last week.
While there remains the possibility that Nwaneri could reclaim his starting spot, the appointment of former Rennes boss Beye is a departure from De Zerbi’s playing style. The managerial change, combined with the possible financial implications, means Lamperti cannot see Nwaneri’s time at Marseille lasting beyond this season.
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“The loan doesn't include an option to buy; Nwaneri will return to Arsenal,” he explained. “In any case, his salary is too high for Marseille, as is the price of a potential transfer.
“If Marseille doesn't qualify for the Champions League next season, everyone will leave. If they do manage to qualify, will Arteta want to see Nwaneri managed by Beye after sending him to Marseille in exchange for De Zerbi? It's doubtful.”
Additionally, a large section of Marseille fans staged a stadium boycott during their recent match against Strasbourg, protesting the club’s board. It is just another layer of the difficult spell that Nwaneri has already faced during his time at the club.
“Nwaneri arrives in a complicated situation,” Lamperti admitted. “He came to learn alongside De Zerbi, as Mikel Arteta wanted. Except that OM is in crisis, the coach has been sacked and Nwaneri finds himself in the middle of this mess.
“I think he doesn't understand everything that's going on, with the stadium strike, the meetings with the fans... It's not easy for an 18-year-old who leaves his club to learn and ends up at a club in crisis! In these situations, coaches usually prioritise experience or longevity at the club.”
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