Arsenal have agreed to send Ethan Nwaneri on loan to Marseille until the end of the season, according to reports. The youngster has struggled for regular minutes in the Premier League in recent months, with each of his six appearances coming from the bench. He has played just 12 games for the Gunners in all competitions, scoring his only goal of the campaign in the Carabao Cup.
It has been speculated for a while that Nwaneri could leave Arsenal on loan in January to play regular football elsewhere. The likes of Bournemouth and West Ham United were tentatively linked with a move for the 18-year-old earlier in the window. However, it has emerged that Nwaneri will instead leave the Premier League and try his luck in European football.
A deal has been agreed that will see Nwaneri join Marseille, who are managed by former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, until the end of the campaign.
That's according to The Athletic, who say the move is likely to be completed following Arsenal's game against Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, it's been reported by Fabrizio Romano that Marseille will cover Nwaneri's salary in addition to paying a loan fee of around £3.5million, depending on appearances.
It's claimed that De Zerbi reached out to Mikel Arteta to discuss his plans for the midfielder, with Arsenal ultimately choosing Marseille as their preferred destination.
There is no purchase clause as part of the deal, meaning Nwaneri will return to the Emirates Stadium at the conclusion of his temporary spell in France.
Last month, Arteta was quizzed on the possibility of Nwaneri deparing on loan but kept the player's future open to speculation.
He said: "Every player is important. Every player has a role, that role can change throughout the season for different reasons, and everybody has to be ready to play. That's it."