Arsenal are ready to sanction a loan move for Ethan Nwaneri, who will head to Marseille for the remainder of the season after struggling for minutes under Mikel Arteta
Ethan Nwaneri will head to Marseille for the remainder of the season
Ethan Nwaneri will head to Marseille for the remainder of the season(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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Steven Gerrard believes Arsenal have been "extremely clever" by allowing Ethan Nwaneri to leave on loan with the youngster set to join Marseille for the remainder of the campaign.
Nwaneri remains the youngest player in the club's history and is tipped to have a huge future, but this season has been a challenge for him. The 18-year-old enjoyed plenty of opportunities last season, scoring nine times, but has largely been a squad player this term.
Arsenal added quality to their forward ranks, which has pushed Nwaneri down the pecking order and, as a result, he has headed to the south of France to get regular minutes.
At the Stade Velodrome Nwaneri will work under Roberto De Zerbi, the former Brighton manager, with the Italian tipped to further his game. Gerrard insists everyone can win from the move with the teenager to return in a matter of months.
He said on TNT Sports: "I love it, I love it. If this works, everyone can be a winner from it. Mikel Arteta has been extremely clever here because he’s sending him to De Zerbi who has a track record of improving players. He will give him the time and the education and the development he needs.
"He will get more game-time playing for Marseille and if he samples the league, samples the experiences like tonight it’s not going to do any harm for his development. He’s a top talent, now he needs to get some experience and this will bode well for him in the future."
Nwaneri committed himself long-term to Arsenal back in the summer, signing a new contract, but his development has stalled. There was talk of him heading to the likes of Bournemouth, but he instead has headed to Ligue 1 where he will team up with ex-Gunner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Arsenal teenager will work under Roberto de Zerbi in France
The Arsenal teenager will work under Roberto de Zerbi in France(Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
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Gerrard admits Arteta may have wanted to keep him, so that he had even more depth, but will have needed to take a long-term view to the situation.
"From a selfish point of view he probably wanted to keep him around the squad," he added. "He’s going for the Premier League and they’re involved in the Champions League – they’re going for the quadruple at this point.
"You want as many options as you possibly can but there’s a part of you that thinks about the player and where you want him to be in the next few years."
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