Morning all.
When it became clear that Ethan Nwaneri was heading out on loan for the rest of the season, my heart sank. Why was Nuno Madueke playing ahead of him when he’s not exactly setting the Arsenal world alight ran through my mind. But then I’m a fan, not a coach or manager.
I suppose the simple answer to why he’s going on loan could be that he needs to gain experience, not just in football, but in life. A new country, a new language, assuming Ethan didn’t learn French at school, new teammates and perhaps the most important, a new coach in Roberto De Zerbi.
De Zerbi is no stranger to the Premier League having spent a while at Brighton but he’s experienced in other countries too. His spell at Shakhtar was cut short because of the war between Ukraine and Russia but he left them in a very good position and now of course, he’s in France with Marseille.
Nwaneri will be joined by Quinten Timber, Jurrien’s brother and De Zerbi had this to say:
> As far as Timber and Nwaneri, they are two strong players and I’m really happy to have them in the squad. These are two quality players, for sure. Timber also has experience and Nwaneri has talent, he is a very high potential player.” the Marseille boss reportedly told reporters.
As for Ethan Nwaneri, well he’s obviously spoken to our centre-back as according to reports, he said:
> William Saliba told me that Marseille is one of the best clubs in the world. Roberto De Zerbi is one of the best coaches in the world, he’s demanding. I’m ready to play under him and listen to what he wants for the team.
Marseille and Arsenal have history. William Saliba spent the season there before slotting in beside Gabriel to form one of the best central defensive pairings in the game and both Matteo Guendouzi and Nuno Tavares went on loan to Marseille but the less said about them the better. Sead Kolasinac also joined the French club in January 2022 after leaving Arsenal.
The key to any successful loan though is the amount of playing time afforded to the player. Too many times clubs have come calling for our players only to banish them to the sidelines which does no one any good whatsoever. The worst loan Arsenal made in my opinion was sending Serge Gnabry to play under Pulis. I use the word play loosely of course. Gnabry had the last laugh though.
De Zerbi has a squad full of midfielders. 9 at the moment, 11 once both Timber and Nwaneri join them which kind of suggests Ethan will continue on the wing unless De Zerbi thinks he’s better than who he already has which isn’t as unlikely as it might sound. Just because Mikel Arteta can’t see a way for him into the first team right now, it doesn’t mean another won’t. I don’t think the French League is quite as brutal as the Premier League, so perhaps that too has come in the equation when deciding which club Nwaneri went to. He’s still growing after all.
Marseille are still in with a chance of progressing in the Champions League but will need a win from their last game as well as victory in the playoffs. Domestically, they sit eight points behind league leaders Lens. They are still in the French equivalent of our FA Cup too so hopefully there will be plenty of opportunities for our midfielder/winger.
The future for any player holds an amount of uncertainty but for Ethan, I’m pretty sure he’ll be Arsenal’s for a long time yet.
Catch up in the comments.