Matthieu Udol challenges Ethan Nwaneri.
Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri has got off to a great start on loan at Marseille.
Arsenal youngster has enjoyed a dream start to his loan spell at Marseille after finding the net just 13 minutes into his debut. Nwaneri completed his move to the Ligue 1 club on Friday following limited opportunities under Gunners manager this season.
It is understood that were initially hesitant to let him leave until Marseille threw their hat into the ring. The 18-year-old had been courted by several sides, including , , AFC and United.
The Hammers are believed to have had a loan bid turned down earlier this month. German giants had also registered their interest.
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However, Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi and Arteta, who are thought to have discussed the teenager directly, recognise that they share similar footballing philosophies.
The England youth international wasted no time making his mark for De Zerbi's side, striking a superb effort from outside the area early in the first half during their 3-1 win against Lens. Saturday's French top-flight encounter could prove pivotal in the Ligue 1 title race.
Third-placed Marseille are now just five points behind second-placed Lens and seven behind leaders. De Zerbi's side have been thrilling to watch this campaign, netting a league-high 44 goals, and Nwaneri has already started to adapt to their attacking philosophy.
Plenty of Gunners supporters have pondered whether the talented youngster might have stayed as a squad option - particularly with Arsenal competing strongly across four competitions so far this term. However, when quizzed about Nwaneri's prospects in north London - Arteta previously acknowledged that a player of his calibre required more game time.
Mikel Arteta and Ethan Nwaneri speak in training.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has spoken about Ethan Nwaneri.
He said: "Talented players need to have minutes and Ethan in this case wasn't having enough minutes. The last thing I want to do is cut his development, because he's such a talent."
It is understood that, during transfer negotiations, the French club demonstrated their readiness to pay a substantial loan fee, believed to be around £2million - dependent on appearances and performance-related criteria.
While Arsenal have allowed Nwaneri to depart temporarily, sources suggest the club continues to rate him very highly, with firm expectations that he will eventually become a permanent presence at the Emirates Stadium.
Nwaneri's departure marks Arsenal's second piece of business this window. Academy prospect Louie Copley joined League Two outfit Crawley Town on loan until the campaign's conclusion at the start of the transfer period.
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