Mikel Arteta has shared his thoughts on the exit of Ethan Nwaneri.
The Hale End academy product was one of the six nominees for the PFA Young Player of the Year Award in the Premier League last season, but **Arsenal**have decided he needs more minutes through a loan to Marseille. He will hope to follow in the footsteps of a fellow Gunner in the months to come.
“I think the deal is quite close. It’s something that we constantly have to be monitoring. I think the talented young players that we have need minutes, and in this case, Ethan wasn’t having enough minutes, and the last thing that we want is to cut his development because he’s such a talent and someone who lives and breathes football; that’s his life.
*“After having a discussion with him, with his father, the agent and the club, we decided that the best thing to do was to leave and go on loan. Then we have to pick the right place, and having all the options, understand the experience that we had in Marseille as well with [**William Saliba*], the fact that Roberto de Zerbi is there and he’s an incredible developer of young talent, and he’s a really courageous manager in the way he plays with young talent as well.
“He has a big track record about that, and I think it fits the way of playing for the qualities that we want to see for Ethan. So, it’s going to be a great experience for him.
“When [young players] talk about the opportunity and the clubs that are interested in you, the first thing is excitement. You are willing to play, you speak to the manager, he's very keen on you and you're going to play at the weekend and you're going to start a lot of games, and this is all very good.
“But one day you have to go: ‘OK, pack your bags, these are the flight tickets, and you have to go to Marseille.’ Whoa, whoa, whoa. That is fear, insecurity: getting out of a place that has been really comfortable for him around his family. But then at the end - you have to be thrown there, into the sharks in an incredible football culture and atmosphere and club and it's going to make him so good.”