Martin Odegaard has revealed he spoke to Ethan Nwaneri about his own positive experiences on loan before the England international completed last week’s move to Marseille.
Having seen limited game time in the first half of the season, Arsenal felt the young attacker would benefit from a change of scenery, not only to play more regularly, but also to continue his development away from the pitch.
Odegaard, who spent time on loan four times during his spell at Real Madrid – including a stint at Arsenal that eventually led to a permanent move – was well placed to offer guidance and was fully supportive of the opportunity presented to Nwaneri.
The 18-year-old wasted little time making his mark in France, scoring just 13 minutes into his debut as Marseille beat league leaders Lens 3-1 at the Stade Vélodrome.
Speaking to the [official matchday programme](https://www.arsenal.com/news/odegaard-cool-ucl-and-giving-nwaneri-advice) ahead of tonight’s clash with Kairat Almaty, Odegaard said:
“I wanted to mention Ethan Nwaneri, and to wish him luck with his loan spell at Marseille – it certainly started well with his goal at the weekend! I went on loan a few times when I was a young player, and so I spoke with Ethan before he left about it.
“We spoke about what he was feeling about his situation and the opportunity, and I understand it – I’ve been there too. Obviously, you always want to play more, so this will be a good move for him. I’m sure he’s going to do well there and hopefully get a lot of opportunities to show his qualities and his talent. He’ll be absolutely fine and come back here stronger from it, so it should be good for everyone.
“At that stage of your career, you need to play games to grow even more, and it’s a chance for him to take more responsibility and to grow as a player, and as a person. Also, it’s a different country, different language and a lot of things that come with living away – so many players, including me, have benefitted from good loan moves, and I’m sure it’s going to be a good experience for him and that he’s going to learn a lot from that. We’re looking forward to seeing how he’s going to do there.”
Nwaneri began the season as the de facto deputy to Odegaard, twice replacing the captain when the Norwegian suffered in-game shoulder issues. However, opportunities became more limited following the arrival of Eberechi Eze – a signing Arsenal pushed ahead with despite Nwaneri committing his long-term future to the club over the summer.
While there is an expectation that space will be made for the teenager upon his return, it remains to be seen exactly where he will fit in with both the club captain and a significant new investment occupying similar territory.