Ethan Nwaneri joined Marseille in the January transfer window and has endured a mixed few weeks at the club
Ethan Nwaneri of Marseille
Ethan Nwaneri has had an eventful start to his Marseille loan spell(Image: Eurasia Sport Images, Getty Images)
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Ethan Nwaneri enjoyed a fairytale start to his loan spell at Marseille but the club quickly fell apart after his arrival. The Arsenal youngster has witnessed a managerial change and been dropped to the bench during his chaotic first month in France.
The 18-year-old was allowed to temporarily leave the Gunners in search of regular football during the January transfer window. His 12 outings for Mikel Arteta's squad amounted to merely 515 minutes and Nwaneri had not started a league match this season.
That swiftly changed upon joining Marseille, with former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi selecting Nwaneri in his first XI the day after the midfielder's arrival at the club. It required only 13 minutes for the Arsenal loanee to find the net against Lens with a quality strike in a 3-1 home victory.
His debut goal seemed to immediately justify Arsenal's choice to send out the teenager on loan. Nwaneri secured another three starts under De Zerbi but both the player's and boss's fortunes had already started to turn.
The midfielder was substituted at the half-time interval in the manager's final two matches in charge, with a 5-0 hammering by PSG resulting in De Zerbi leaving the club. What had appeared an ideal match just weeks earlier was shattered. Journalist Fabrice Lamperti, who reports on Marseille for La Provence, believes Arsenal will now have a much different view on Nwaneri's move to the French club.
"Right now, yes, I think Arsenal regrets their decision," Lamperti told football.london. "He's not playing much, the manager has left, and it's a mess.
"Looking on the bright side, this experience will teach him a lot, especially mentally. It will help him grow and show him what he's capable of."
Following what proved to be his final fixture in charge, De Zerbi clarified that he had withdrawn Nwaneri against PSG to protect the Arsenal star. Caretaker manager Jacques Abardonado left the loanee on the substitutes' bench for a stalemate with Strasbourg before new permanent boss Habib Beye handed Nwaneri 20 minutes in a 2-0 loss to Brest last week.
While it is possible that Nwaneri could regain his starting berth, the appointment of former Rennes chief Beye represents a shift from De Zerbi's footballing philosophy. The managerial switch, coupled with the potential financial ramifications, means Lamperti cannot envisage Nwaneri's spell at Marseille extending beyond this campaign.
Ethan Nwaneri celebrates scoring for Marseille
Nwaneri made the perfect start at Marseille by scoring against Lens(Image: Miguel MEDINA / AFP via Getty Images)
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"The loan doesn't include an option to buy; Nwaneri will return to Arsenal," he explained. "In any case, his salary is too high for Marseille, as is the price of a potential transfer.
"If Marseille doesn't qualify for the Champions League next season, everyone will leave. If they do manage to qualify, will Arteta want to see Nwaneri managed by Beye after sending him to Marseille in exchange for De Zerbi? It's doubtful."
Before Beye's appointment, a substantial portion of Marseille supporters organised a stadium boycott during their recent fixture against Strasbourg, protesting against the club's hierarchy. It adds yet another dimension to the challenges that Nwaneri has already faced during his short spell at the club.
"Nwaneri arrives in a complicated situation," Lamperti admitted. "He came to learn alongside De Zerbi, as Mikel Arteta wanted. Except that OM is in crisis, the coach has been sacked and Nwaneri finds himself in the middle of this mess.
"I think he doesn't understand everything that's going on, with the stadium strike, the meetings with the fans... It's not easy for an 18-year-old who leaves his club to learn and ends up at a club in crisis! In these situations, coaches usually prioritise experience or longevity at the club."
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