Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri prospects at Marseille could be impacted by Mason Greenwood
Mason Greenwood of Marseille
Mason Greenwood is one of Marseille's star players(Image: Franco Arland, Getty Images)
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Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri finds himself directly competing with Mason Greenwood as he attempts to revive his season. The 18-year-old made an immediate impact upon arriving at Marseille in the January transfer window but has recently been dropped from the side.
Having sought consistent game time, Nwaneri was instantly rewarded with a starting berth just a day after finalising his loan switch. The midfielder quickly got himself on the scoresheet as he savoured a fairytale debut in a 3-1 victory over Lens in January.
It appeared to be an ideal situation for Nwaneri, who featured in four straight matches under manager Roberto De Zerbi as he aimed to prove his worth overseas. However, while Arsenal would have been heartened by his impressive start, the teenager was also substituted twice at the interval.
There was a further setback as De Zerbi departed the club following a 5-0 thrashing by PSG earlier this month, leaving Nwaneri's role unclear. He remained on the bench throughout the next fixture under caretaker manager Jacques Abardonado before featuring for 20 minutes under new boss Habib Beye in a loss to Brest last week.
Faced with the challenge of impressing a new manager, Nwaneri also has the added difficulty of attempting to displace one of the club's standout performers. Journalist Fabrice Lamperti, who covers Marseille for La Provence, has explained that the Arsenal loanee fills a similar position to Greenwood, who has scored 23 goals across all competitions this season.
Reflecting on Nwaneri's memorable debut, Lamperti told football.london: "Seeing him start so quickly was a surprise, especially in such an important match as the one against Lens.
"He played in a hybrid role, mostly as a right winger to give Mason Greenwood a rest, but also deeper in midfield. He scored a sublime goal but, above all, was very good in open play."
While De Zerbi was prepared to place his trust in Nwaneri immediately, Marseille's worrying run of form could prompt his replacement to adopt a more conservative approach. The club have claimed just one victory in their previous six matches since Nwaneri's debut and the arrival of Beye signals a notable departure from De Zerbi's philosophy.
Ethan Nwaneri of Marseille
Ethan Nwaneri is aiming to reclaim his place in the Marseille team(Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
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"After Abardonado's interim spell, Nwaneri is getting to know Habib Beye, who has just arrived. Beye is looking to implement a more direct, vertical style of play, which isn't exactly De Zerbi's style," Lamperti explained.
"Beye only gave Nwaneri a few minutes in Brest. Perhaps he'll give him more in the upcoming matches, after observing more in training and adapting his system.
"Nwaneri's problem is that he plays in the same area as Greenwood, OM's X-factor. De Zerbi tried to put them together, but this led him to shift Greenwood to the left, which he didn't understand. Now it's up to Beye to make his mark."
The new Marseille manager chose to introduce Nwaneri as a replacement for striker Amine Gouiri against Brest, moving Greenwood into a more central position as his team aimed to salvage the match. While it failed to produce the intended outcome, it showed that Beye is prepared to deploy the duo together, which could enhance the Arsenal youngster's chances of securing a place in the starting XI.
Nwaneri has had the chance to catch his new manager's eye in training this week and will be competing for a starting berth against Lyon on Sunday. Marseille are targeting Champions League qualification this season and currently occupy fourth place in Ligue 1.
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