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Exclusive: Ethan Nwaneri sent Arsenal warning amid Marseille struggles

2 May 2026 13:00 BST | 4 min read

Ethan Nwaneri, Arsenal, Marseille

Ethan Nwaneri “needs to do a bit more” if he is to establish himself as a regular at Arsenal, according to former Marseille superstar Chris Waddle.

The 19-year-old joined the Ligue 1 giants on a short-term loan deal during the January transfer window, but he has only started three league matches since his arrival and he has already been an unused substitute on four occasions.

The England U21 international was recently criticised by new Marseille boss Habib Beye" href="https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/transfer-news/uk-premier-league/2026/04/arsenal-transfer-news-ethan-nwaneri-marseille-habib-beye" target="_blank">The England U21 international was recently criticised by new Marseille boss Habib Beye, who replaced Roberto De Zerbi at the helm in February, and Waddle believes that Nwaneri will have learned a great deal from his experience in France.

Speaking on behalf of Genting Casino, where players can enjoy a diverse selection of slots including Football Cash Collect Slot" href="https://www.gentingcasino.com/casino/slots/football-cash-collect/" target="_blank">Football Cash Collect Slot, Waddle admitted to FootballTransfers: “It’s very intense [at Marseille], they demand a lot and they expect a lot. People think going into a different league will be a bit easier than the Premier League, but it’s not.

“It’s a different style of football, it’s very demanding and the culture is different. It’s not just about getting on the football pitch and playing football, it’s about how you adapt to the culture. It’s not easy.

“He’s a young player and we know he’s got talent as we’ve seen him play for Arsenal.”

Ethan Nwaneri, Marseille

Chris Waddle issues Ethan Nwaneri verdict

Nwaneri has scored two goals in nine Ligue 1 games for Marseille, but Arsenal officials will want to have seen more from the teenager, according to Waddle.

The 65-year-old said: “Players get found out a little bit when people start watching you and say, ‘he looks good.’ They start watching what you do and it’s up to you to think, ‘right I’ve got to add stuff to my game to make my game better.’

“You can’t just rest on one trick or two tricks or whatever you’ve got. People will work you out.

“For me, looking at him, we know he’s got talent, but he’s got to add more to his game; he’s not the finished product. That isn’t going to get you through a football career at the very top, you need to add more to your game.

“That will be something that he’s hopefully looked at and learned when he goes back to Arsenal.”

Waddle continued: “He’s probably thought, going to Marseille, that it won’t be as hard as the Premier League, but it is and the pressure of playing for Marseille is quite a lot because they want to win every football match.

“It’s a good learning curve for him. Arsenal will be watching him every game and they’ll be thinking, ‘he needs to do this and he needs to do a bit more if he wants to be an Arsenal player’.”