Mikel Arteta believes Ethan Nwaneri returned from Marseille with greater maturity despite a loan spell that fell short on the pitch.
Mikel Arteta says Ethan Nwaneri has come back to Arsenal looking like a different man, shaped by a loan spell at Marseille that tested him in ways few expected.
With chances drying up in north London, Nwaneri headed to France for the second half of last season. He made a quick impression, scoring on his Ligue 1 debut, but as the weeks went by, his minutes on the pitch began to dwindle.
By the end of his time in Marseille, Nwaneri had two goals and an assist from 11 appearances, many of them off the bench. It was hardly the return the Gunners or the player had in mind when the deal was struck in January.
But Arteta is quick to point out that numbers only tell part of the story. For him, the real progress has come in the player who walked back through the doors at London Colney.
After Arsenal’s pre-season game against Girona, Arteta admitted things in Marseille didn’t go as anyone had planned.
“I know on the pitch it didn’t [go as well as they wanted] because a lot happened in Marseille, but when you just stand in front of him, you sense the maturity and it looks like a different man,” Arteta said.
It goes some way to explaining why Arsenal were willing to send one of their brightest academy talents into such a tough environment halfway through the season.
Nwaneri was already familiar with the Gunners, Arteta’s approach, and the demands of the Premier League. Marseille, though, was a different world: new language, new manager, a fight for places, and the glare of expectation that comes with playing for one of France’s biggest clubs.
Regular football never really materialised, but the loan forced Nwaneri to deal with setbacks far from the comfort of Hale End or the Arsenal first team.
Arteta is convinced those experiences will serve Nwaneri well in the years ahead.
“The experience on paper, it wasn’t ideal, but I think he went through something that is going to help him a lot in his career,” he added.
It’s a different way of looking at young players’ loans. Getting regular starts is always the aim, especially for someone sent out to get senior minutes, but sometimes the real growth comes when things don’t go to plan.
Nwaneri is back at Arsenal this summer, fully aware that a place in the team is far from guaranteed. The fight for spots in attack and midfield is fiercer than ever, and Arteta has made it clear he wants more consistency from his young players.
Now, at 19, it’s up to Nwaneri to show that maturity where it matters most: on the pitch.
His time in Marseille won’t go down as a success story. Arsenal wanted him to play more, and he didn’t get the minutes they hoped for. Still, Arteta’s words make it clear the experience was far from a waste.
Nwaneri left North London as one of Arsenal’s brightest young prospects. Now he’s back, having seen the tougher side of senior football, and Arteta is already seeing the change.