Aston Villa have now held talks to sign Ethan Nwaneri, with Arsenal prepared to sanction a transfer in the upcoming window.
Nwaneri named among Premier League's most exciting youngsters
The 15 best teenagers in the Premier League were ranked earlier this season, and at that point, Nwaneri was regarded as one of the most promising youngsters in the top flight, with no Aston Villa players making the list.
Ranking Premier League's most exciting youngsters Club
1 Myles Lewis-Skelly Arsenal
2 Estevao Chelsea
3 Ethan Nwaneri Arsenal
4 Leny Yoro Man Utd
5 Lucas Bergvall Tottenham Hotspur
6 Max Dowman Arsenal
7 Jorrel Hato Chelsea
8 Archie Gray Tottenham Hotspur
9 Tyler Dibling Everton
10 Rio Ngumoha Liverpool
11 Josh Acheampong Chelsea
12 Eli Junior Kroupi AFC Bournemouth
13 Lewis Miley Newcastle United
14 Josh King Fulham
15 Giovanni Leoni Liverpool
The Gunners, on the other hand, have three players who were named in the top 15, which perhaps goes some way to explaining why Nwaneri struggled to break into Mikel Arteta's starting XI this season, before being sent out on loan to Marseille in January.
That is despite impressing in the Champions League last season, getting on the scoresheet in a 7-1 victory against PSV Eindhoven, following which Joe Cole described him as "the most exciting footballer in England and maybe Europe."
Stephen Warnock is also a big fan of the Arsenal academy graduate, describing him as a "special and phenomenal talent" last season.
However, according to a report from Sports Boom, Arsenal are now willing to sell the 19-year-old in the summer transfer window, having been unable to create room for him in the squad, and they are hoping to hold out for around €60m (£52m).
Ethan-Nwaneri-Marseille
The youngster's representatives have started working on a summer exit, and they have now held talks with Aston Villa and Chelsea, given that he is keen on remaining in the Premier League, although Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan are also keen.
How Nwaneri has performed on loan at Marseille
The attacking midfielder was able to make an instant impact for Marseille, scoring on his Ligue 1 debut, in a 3-1 victory against Lens, and he has since gone on to pick up another goal and bag one assist.
However, the 15-time England U21 international has since fallen down the pecking order, being benched for four of the last five league matches by Habib Beye.
With that in mind, it would be a risk for Aston Villa to shell out £52m this summer, which would be a club-record fee, just about surpassing the £51.9m spent to sign Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen in 2023.
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