Arsenal and England youngster Ethan Nwaneri has moved to Olympique Marseille on loan until the end of the 2025/26 campaign as a means of getting some important game time under his belt. The 18-year-old has now played his first minutes under Roberto De Zerbi in France, but how have the French media responded?
Although the teenage sensation has been given plenty of opportunities at such a tender age, Mikel Arteta’s additions of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke in the summer meant that his minutes were always going to be limited this season.
His move to Marseille, however, a straight loan deal according to Fabrizio Romano and, come the summer, Nwaneri will be back in north London as he attempts to become a first-team regular under the watchful eye of Arteta and his staff. For now, he’ll be looking to win trophies under De Zerbi at Marseille…but how did his maiden outing go?
Ethan Nwaneri Makes Instant Impact at Marseille After Penning Loan Deal Until Summer
It took the Arsenal academy graduate just 13 minutes to make an impact in his side’s 3-1 Ligue 1 victory over RC Lens at the Orange Velodrome on Saturday evening. After Amine Gouiri had drawn first blood earlier on, the youngster got in on the goalscoring party, by shifting onto his left foot and curling one into the bottom left corner with relative ease.
His well-taken strike aside, the London-born starlet enjoyed plenty of the ball on the right-hand side – 41 touches, though just one inside the Lens box – and was always looking to make something happen.
Watch a highlights package from Ethan Nwaneri’s Marseille debut below:
Whether he was attempting to take on defenders on the outside and deliver a ball or shift inside to take on a man, Nwaneri performed like an old head on young shoulders. All in all, the statistics prove he played six balls into the final third and all three of his attempted dribbles were successful but what did the French media make of his introduction to football in their homeland?
Paris-based journalist Leo Aschi also wrote that Nwaneri, albeit at the age of 18, took the match by the scruff of its neck: “Ethan Nwaneri. Taking responsibility in this way, on his debut with OM, in one of the most important games of the season,” he wrote before adding, “Talent doesn’t lie. Welcome to Ligue 1.”
“Ethan Nwaneri, I have a feeling we’re going to love you in Marseille,” Anthony Aubes (a press officer from Marseille) wrote after the youngster’s display on home soil.
“WHAT A GOAL FROM THE GEM ETHAN NWANERI! He takes the ball at the halfway line, runs 30 meters, cuts inside, and curls a right-footed shot into the net. It’s low but perfectly placed; Risser is caught out. 2-0 to OM, who have made a perfect start to the match,” a report from RMC Sport said. “Nwaneri provokes again. He cuts back into the center again, Udol fouls and gives OM a good opportunity.”
Given it was his first decent run-out in a while, Nwaneri was taken off in the 58th minute. “The Vélodrome crowd gave a standing ovation to the young Englishman, on loan from Arsenal, who scored in his first match,” RMC Sport wrote as Nwaneri enjoyed a fine display in the white of Marseille.
Get French Football News also added: “A hugely promising debut from the Englishman, whose run from the halfway line finished with his first goal in Ligue 1 just days after signing for the club. He showed his quality in tight spaces, dribbling, and flicks. He did come off on the 60th minute for Mason Greenwood’s introduction – but the Arsenal man certainly enjoyed himself out there, and he’ll be an indispensable asset for Roberto De Zerbi in the coming months.”
Can Nwaneri Force His Way Into Arteta’s Plans?
A cool and collected presence in attack, Nwaneri, spoke to Ligue1+ after scoring on his debut for OM against Lens: “I’m very happy for the team, we played a good match, very happy to have started like this… I’m excited, there are a lot of high-quality players, we can achieve something special. My goal? I saw the space, I took advantage of it, I accelerated, and I felt there was an opportunity to score. I’m very happy for myself and the fans.”
With enviable talent coming out of every crevice, it’s no secret that Nwaneri’s development could be stunted at the Emirates Stadium following the aforementioned arrivals of Eze and Madueke – two players who can play on either flank.
Therefore, it could be high time for Nwaneri, still only 18 years of age, to be considering his options this season. Could a change of scenery (and additional minutes as a result) make him a more attractive prospect for Thomas Tuchel on the international stage? That could perhaps be the case but, for now, it may be worth seeing whether Arteta has something up his sleeve for the gifted teenager.
