Ethan Nwaneri Names Arsenal Teammate Who Inspired Loan Exit

Arsenal’s 18-year-old talent has arrived in France to complete the move.

A lack of playing time this season has led to leaving on loan. | David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri is yet to be officially unveiled by Olympique Marseille after striking a loan deal with the Gunners, but he’s already had chance to explain the role William Saliba had to play in this slightly surprising January move.

After just 515 senior minutes this season, including no Premier League starts, a loan for the purposes of exposure to consistent playing time was always a likely path for Nwaneri.

Few would have picked Marseille as their first guess for his destination, but dig only a little below the surface and there is a lot that makes sense about it.

Opportunities for minutes aside—Nwaneri has been down the pecking order in two positions by last summer’s captures of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke—Marseille’s standing within the game was key.

In an early encounter with French reporters, Nwaneri said upon arriving in France, via FootMercato: “It’s one of the best clubs in the world, with incredibly passionate fans.”

He’s been handed a glowing endorsement from someone at Arsenal, too: “William Saliba told me it’s one of the best clubs in the world.”

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William Saliba’s Marseille Loan a ‘Very Big Turning Point’

A Marseille loan launched William Saliba. | ANP/Getty Images

Saliba owes a lot to Marseille, the club where his career finally took off after his teenage potential looked to be burning out.

The centre back initially stayed on loan at Saint-Étienne when he was signed by Arsenal in 2019, before being left out of senior squads in the first half of 2020–21 when he moved across to London. The Gunners had toyed with then loaning him to a Championship club, but a promising six months at OGC Nice morphed into spending 2021–22 on loan with Marseille.

Saliba was named Ligue 1’s Young Player of the Year and was integrated into Mikel Arteta’s squad soon after, becoming one of the best defenders in the world within a matter of months. Reflecting on his time at Marseille a couple of years later, Saliba told L’Équipe it was a “very big turning point.”

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Roberto De Zerbi Influences Arsenal’s Nwaneri Decision

Roberto De Zerbi is a draw. | Jaber Abdulkhaleq/Anadolu/Getty Images

Another factor for Nwaneri, and seemingly Arsenal as well, is Roberto De Zerbi.

In his brief chat with reporters, Nwaneri labelled the Marseille boss “one of the best coaches in the world,” while it was also reported this week that Arsenal are specifically “attracted” to the idea of their 18-year-old talent working with the Italian.

In 2022, Arteta called De Zerbi an “extraordinary coach with very clear ideas I enjoy watching.”

The former Brighton & Hove Albion manager has been linked with Manchester United, who are on the hunt for a new permanent boss beyond the end of this season. But his commitment has been very much with Marseille, although discussions about his long-term future in the south of France will be required soon or later, due to a contract that has less than 18 months left to run.

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