OFFICIAL: Arsenal wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri joins Marseille

Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri has officially joined Olympique de Marseille for the remainder of the 2025/26 season.

The 18-year-old has left the title-chasing Gunners on a six-month loan deal in a bid to get regular minutes under his belt. Nwaneri only made 12 senior appearances for Arsenal in the first half of the season despite having been an important player last term.

The North London club’s excellent summer recruitment has left the wonderkid almost surplus to requirements. He hasn’t played in the Premier League since November, and his only starts came in the domestic cups and against Slavia Prague in the Champions League.

Despite this, it was a surprise when news emerged that Marseille were closing in on a deal to sign him. It was initially expected that Arsenal would try to keep all of their players this month, as they are the favourites to win the Premier League and Champions League.

Mikel Arteta had a big part to play in the talks ending positively. He was understanding of Nwaneri’s desire to play and, after a personal conversation with Roberto de Zerbi, recommended the Ligue 1 club to the teenager.

Marseille sign Nwaneri

Arsenal have now officially announced Nwaneri’s departure, but Gunners fans need not worry about losing the wonderkid permanently. His move to the South of France is a straight loan without any purchase option or obligation.

There is also a big incentive for Marseille to hand Nwaneri regular playing time. They have agreed to pay a loan fee between €3 million and €4m, but the final actual amount due will decrease with every game the youngster plays.

Arsenal believe that De Zerbi’s style perfectly suits Nwaneri, and Marseille still have faint hopes of entering the Ligue 1 title race, which is currently playing out between RC Lens and PSG. Marseille have only won two of their past five games in the league.

Gunners defender William Saliba also had a hand in the deal. “William Saliba told me OM is one of the best clubs in the world,” Nwaneri told fans before his official presentation and added that, “Roberto de Zerbi is also one of the best coaches in the world.”

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