Ethan Nwaneri has been capped 13 times by England Under-21s

Arsenal’s Nwaneri Joins Marseille on Loan for Game Time Boost

Nwaneri Heads to Marseille as Arsenal Starlet Seeks Regular Minutes

Arsenal midfielder Ethan Nwaneri has completed a loan move to Ligue 1 side Marseille for the remainder of the 2025–26 season, in a bid to secure more regular first-team football.

The 18-year-old, widely regarded as one of England’s most promising young midfielders, has featured 12 times for Arsenal in all competitions this campaign but started only four matches, none in the Premier League. He scored once in the Carabao Cup.

Despite signing a long-term contract until 2030 last summer, Nwaneri’s path to regular minutes at the Emirates has been blocked by the big-money arrivals of Noni Madueke (£48.5m) and Eberechi Eze (£67m), both of whom have featured heavily in the rotation behind Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard.

Arteta: ‘The Last Thing I Want Is to Stall His Development’

Manager Mikel Arteta admitted that although the club originally intended to keep Nwaneri in the squad this season to develop in a title-challenging environment, the need for consistent minutes tipped the scale toward a loan.

“Talented players need to have minutes, and Ethan wasn’t having enough,” said Arteta.

“We believe Marseille is the right place for him to grow. Saliba’s success there was a good reference point, and Roberto de Zerbi is a courageous coach who trusts young players.”

Marseille, currently third in Ligue 1, offer Nwaneri a competitive environment in a new league where he is expected to get more regular game time.

Nwaneri Not the Only Young Gun Facing a Tough Climb

Nwaneri’s loan move reflects a broader reality at Arsenal, where “win-now” signings such as Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyökeres, and Eze have pushed academy talents down the pecking order.

Fellow academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly, who impressed during Arsenal’s injury crisis last season with 42 appearances and even earned an England debut, has also found game time scarce this season. The 19-year-old has started only nine times in 2025–26, and has slipped out of the national team picture.

Arsenal Flying High – But Youth Opportunities Limited

Arteta’s side are top of the Premier League, unbeaten in the Champions League, and hold a 3-2 advantage over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-finals. Their strong position has made it harder to take risks on untested players, despite the club’s tradition of nurturing youth.

Nwaneri had been seen as a long-term successor to Ødegaard or Saka, depending on his position, but with Madueke and Eze covering those roles, his development needed a new stage.