Arsenal are planning to offload Ethan Nwaneri before the summer transfer window closes after he was left out of the Community Shield against Manchester City. The 19-year-old midfielder has been linked with another move away from the club after spending the second half of last season on loan at Marseille.
Highly rated but disappointing campaign
Nwaneri became the youngest player to ever play in the Premier League when he made his debut for Arsenal in 2022 and established himself as a regular member of Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad during the 2024-25 season. He made 37 appearances for his boyhood club that term and was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award while being rewarded with a new long-term contract.
However, the 2025-26 campaign proved disappointing. Nwaneri only featured in six league games before being sent on loan to Marseille in January. Arsenal bosses were confident he would develop in France, but he made only nine appearances during an underwhelming loan before returning to north London.
Arteta’s assessment
Despite failing to make an impact for Marseille, Arteta insisted Nwaneri would benefit from his time away and returned ‘looking like a different man’. ‘On the pitch, he didn’t [work] because a lot happened in Marseille,’ Arteta said after Arsenal beat Girona 4-1 in their first pre-season friendly. ‘But when you just stand in front of him, you sense the maturity and he looks like a different man. The experience on paper, it wasn’t ideal but I think he went through something that is going to help him a lot in his career.’
Speaking on Friday before the Community Shield, Arteta admitted Nwaneri could still leave before the transfer deadline. ‘I want him to be at the club. But we have to think about the medium and long term,’ Arteta said. ‘What is best for the player? Ethan needs to play football. If he stays here, we must be able to guarantee him those minutes, otherwise it won’t be beneficial for either side.’
Interest and next steps
Nwaneri has attracted interest from Galatasaray, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan in recent weeks, and Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Arsenal plan to offload him. It is not clear whether Arsenal will sanction another loan move for the teenager or sell him in a possible deal with a buy-back option.
