Ethan Nwaneri has been warned about his "day-to-day commitment" after being left on the bench by Marseille manager Habib Beye. The Arsenal loanee did not make it onto the pitch as Marseille were held to a 1-1 draw by Nice in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Frustrating Loan Spell
Nwaneri moved to the south of France in January in search of regular first-team football, having struggled for minutes at title-chasing Arsenal. But the move has not worked out how he had hoped, with Roberto De Zerbi leaving to be replaced by Beye.
The 19-year-old is yet to start since Beye took charge on February 19 and is enduring a frustrating experience at Marseille. He has two goals and one assist in 11 appearances altogether, but his total of 412 minutes and just four starts in all competitions is not what Nwaneri was hoping for.
Blunt Warning from Beye
His status in the squad under Beye's management was made brutally obvious on Sunday, as he was left on the substitutes' bench. The Marseille boss made four changes, including the introduction of fit-again Mason Greenwood, but Nwaneri remained unused.
Asked on L1+ why Nwaneri was not used, Beye had a stinging message for the youngster: "He is a quality player, but he has to give us way more in his day-to-day commitment. Other players gave way more."
What makes the situation even worse is that Marseille are currently short of attacking and creative options, with Hamed Traore, Igor Paixao, and Amine Gouiri all out injured. They have won just one of their last five games, yet Nwaneri remains on the periphery of Beye's thoughts.
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When star forward Greenwood was out earlier this month, the Marseille boss was asked if Nwaneri might be the perfect replacement. His reply was telling. "He (Nwaneri) is a big talent who needs to adapt to the intensity of Ligue 1," he said. "He looks like the ideal replacement for Mason but we have several quality players to choose from. He must understand he has come to a very, very high-level club."
Nwaneri's stock was much higher under De Zerbi's management. When fit, he started as a No.10 and showed what he can do by scoring 13 minutes into his debut in January. But the change of head coach, with De Zerbi joining Tottenham, has punctured his progress.
Contract Clause Irony
It comes in spite of there reportedly being a clause in his contract that sees the loan fee paid by Marseille rise the fewer minutes he plays. Marseille are, in effect, being charged more for keeping the England under-21 star on the bench.
Nwaneri is therefore not getting the experience he thought he had signed up for. "The experience of seeing a big club like this, learning as much as possible, and being able to really add that to my skill set at the end of the season," he said upon arrival. "When I came here, obviously I was not yet 100 per cent fit, but I am working on it. I have also spoken with the staff and I think I will be able to play more and more. I felt good during the last match. That is normal, of course, it is a process. There have not been any injuries, so I feel good, honestly."
