Arsenal block sale of Nwaneri, eye loan after Arteta’s warning

Arsenal have confirmed they are not prepared to sell 19‑year‑old England Under‑21 midfielder Ethan Nwaneri this summer, still preferring instead to find a loan move that secures regular first‑team football after his stalled spell at Marseille, manager Mikel Arteta said.

Midfield bottleneck at Arsenal

Arsenal’s senior midfield is anchored by Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze and Mikel Merino, leaving limited space for a teenage attacking midfielder to break through. The club therefore sees a loan as the most realistic route for Nwaneri to develop while preserving squad balance.

Future options for Nwaneri

Last season, the England Under‑21 international endured a difficult loan spell at Ligue 1 side Marseille, where he began promisingly by scoring on his debut. Roberto De Zerbi’s sudden departure, however, turned the loan into a disaster.

During his time in France, Nwaneri made just nine appearances and struggled to win the faith of the new head coach, Habib Beye. His limited game time meant his development stalled, prompting a return to Arsenal in the summer.

Back at the Emirates, Nwaneri appeared to make good progress in pre‑season, but his omission from the matchday squad for the 3‑0 Community Shield win over Manchester City on Sunday suggested his future lay elsewhere. (Picture: Getty)

Arteta later said, “I want him to be at the club. But we have to think about the medium and long term. 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.”

Arsenal are determined to keep hold of Nwaneri, even if it means loaning him out again. Clubs such as Galatasaray and Borussia Dortmund have been linked with the attacking midfielder, and CEO Richard Garlick noted that a significantly above‑valuation offer could change the picture.

Garlick also spoke about fellow academy graduate Myles Lewis‑Skelly, saying the club believes in its home‑grown talent and is not actively looking to sell. He added, “If the right opportunity came up and it was right for them and it was right for the club then we’d obviously consider that.”

Nwaneri’s great end to last season will hinge on finding a loan where he can secure regular minutes, a prerequisite highlighted by both Arteta and the club hierarchy. The next step is identifying a destination that satisfies the player’s development needs and Arsenal’s valuation.