Arsenal have decided against selling teenage midfielder Ethan Nwaneri this summer, preferring to send him out on loan for further development. The England Under-21 international, 19, endured a difficult loan spell at Marseille last season, which stalled his career progression.
Sent to Ligue 1 to gain regular first-team experience, Nwaneri started brightly, scoring on his debut. However, the sudden departure of head coach Roberto De Zerbi, now at Tottenham, derailed his momentum. Under De Zerbi's successor, Habib Beye, the attacking midfielder struggled to secure playing time, making only nine appearances in total during his time in France.
Pre-season promise and Community Shield omission
Returning to Arsenal in the summer, Nwaneri aimed to convince manager Mikel Arteta of his readiness for first-team football. He showed encouraging progress during pre-season training and matches. Yet, his exclusion from the matchday squad for Arsenal's 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City on August 17, 2026, indicated that his immediate future might lie elsewhere.
Speaking before that fixture, Arteta acknowledged the need for a difficult decision. '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.'
Club stance and potential suitors
According to the BBC, Arsenal are now determined to retain Nwaneri, even if that means arranging another loan move. The attacking midfielder faces stiff competition for a place in the Arsenal first team, with Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze, and Mikel Merino currently ahead of him in the pecking order. Turkish club Galatasaray and German side Borussia Dortmund have both been linked with a move for the teenager.
Arsenal CEO Richard Garlick addressed the situation in an interview with talkSPORT, also touching on fellow Hale End Academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea. 'Obviously there may be speculation, I'm not going to go into that from other clubs but we're very happy with Myles and the position he's in at the club,' Garlick stated.
In a subsequent interview with the BBC, Garlick elaborated on the club's approach to homegrown talent. 'We obviously believe in our academy and have been very successful with the players that have come through that academy, Myles and Ethan being two of those,' he said. 'Everybody loves to see those homegrown players coming through and pulling on the shirt and contributing to the success of the team.'
Potential sale only for exceptional offer
Garlick made clear that Arsenal are not actively seeking to sell Nwaneri or Lewis-Skelly, but did not rule out a transfer under specific circumstances. 'It's not something that we aim to just sell only homegrown players, as I say trading players is something that comes up all the time. There's been a lot of speculation surrounding players. I can't stop other clubs being interested in our players,' he explained.
'I think Myles has had a fantastic end to last season and he's started this season really well and we are very very happy with him. Ethan's had a great pre-season as well and it's just a case of looking at what opportunities there are that will help both of those players in terms of their careers moving forwards but we are not actively looking at selling those homegrown players,' Garlick 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.'
If Arsenal were to receive an offer significantly above their valuation of Nwaneri, the situation could change, as outlined by Garlick. For now, the club's priority is to keep the 19-year-old within their system, with a loan move seen as the most beneficial path for his development.
