Chelsea are unlikely to rekindle their interest in Ethan Nwaneri should Arsenal decide to sell the young star this summer.
Nwaneri broke into Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad aged just 15 back in 2022 but struggled to make his mark during the Gunners’ Premier League-winning title campaign last term.
Following the signings of Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze, the 19-year-old failed to start a league game last season, limited to 165 minutes across six appearances as a substitute.
In January, he left north London to join Marseille on loan, initially linking up with Roberto De Zerbi, who was eager to have him as part of his squad. De Zerbi left the club to take over at Tottenham, however, with Nwaneri struggling to deliver an impact for the rest of the campaign.
Arsenal’s summer plans
Arsenal plan to bolster their squad off the back of their first league title in 22 years, with Arteta hoping to bring in three or four major signings. But the Gunners may need to cash in on current members of the squad to raise funds.
Gabriel Martinelli, Ben White, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus are among those reportedly up for sale, with Nwaneri another who could be moved on.
Nwaneri signed a new long-term deal at Arsenal last summer, but before that, Chelsea made an enquiry during talks over Madueke’s move across the capital. The Blues were also among the clubs interested in snatching Nwaneri from Arsenal before he signed his first professional contract with the club aged 17.
Current stance
While Nwaneri is available this summer, the Daily Mail reports Chelsea have no plans to rekindle their interest as it stands.
However, Nwaneri could still be on the move, with former Arsenal star suggesting there is evidence Arteta simply does not trust him.
“I think as a manager, as a club, you’re always a bit reluctant to let a talent like that go who you’ve nurtured, but with the financial regulations it could free up money to buy elsewhere,” Smith said. “So we’ll see on that. But the player himself might feel that he could do with a move if he feels the gaffer doesn’t really have trust in him.”
