Softfootball understands that Ethan Nwaneri has formally touched down in Marseille at the moment to seal his mortgage transfer from Arsenal till the tip of the season, following current experiences that Marseille are main the race to signal the Arsenal teenager on mortgage.
The extremely rated 18-year-old midfielder arrived within the south of France filled with confidence and pleasure, clearly prepared for what he described as a giant step in his younger profession.
Talking shortly after his arrival, as reported by Fabrizio Romano through his official X account, Nwaneri revealed the robust affect of Arsenal teammate William Saliba in his determination.
He mentioned:
Ethan Nwaneri arrives in Marseille as deliberate: William Saliba advised me OM is among the greatest golf equipment on the planet. Roberto De Zerbi can also be top-of-the-line coaches on the planet.
Saliba had an enormous profitable mortgage spell at Marseille throughout the 2021–22 marketing campaign. That interval proved important in Saliba’s improvement, resulting in him not too long ago signing a brand new contract extension with Arsenal, and in addition in the end paved the way in which for his rise into Arsenal’s first staff, one thing many now hope Nwaneri can replicate.
The England youth worldwide additionally reserved glowing reward for Marseille’s head coach, Roberto De Zerbi, describing him as top-of-the-line coaches on the planet, a press release that displays the rising popularity of the Italian tactician.
Identified for his attacking concepts and belief in younger gamers throughout his time at Brighton, De Zerbi is broadly seen as an excellent mentor for a expertise like Nwaneri. His philosophy, in some methods, mirrors that of Mikel Arteta, which makes the transition really feel fairly pure.
The mortgage settlement doesn’t embody an choice to purchase, a transparent sign of Arsenal’s long-term religion in Nwaneri, who signed a five-year contract in August 2025. Nonetheless, the deal isn’t a easy one.
It contains performance-related clauses, with the mortgage payment and a separate improvement bonus linked on to his taking part in time. In brief, Marseille are financially inspired to really use him, not simply bench him.
Nwaneri now joins a well-recognized Arsenal-to-Marseille pathway, following within the footsteps of Saliba, Matteo Guendouzi, and Nuno Tavares. Membership sources insist this transfer is about progress, little question. If historical past is any information, Marseille might be the proper proving floor once more.
