Arsenal: Mikel Arteta makes Ethan Nwaneri transfer decision as youngster is linked with Janaury loan move

On Jan 2, 2026

Mikel Arteta has played down the likelihood of Ethan Nwaneri leaving Arsenal on loan this month, insisting “every player has a role”.

Nwaneri came off the bench against Club Brugge in the Champions League in early December but has not played a single minute in the five matches since.

The 18-year-old was an unused substitute in the Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Crystal Palace, having played the full 90 minutes in the previous two rounds.

With the summer arrivals of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke further adding to the competition for places, it has been suggested that Nwaneri could benefit from a loan move in the second half of the season.

However, speaking on Friday, he stressed that all members of his team must be ready to play their part.

Advertisements

“Every player is very important, every player has a role,” Arteta said.

“This role can change during the season for different reasons, and everyone has to be ready to play.”

He added: “And the thing is, you don’t know if you’re going to be a finisher, a starter, or sometimes you have to come in because a player gets injured in the warmup. So that’s how ready you have to be.

“And again, like I said, it’s a joy because the players are really engaged, really willing to participate, whatever role they’re playing that day. And that’s what we need.”

Ethan Nwaneri has struggled for minutes over the past month (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

The Arsenal boss also made it clear that he will not rotate for the sake of it, even during a hectic run of matches.

“I think we have to talk about performance, not rotation.

“We want performance, the highest performance every three days or throughout the match, and that’s what we have to pay attention to. And to achieve that, who are the best players, in the best conditions, with the best relationships, to achieve that.”