Why Ethan Nwaneri’s Arsenal career has stalled: The reason record-breaking wonderkid is being sent to Marseille, how his chances have dried up since he was persuaded to sign new contract and why club insiders aren’t worried about his progress

This time last year, Ethan Nwaneri was preparing for a Premier League debut against Wolves.

Twelve months on, Arsenal’s crown jewel Hale End has been deemed surplus to requirements by manager Mikel Arteta – and has now agreed a surprise loan move to Marseille for the remainder of the season – a campaign in which Arsenal are chasing trophies on four fronts.

There is no purchase option included in a deal which will see him play under former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, so it is not as if Arsenal are cutting ties with a player who were also of interest to Bournemouth and West Ham.

But it remains a stark contrast for one of world football’s hottest teenage prospects, who burst onto the scene in September 2022 when he became the youngest player to ever play in the Championship, aged 15 years and 181 days, against Brentford.

Fast forward and the 18-year-old has made no league starts this season, playing just 166 minutes and failing to make the squad for Arsenal’s last four matches.

That’s a far cry from his 26 league appearances last season, including 11 starts. He has scored goals in the Champions League, Carabao Cup and Premier League, including a World Cup winner in February to cap off Arsenal’s 5-1 home win over Manchester City.

As Arsenal prepare to face Inter in the Champions League, it is worth remembering that another highlight of Nwaneri’s career occurred as recently as January 2025, when he was man of the match against Girona, capping his first European start with an impressive finish from outside the box.

Nwaneri (left, with fellow Hale End graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly) has not started for Arsenal in the league this season

Nwaneri leaves the Arsenal bench at the age of 15 in 2022, becoming the youngest player in the league.

The sky appeared to be the limit, with the teenager signing a five-year contract in August after months of negotiations. So, what happened to a player once tipped for a starring role in Arsenal’s immediate future?

The north London club had been desperate for him to commit to their long-term future since the start of last year, but Nwaneri wanted reassurance about playing time. Eventually an agreement was reached and Nwaneri signed a long-term deal. There was relief within the club as there was a real possibility he would have been sold if he had not signed up.

Daily Mail Sport It appears the club was aware of interest from rivals including Manchester City and Chelsea.

To ward off suitors and convince Nwaneri and his representatives of a clear path forward, Arteta and the Gunners fast-tracked his integration into the first-team set-up – a plan that included breaking that league debut record. However, sources claim that once the five-year deal was signed, Arsenal took a more relaxed approach, knowing Nwaneri was now linked.

Without the immediate pressure of a potential exit, there has been less urgency to play him, especially with a £67.5 million signing like Eberechi Eze, who plays a similar position, also finding himself on the fringes.

It is understood the Gunners were keen not to let Nwaneri leave this month, having been badly affected by injuries within their squad. But the youngster’s desire to get minutes for his development, as well as the return of key players from the treatment room, changed the situation.

Arteta’s comments last month offered an insight into the club’s initial thinking. Asked about a possible loan move, he said: “Every player is very important, every player has a role, that role can change throughout the season for different reasons, and everyone has to be ready to play.”

And earlier this month, when asked about how Nwaneri had handled his role on the bench, he replied: “The same way other players have to deal with these kinds of situations, by preparing in the best way possible, I think he does that.

Nwaneri scored a magnificent goal in a 5-1 demolition of Manchester City last February when everything seemed to be the limit.

The 18-year-old featured in Arsenal’s FA Cup win over Portsmouth, but has only played 166 minutes in the Premier League this season.

Nwaneri has found opportunities much harder to come by since signing a long-term contract in August

“His attitude has been great, and when he gets a chance to play, he proves me wrong, and he needs to play more minutes and help the team as much as possible. Ethan’s attitude about it is outstanding. Every time we have an off day, he wants to practice and he wants to be out there and he wants to be in touch with that ball. In that sense, he’s at the top.

Those close to Arsenal point to William Saliba’s trajectory and argue that a possible loan move does not signal a loss of confidence, but rather a familiar development path.

Signed in 2019, Saliba benefited from several loans in France, enduring long spells away from north London amid doubts over his long-term role. Yet these experiences proved invaluable. On his return, Saliba established himself as the cornerstone of Arteta’s defense and one of the standout centre-backs in the league.

A temporary absence for Nwaneri in a demanding environment such as League One could also accelerate his development, providing him with regular senior football and responsibilities that the Gunners cannot guarantee at present. Arsenal will hope that, like Saliba before him, the time away will accelerate rather than stall his progress.

But for a teenager once considered untouchable, the coming months represent a defining period in Nwaneri’s blossoming career.