Mikel Arteta may already regret Arsenal January transfer as statement released

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta green-lit Ethan Nwaneri’s loan move to Marseille in the January transfer window with former boss Roberto De Zerbi having been a major driving force behind the switch

Mikel Arteta might already be regretting sending Ethan Nwaneri to Marseille after Roberto De Zerbi’s bombshell exit. The Arsenal youngster joined the Ligue 1 side on a loan deal until the end of the season in the January window.

The intention behind the move was to offer him more opportunities of first-team football, having seen chances in North London dry up slightly this season. And Arsenal boss Arteta had mulled over exactly where to send him for some time before eventually settling on Marseille.

The Spaniard revealed that the chance of playing under Roberto De Zerbi and in the Italian’s high-pressing style of football was the main draw behind choosing the French side. He said: “I think the talented young players that we have need minutes, and in this case, Ethan wasn’t having enough minutes, and the last thing that we want is to cut his development because he’s such a talent and someone who lives and breathes football; that’s his life.

“After discussing it with him, his father, the agent, and the club, we decided the best thing to do was to leave and go on loan.

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“Having all the options, understand the experience that we had in Marseille as well with [Saliba], the fact that Roberto is there, he’s an incredible developer of young talent and he’s a really courageous manager in the way he plays, the way he plays with young talent as well, and he has a big track record about that.

“I think it fits the way of playing for the qualities that we want to see for Ethan. So it’s going to be a great experience for him.”

Meanwhile, Nwaneri himself said he was relishing the chance to play under the former Brighton boss. He said: “[Marseille] is one of the best clubs in the world, with great fans. William Saliba told me that it is one of the best clubs in the world. Roberto De Zerbi is one of the best managers in the world.”

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Unfortunately for both Arteta and Nwaneri, their original plan has now fallen by the wayside, with De Zerbi having been sacked following the weekend’s 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain. It means Nwaneri will now be playing under a new manager for the remainder of the campaign and there is no guarantee that they will deploy the same system or approach as the Italian.

Marseille’s next game pits them against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 and Nwaneri will no doubt be aiming to make an impact for the French side regardless of who is in the dugout.

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