Just a year ago, Ethan Nwaneri was gearing up for a Premier League match against Wolves.

Fast forward twelve months, and Arsenal’s promising talent from Hale End has unexpectedly found himself out of favor with manager Mikel Arteta. Nwaneri has now secured a surprising loan move to Marseille for the remainder of the season, a campaign where Arsenal is actively pursuing success across four competitions.

The loan agreement does not include a purchase option, indicating that Arsenal is not severing ties with the young player, who had also attracted interest from Bournemouth and West Ham. He will now play under the guidance of former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi.

So far this season, the 18-year-old has not started in any league matches, clocking just 166 minutes on the field and missing Arsenal’s last four matchday squads.

This is a stark contrast to his 26 league appearances last season, where he started in 11 games and scored in the Champions League, Carabao Cup, and Premier League, including a stunning goal in a 5-1 triumph over Manchester City in February.

As Arsenal prepares to take on Inter in the Champions League, it’s worth recalling another highlight of Nwaneri’s career. In January 2025, he delivered a standout performance against Girona, earning the man of the match title and scoring an impressive long-range goal in his first European start.

Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri is on his way to Marseille on loan for the rest of the season as he has been unable to get enough game time 

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

Nwaneri comes off the bench for Arsenal aged 15 back in 2022, becoming the league’s youngest ever player 

The sky seemed to be the limit, with the teenager going on to sign a five-year contract in August after months of negotiations. So, what has 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 his long-term future to them from early last year but Nwaneri wanted reassurances on game time. In the end, an agreement was reached and Nwaneri signed a long-term deal. There was relief within the club because there was a real possibility he would have been sold had he not signed up.

Daily Mail Sport understands the club were conscious of interest from rivals including Manchester City and Chelsea.

To ward off suitors and convince Nwaneri and his representatives of a clear pathway, Arteta and the Gunners accelerated his integration into the first-team setup – a plan that included breaking that league debut record. However, sources say that once the five-year deal was signed, Arsenal have adopted a more relaxed approach, comfortable in the knowledge that Nwaneri was now tied down.

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

It’s understood the Gunners were keen not to let Nwaneri leave this month having been severely impacted by injuries across 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, has changed the situation.

Arteta’s comments last month offered a glimpse into the club’s intial thinking. When asked about a potential 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 everybody has to be ready to play.’

And earlier this month, when questioned on how Nwaneri has handled being on the bench, he replied: ‘In the manner that other players have to cope with these kinds of situations, so preparing in the best possible way, I think he’s doing it.

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

The 18-year-old featured during Arsenal’s FA Cup win over Portsmouth but has only played for 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 excellent, and when he’s got the chance to play, he proves that I’m wrong, and he needs to play more minutes and help the team as much as possible. Ethan’s attitude on that is exceptional. Every time we have a rest day, he wants to train and he wants to be outside and he wants to be in touch with that ball. In that sense, he’s top.’

Those close to Arsenal point to the trajectory of William Saliba and argue that a potential loan move does not signal a loss of faith, but rather a familiar development pathway. 

Signed in 2019, Saliba was sent out on multiple loans to France, enduring long spells away from north London amid doubts over his long-term role. Yet those experiences proved invaluable. On his return, Saliba established himself as a cornerstone of Arteta’s defence and one of the league’s standout centre backs.

A temporary spell away for Nwaneri in a demanding environment such as Ligue 1 could similarly accelerate his development, providing regular senior football and responsibility that the Gunners cannot guarantee at present. Arsenal will hope that, like Saliba before him, the time away will speed up rather than stall his progress.

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