It’s the story of a nice stroke on paper that turns into a puzzle. This winter, Olympique de Marseille managed to get Ethan Nwaneri, the young talent from Arsenal, on loan. To explain the Gunner’s choice to join Canebière when several Premier League teams were interested, Arsenal and the main concerned explained that the presence of Roberto De Zerbi at the helm of OM had been a decisive criterion. In any case, that’s what Mikel Arteta said.
“After discussing it with him, his father, his agent and the club, we decided the best solution was to leave and go on loan. With the experience we had in Marseille with Saliba, the fact that Roberto is there, that he is an incredible developer of young talents and a really courageous manager in the way he plays, in the way he plays with young talents as well, and that he has an impressive track record in that regard, we felt that Marseille was the right context for him. I think it fits the style of play and qualities we want to see in Ethan. So it will be a great experience for him.”
“It’s something I can’t control.”
Since then, De Zerbi has been sacked and Nwaneri is now wondering who will succeed the man who brought him to France. On the London side, Nwaneri’s future is starting to be talked about, not because RDZ left Marseille, but because of the injury absences of Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz. Clearly, the media following Arsenal are wondering if the Gunners did the right thing in sending Nwaneri on loan, without having thought about possible physical problems in attack. When questioned, Arteta first defended himself. “It’s easy to say. After making the decision, who could have predicted that Mikel was going to be out for five months, and Kai? “It’s unfortunate, but ultimately we have to make decisions in the moment, understanding the context.”he declared at a press conference, before the FA Cup match against Wigan.
Then, the Spaniard spoke more specifically about the departure of Roberto De Zerbi and the potential consequences for Ethan Nwaneri. And he’s not worried. “It’s something I can’t control (the departure of RDZ, editor’s note). Once again, it’s a decision that is part of the game when you are on loan, and it is part of the journey of a footballer. So you’re going to have to work with different coaches, and it can happen at any time, you can’t control it, you can’t avoid it. Yes, one of the reasons (for the loan to OM, editor’s note) was certainly Roberto, but it was also Marseille, and what Marseille, as a club and environment, brings to Ethan. I think it will remain very positive. It’s Nwaneri’s turn to play now.
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– UPDATE
