Ethan Nwaneri remains a promising young talent in the Arsenal setup, but unlike Myles Lewis-Skelly, he has yet to secure a consistent place in the first team. This lack of guaranteed playing time may be contributing to the delay in extending his current contract, as discussions between the club and the player continue.
Nwaneri showed his potential during the recent season, particularly when Bukayo Saka was sidelined with an injury. The youngster stepped in admirably and delivered performances that impressed many within the club. During that period, he emerged as one of the standout players in the squad, underlining his credentials as a player with top-level quality.
Limited Opportunities Following Saka’s Return
Despite his impressive displays, Nwaneri’s place in the team became uncertain upon Saka’s return to full fitness. This led to speculation about the club’s plans for the young attacker, especially as Mikel Arteta found it difficult to fit him into the starting lineup in other roles.
With Saka considered an indispensable figure at Arsenal, Nwaneri was returned to the bench. While understandable from a tactical perspective, this situation is far from ideal for the player’s development. Young talents thrive on regular game time, and a lack of minutes can hinder their progression and affect their long-term contribution to the team.
Loan Move May Be the Right Solution
Looking ahead to the new campaign, Arsenal must carefully consider how to handle Nwaneri’s development. A loan move could be the most beneficial route at this stage, allowing him to gain the regular experience needed to grow both technically and mentally.
Sending Nwaneri out temporarily would not only support his development but also help maintain or even increase his market value. If Arsenal eventually opt to cash in, his performances elsewhere could attract interest and provide leverage in future negotiations. However, the primary goal should remain to nurture his talent, ensuring he is prepared to return as a stronger and more complete player ready to compete at the highest level.
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Why send him out on loan. He showed this season that given the chance he’s ready to play for the first team. All he needs is the manager to show more trust in him.
The manager does not show trust. He plays same 11. Thats the 11 he trusts and focuses on.
There will be enough games next season for him to feature on a regular basis, if Arteta trusts him. I say keep him here.
I agree with the comments from Derek and JGB5 as I can’t see any reason to lend to another club a player who is already developing at a higher level within the first team.
Arteta has protected him, look at our last 10 games of the season , the amount of draws from leading positions . The first 11 has crumbled when under pressure and then made minimal effort to try and win.
Only against liverpool and Newcastle we saw some character and that was after arteta had to have a go at his team .
There were some games when nwaneri started and he didnt offer much which is fine because lack of experience but with most of the team out of form there was not many who could actually could guide him on the pitch
Look at how pep made foden be patient and part of his learning was observation so that when he was selected he knew the expectations. Foden has won everything with city. Look at sancho demanded he should be a first team player and never fulfilled his talent because he isn’t a team player
Nwaneri will get his chance next season… arteta needs to keep those on the bench hungry and not rely on the first 11. Odegaard is playing poor – sub him, saka isn’t playing well sub him. Our problem is lack of competition, those on the bench should be contesting for spots .
Ultimately too much football can lead to problems also… nwaneri is away with the U21’s meaning a shorter break for him.
Sending him out on loan is pointless as many teams especially in the PL only take top player teams to fill up squads.
He is better off at arsenal.
Exactly SueP, developing at a higher level with us, no need to send him out unless it’s PSG;).
He will play more next season especially in the Carling Cup, FA Cup and some league matches when Saka needs rest.
No
No, he’s a very valuable member of the first team squad and will feature more next this coming season.
We should send him out on loan the same way we did with Saliba: just look at how Saliba turned out. Nwaneri needs more minutes on the pitch, and the odd appearance in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League won’t do. I don’t see Arteta giving him enough minutes in the PL with the lines of Odegaard, Partey, and Rice fit. Give him a long term contract and send him out on loan to develop.
Yes, loan him out to Brighton and watch his price tag soars.
I keep telling fans had Nwaneri been representing Brighton his price tag would be north of £100 mill.
Let’s not pretend, we know the gaffer won’t trust him, like Saliba, he may need to make his name else where and returns
@Gunsmoke
You mean like Saliba, he might have to be loaned out and developed by another manager, then return firing on all cylinders.
Yes, that’s the point am trying to make NY_Gunner
Does this really make sense to you?
It’s call empathy.
If the kid was my son, I would be championing for him to be loan to Brighton, where he would be trusted.
Arteta recognise that the squad was too shorth in numbers and quality, so this term the squad should be increase to 25 or 26 players able to play and rotate to avoid the enormous numbers of injuries.
At the moment we have: 1 G.keeper
9 defenders
4 Midfielders
6 Attackers
Total 20 Players.
Tomi,Jesus and Lokonga included.
Partey and Vieira not included.
Not good enough.
How many of our loan players have gone out and returned better with a lot more game time under their belt in the last decade? and then once back became a main part of the team again?
Saliba the only one.
He didn’t go out on loan in the traditional sense, he stayed a year longer at the current club he was already at(and comfotable at).
Very different to a normal loan for a player struggling with form and game time
I think you have got that muddled PJ-SA. I’m sure he went to Marseilles as well? Well I thought he did
SueP, he did indeed go on loan to Marseille. While a lot of fans weren’t happy with him being loaned out, I was, as it gave him the opportunity of playing in European competition, firstly in the Europa League and then the Conference League.
Ah yes correct, still a league he knew well and was comfortable in. Again still very different from a player thats loaned out becasue of struggles with form and game time.
My original point still stands, not 1 player that has been at Arsenal that has gone out on loan and RETURNED has made it back into the first team
They should first make sure they agree on contract extension then they assure him of a little bit of game time at arsenal maybe all the cup games and some pl games, loaning him is not an option and arsenal should not entertain it.
Everyone else (Marquinhos, Lokonga, Taveres, Nelson) will get moved on. There is no place for them in the team, not under Arteta. The only successful loan that I can think of right now is Saliba- but even then there was speculation around him.
If Arteta wants to loan him out, I don’t mind. But I think it would be better for him to:
A. provide back-up for Saka so that we don’t over-play him
B. Use him in more domestic cups and competitions (in the starting XI)
C. Change his position if necessary. From what I’ve heard, he can play as a CAM.
Meant to be a reply about loans. Dunno why it posted as a comment rather than a reply
I do not think that Arteta entertain the idea of loaning him. Arsenal have to buy 3 or 4 players to restore the capacity of the team to compete in all fronts and rotate the players.. He is a first team player, so loaning him will require to buy a very good one to replace him.
Not a very smart proposition from the author of this article.
No.
Loan Ødegaard out to Real Madrid to continue his development.
Thrill,
😂🤣👍
🙂🙂
Yeah loan out Arsenal’s player of season twice in a row!
So many comment on here that don’t actually watch Arsenal! 🙂
@Lucy78:
If he deserved the first, I might agree.
But the second was a gift after ghosting for much of the season and that is what has gotten into his head.
He is often named player of the game for being about the worst player on the turf – love and politics.
Your captain needs humbling, and taking that band off him is a great way to start.
Of all Arsenal players: he is the one who can only function in a very one dimensional system of play and zonal positions barring Tierney who is no longer an Arsenal player.
Is he a good player at that?
Yes. A great one, actually.
But change that and he becomes one of the worst.
Lots of Arsenal players have played different roles and have different roles and have done well in them. But Mr touch nose, rub hair, pull the band, adjust stockings – he disappears when the game is adjusted because he has a lot to learn. Whether he can (actually) learn them is something else to be considered.
A loan could do him good, Lucy.
😁
There’s a lot of talk about him as cover for Saka. Nwaneri is actually not a natural RW, he’s a CAM.
He should be more of a cover for Odegaard.
Nevertheless, it’s not as if he disappoints when coming on as a RW.
Opportunities were and are available, Arteta’s man management is poor. Nwanarei sat on the bench while Odegaard continued to misfire for how many matches?
Numerous times he could have subbed Odegaard for Nwanarei, but did not.
Arteta is the wrong manager to develop academy talent, or young talent really. Arteta is still learning, but compared to our legendary Frenchman developing talent, Arteta could use a lot of help.
Durand,
I agree with your post. How when we needed a goal v PSG Arteta brings on a left back instead of Nwaneri still baffles me to be honest.
Looking at the forward talents currently available for Brighton and Arsenal, i would suggest that Nwaneri has a greater opportunity for game time where he is.
Grandad,
And if Arsenal were to loan Nwaneri, they’d have to add an extra player to the squad to replace him. As I said at the top of this page, Nwaneri is ready for the first team as he showed last season. He just needs the manager to trust him.
Derek, players under the age of 21 don’t have to be in the PL 25 man squad.
Herr Drier,
Thank you for correcting me. 👍
No problems Derek 👍
Gunsmoke is right- look what happened to Saliba as an example. If Nwaneri can follow in his footsteps then it would be better for him to be loaned. However I would rather keep him to provide competition for Saka and use in cups.
How much responsibility is on a manager and his staff to develop young players in the first team?
Wasn’t Arteta supposed to be a savant of some kind when it came to developing young talent?
Pep chirped endless about it, even Arsenal mentioned it when they hired Arteta.
Aside from MLS this year, I can’t recall a single young player Arteta kept to develop at Arsenal.
Even Saliba was sent out, only for Arteta to mention months later he should have kept Saliba and placed on Europa roster.
Stop and think about our CB options at the time; and Saliba couldn’t beat out that lot and start matches?
Arteta’s man management remains poor as ever, and virtually non-existent when it comes to promoted academy players.
Developing academy players is MA’s weakness. He simply doesn’t do enough to give young players precious game time.
If not for the injuries we had this season my gut feel tells me EN and MLS would not have featured enough to allow them to showcase their talent
We’ve been talking for years about the need for Arteta to rotate players more, notably Saka, and to have great players covering every first team position. Nwaneri is already at or approaching first team standards, and has this season provided cover for both Odegaard and Saka. He will likely get more minutes in future too now he’s proven he adds value, so while loaning him to another team may be good for his personal experience, we kind of need to think about what Arsenal needs right now too if we’re going to challenge for titles.
Buying a new player to grow into his place, because we sent him out on loan, seems a little crazy when we have other positions that need boosting more urgently.
What is best for Arsenal should be the resounding call. Nwaneri is ready, has already shown he can produce at this level; don’t understand why we need to spend money to replace him in the squad.
Checkbook managing at it’s finest; why develop a young player when you can open someone else’s checkbook and buy a player.
The idea that Arteta develops talent comes from where? based on what evidence? Perhaps there is more than MLS as an example?
Honestly, with the talent that MLS displayed he could have performed with Tony Pulis as his manager. Arteta is poor at identifying attacking players, look who he brought in; Willian, Vieira, Sterling, Jesus, Havertz, and kept Nketiah for years, even raised his wages with an extension, not exactly top producers are they?