Odegaard sends message to Nwaneri after his loan move

Ethan Nwaneri will spend the remainder of this season on loan at Olympique Marseille, and he has made an impressive start to his spell in France. The young attacker has long been regarded as one of Arsenal’s brightest talents, but opportunities to demonstrate his quality this season have been limited.

Arsenal’s focus on competing for major trophies has meant prioritising more experienced players in key matches, restricting game time for emerging talents like Nwaneri. Recognising his need for regular minutes, the club arranged the loan move to Marseille to allow him to develop further and gain valuable first-team experience.

Strong start at Marseille

Nwaneri has wasted little time making an impact at his new club. His performances have impressed both the coaching staff and supporters at OM, who view him as a player capable of contributing significantly as they pursue silverware this season. The move is seen as a mutually beneficial opportunity, giving Nwaneri a platform to showcase his talent while bolstering Marseille’s squad.

The decision was made with careful consideration, and the youngster consulted with senior figures at Arsenal before finalising the transfer. One such mentor, Martin Ødegaard, shared his thoughts on the loan via Arsenal Media. He said, “I wanted to mention Ethan Nwaneri, and to wish him luck with his loan spell at Marseille – it certainly started well with his goal at the weekend! I went on loan a few times when I was a young player and so I spoke with Ethan before he left about it.

“We spoke about what he was feeling about his situation and the opportunity, and I understand it – I’ve been there too. Obviously you always want to play more, so this will be a good move for him. I’m sure he’s going to do well there and hopefully get a lot of opportunities to show his qualities and his talent. He’ll be absolutely fine and come back here stronger from it, so it should be good for everyone.”