Arsenal suddenly owe Ethan Nwaneri big time, through no fault of their own

Arsenal thought they were doing Ethan Nwaneri a favour by sending him out on loan, but the move could not have turned out worse. The Gunners relied on Nwaneri last season, with the youngster getting plenty of play time.

But following the arrival of Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze, Nwaneri saw his play time drop off a cliff, with Leandro Trossard also getting an increased role this season. Arsenal think a lot of Nwaneri, who is still only 19, and showed that by giving him a new long-term contract back in August.

But unable to find a spot for him in Mikel Arteta's ranks, he was sent to Marseille to get some valuable first team experience abroad and continue his development.

The move has not panned out, though, with Marseille boss Habib Beye clearly not convinced by the youngster. Nwaneri has made just nine league appearances, and only three of those have been starts.

Mikel Arteta is not to blame for Ethan Nwaneri's failed loan move

Arsenal are not to blame for the move. They were almost certainly given assurances that Nwaneri would play, but no team can guarantee a player starts, and perspectives can change.

Ultimately, a manager must look out for themselves, and if they feel they have better options in their squad, they are going to use them, and while Nwaneri is highly rated, he is only 19 years of age, and Marseille have a strong squad with experienced players. They are locked in a battle for Europe, too.

But as Nwaneri prepares to return to Arsenal in a few weeks, Arteta and co owe him a good opportunity next season, even if that doesn't come at the Emirates Stadium.

What opportunities can Arsenal give Ethan Nwaneri now?

The youngster will surely form part of the club's pre-season and be given the chance to fight for a first-team spot, but if he doesn't win one, Arsenal should be much more careful in selecting his next opportunity.

Regular football is more important than playing at a bigger club. You look at Chelsea's loaning out of Omari Kellyman to Cardiff City this year. That looked to be a questionable decision for a £20 million player, but the attacker has played every week and wound up winning promotion from League One, now set to return as a much more confident and physically tested player who has proved he can stay fit week in, week out despite previous injury issues.

Nwaneri certainly won't be heading to League One, but if it's a case of joining a top-flight club not playing in Europe and playing every week, Arsenal should give priority to such an opportunity. And they should certainly have a recall option to protect the player in case he is not playing.

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