Arsenal appear set to loan out Ethan Nwaneri after their 1-0 Premier League win at Aston Villa. Borussia Dortmund have made a proposal to the Gunners to sign the forward on a temporary basis. Talks between the clubs are ongoing but Nwaneri was notably left out of the match-day squad at Villa Park as Bukayo Saka’s 59th-minute goal proved the difference. The teenager had been on the bench for the opening league match against Coventry City after his absence against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
BBC Sport say a final decision will be made in the morning but that Arsenal are willing to let Nwaneri go out on loan. They are prioritising loan offers because they do not want to let the 19-year-old leave permanently. Given Dortmund are in the Champions League and play an attacking brand of football in the Bundesliga, a deal appears likely. Minutes at the Emirates Stadium appear limited for the player with Arsenal having spent heavily to bolster Mikel Arteta’s squad this summer. They could also still sign Lyon winger Malick Fofana before tomorrow’s 11pm deadline too.
Nwaneri spent the second half of last season on loan at Marseille. But he made only 11 appearances for the Ligue 1 club, scoring two goals and producing one assist in only 412 minutes of action.
As a result, the north London club want to ensure any club will give him the game time he needs to develop.
Dortmund have already done some high-profile Premier League loans already in recent years, including Carney Chukwuemeka, Ian Maatsen and Christian Pulisic from Chelsea and Jadon Sancho from Manchester United.
Nwaneri would benefit from regular minutes at the German club in his strongest position, as a No.10. But the England under-21 international can also play out on the right wing.
Reigning Premier League champions Arsenal are well-stocked in both positions with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze so opportunities for Nwaneri look limited barring injuries.
The academy graduate has so far made 51 senior appearances for the Gunners. He has scored 10 goals and supplied two assists since his debut at the age of 15 years and 181 days old back in September 2022.
His appearance at Brentford made him the youngest Premier League player ever.
Arsenal FC Training Session
Ethan Nwaneri is poised to leave Arsenal on loan (Image: Getty)
Speaking after a pre-season draw with Como earlier this month, Arteta said Nwaneri looked ‘incredible’ and explained: “He’s been really good. Probably what happened on the field, on his loan in Marseille, wasn’t what was expected.
“There was a lot of noise and change around the club. But he looks different. He looks more mature. He’s incredible at that. It’s what six months can do to you.
“It’s a different experience on board to be on your own, to go through tough times and just to witness that there’s another part of football that you have to be good enough to cope with. I’m very happy with what he’s done in pre-season.”
More recently, the Spaniard confirmed that the door was open for the player to leave before Tuesday’s 11pm transfer deadline. He said: “I want him to be at the club but something is in the medium and long-term, what is the best for the player as well.
“Ethan needs to play football. If he stays here, it’s because we can guarantee that he can have those minutes. Otherwise, it’s just something that is not good for anybody, I think.”
Though Nwaneri looks likely to leave on loan, fellow wonderkid Max Dowman will not go out on loan. The 16-year-old may receive minutes in cup competitions this season and when not in the first-team squad, the attacking midfielder will play for the under-21s.
