Arsenal have reportedly been open to the loan of Ethan Nwaneri but several questions immediately arise
Ethan Nwaneri is the subject of discussion as the Mail reports that the Arsenal youngster could be up for a loan move this winter. While minutes have been reduced for the 18-year-old, an exit, even temporary, raises many question marks.
Speaking in October, Mikel Arteta stated that Nwaneri would get plenty of chances to play. Citing that he had already been called in to cover the injured Martin Odegaard.
“I don’t know, but I don’t work with expectations,” he said. “I work with what the boys can provide in the context that the team is playing in that moment.
“And Ethan has played two games in the Premier League very early because of an injury of Martin as well. He played in other competitions, and he will play more.”
Nwaneri has, however, played less than 500 minutes of football this season, appearing in five of the 11 Premier League games, starting none. He has started both League Cup wins over Port Vale and Brighton and the Gunners’ 3-0 win over Slavia Praha in the UEFA Champions League.
The arrival of Eberechi Eze, along with Max Dowman’s promotion to the first-team setup, despite the injuries suffered by Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke this season, has sadly limited Nwaneri’s game time.
It might be forgotten still how young Nwaneri remains at 18, having made his debut, like Dowman, at just 15 years of age. However, this is still a vital age for him to be playing as much as possible, and that has so far been restricted.
The festive period coming up might allow for that, but with Odegaard, Madueke and Kai Havertz close to returns from injury, he could potentially slip even further down the pecking order. That said, the idea of a loan move in January still raises concerns.
Injuries have plagued the season for the second campaign in a row, and having as much depth as possible is simply a must for the Gunners. Any further injuries to attacking players over this Christmas run of games, and Nwaneri could again feature far more heavily.
The more sensible pathway would be to assess Nwaneri in the summer, after the squad is reshaped to a lesser extent than it was in 2025, and then consider a loan move to grant him the right minutes. But even then, these are not guaranteed.
Arsenal fans will remember Serge Gnabry’s loan to West Bromwich Albion, which would, for most at the time, see the German youngster struggle to be seen as the player he would become with Bayern Munich. Loans do not always help, and in Arsenal’s case, the club has sadly had more struggles than successes in recent seasons, so whether this, too, is the right choice is questionable.
