Arsenal midfielder Ethan Nwaneri has joined French club Marseille on loan for the remainder of the season.

The 18-year-old had made 12 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions this season, starting four games but none in the Premier League, and has scored once in the Carabao Cup.

Nwaneri signed a new contract in the summer until 2030, but has found his route into the first team challenged by the summer signings of Noni Madueke for £48.5m and Eberechi Eze for £67m.

BBC Sport previously reported he was not expected to go on loan this season, with the original feeling from both the club and player being that he would benefit more by being part of a squad that is challenging for trophies.

However, the prospect of playing football in another league and country, while getting regular game time, has prompted the England Under-21 international to make the move.

"Talented players need to have minutes and Ethan in this case wasn't having enough minutes," said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.

"The last thing I want to do is cut his development because he is such a talent."

Arteta added Arsenal felt Marseille is the "right place" for Nwaneri because of centre-back William Saliba's positive experience on loan there in the 2021-22 season and Marseille boss Roberto de Zerbi being a "really courageous manager" who plays young talent.

Marseille are currently third in Ligue 1 - eight points behind leads Paris St-Germain.

Last season, Nwaneri played mostly on the right wing and scored nine goals in 37 appearances in all competitions to mark himself out as one of the country's most talented young players.

But with Madueke the first choice as back-up to Bukayo Saka, and Eze the number 10 option to captain Martin Odegaard, Nwaneri has found opportunities limited.

The challenge for Arsenal's youngsters

Arsenal are having an excellent season and are seven points clear at the top of the Premier League, have won all seven of their Champions League, games, and hold a 3-2 first-leg lead over Chelsea in their Carabao Cup semi-final tie.

The Gunners are pushing for honours this season and signed a number of players, including midfielder Martin Zubimendi, Eze and striker Viktor Gyokeres as "win-now" signings.

That has meant manager Mikel Arteta has looked at using players with experience to get results, with Odegaard and Zubimendi preferred in midfield, while the Spaniard has favoured Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie at left-back this season.

Hincapie has experience of winning a league title after being part of the Bayer Leverkusen side that won the Bundesliga in 2023-24.

That has also made things difficult for Nwaneri's fellow academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The 19-year-old full-back also took his chance during Arsenal's injury crisis last season, making 42 appearances in all competitions, including playing in both games of the impressive Champions League quarter-final win over Real Madrid.

Lewis-Skelly's performances were so good he was given an England debut by Thomas Tuchel, scoring against Albania in a 2-0 win and looked a strong contender to be the Three Lions' starting left-back at the World Cup.

But he has started in just nine of his 23 appearances this season, including once in the Premier League, and dropped out of the England squad.

It was always going to be hard for young players to break through from the academy into the first team at a club like Arsenal and stay there.

And after two excellent breakthrough seasons for Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri, it looks as though the development path will be slightly different to what the pair imagined at the start of the season. (BBC)

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