Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reacts after defeat against Bournemouth (Photo by Sean Botterill/Getty Images)
Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Arsenal transfer news regarding the future of exciting young attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri.
The talented 19-year-old is currently on loan at Marseille after lacking playing time at the Emirates Stadium earlier this season, and it looks like his future could be assessed this summer.
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Romano clarified on his YouTube channel that Arsenal have not yet made a final decision on Nwaneri and have not been in contact with him or his representatives regarding any intention to release him.
This is despite a big report in BBC Sport earlier in the week suggesting that Arsenal are set to sign Nwaneri and fellow raw star Miles Lewis-Skelly this summer.
Arsenal have not yet decided on a move for Ethan Nwaneri, says Fabrizio Romano
Regarding Nwaneri’s situation, Romano revealed that Borussia Dortmund remain interested in the England Under-21 international.
Chelsea have also previously shown an interest in Nwaneri, and Romano suggested Dortmund could keep an eye on him again this summer.
“Dortmund already wanted (Nwaneri) to leave Arsenal on a permanent basis a year ago when Arsenal were negotiating a new contract with him,” Romano said.
“In the end, they managed to reach an agreement. Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund, those two clubs were very interested. So the interest, especially from Borussia Dortmund, is still very strong in Nwaneri. There are several clubs across Europe who are paying close attention to the situation.”
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“Arsenal haven’t told the players anything at the moment. So they haven’t told the players and the camp, ‘Okay, you can leave in the summer.’ So at the moment that’s not the case. It’s not decided yet.”
“At the end of the season, Arsenal will assess the situation with Nwaneri. Not today. It’s not clear yet, but Dortmund want one of their typical contracts… to sign these top players, top talents and ultimately sell them in the future.”
“So it’s true that Nwaneri is on Dortmund’s shortlist, but Arsenal haven’t made any decisions yet. So that’s the way it is.”
Should Arsenal keep Ethan Nwaneri?
Both Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly looked outstanding for Arsenal when they received unexpectedly high numbers of first-team appearances last season.
For some reason, they’re not popular right now, but it looks like Nwaneri in particular deserves more of a chance.
Capable of playing in a variety of roles, Nwaneri could provide reinforcements for the injured Martin Odegaard, who is out of form, or replace the unstable pairing of Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke on the right.
But at the same time, in an era of Financial Fair Play regulations, it is important that clubs are able to make the purest possible profit, and this means there will be an emphasis on selling academy players.
Although many fans probably won’t like it, it could mean Arsenal have to make a big decision on signing Nwaneri this summer with obvious interest.
