The last loan spell of new Borussia Dortmund hopeful Ethan Nwaneri was a fiasco

Did Ethan Nwaneri get a late reminder of how quickly things can change for a young loanee? It is not impossible, given the new Borussia Dortmund signing's recent experience of a managerial upheaval. At BVB, though, the 19-year-old attacking player, who joins on loan from Arsenal for a season without an option to buy, can rely on one thing: Niko Kovac is staying and is likely to extend his contract early later this year.

Borussia have moved at the last minute in response to the serious knee injury suffered by new signing Giannias Konstantelias. It makes sense. Nwaneri is one of England's brightest talents and carries huge potential, while the one-year loan means BVB are not blocking the Greek's return once he recovers from an absence that will last months.

Nwaneri, who played for England from Under-16 to Under-21 level and scored 27 goals in 58 internationals, spent the second half of last season at Olympique Marseille. Before that, he had made only 12 competitive appearances for the Gunners, a third of them as a starter.

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Why did Arsenal loan Ethan Nwaneri to Olympique Marseille?

That was also because Arsenal started using the youngster more centrally from summer 2025 onwards, as a kind of No 10. But the competition there from Martin Ödegaard and the big-money signing Eberechi Eze was simply too strong.

Arsenal sent Nwaneri to OM because Roberto De Zerbi was there, "an incredible promoter of young talent and a really brave coach", as coach Mikel Arteta said. "I think that suits the style of play and the qualities we want for Ethan. You have to throw him in there, into the lion's den, into an incredible football culture, atmosphere and a great club - that will make him so good. It will be a great experience for him."

Arteta got that one wrong, and the loan became a fiasco for Nwaneri. In Marseille, where there has always been a swing between boundless euphoria and wild chaos, it was the latter again. After lengthy disputes, De Zerbi threw in the towel in February, 20 days after Nwaneri's arrival.

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Criticism of Ethan Nwaneri: "Other players have given much more"

By that point, he had already made four appearances under the Italian, and Nwaneri started all of them. Better still, he needed only 13 minutes on his debut to make it 2-0 against league leaders Lens in a 3-1 win. "Ethan will become a top player, I'm sure of that," De Zerbi said shortly before his departure.

Then everything tailed off for Nwaneri. After 215 minutes under De Zerbi, he got only another 197 minutes in the remaining period under new coach Habib Beye, spread across seven matches. The 48-year-old even publicly criticised Nwaneri's lack of commitment at one stage and said: "He is a good player, but he has to give us much more in terms of daily commitment. Other players have given much more. He first has to get used to the intensity of Ligue 1 and be aware that he has come to a club at a very, very high level."

Even with a long injury list, Beye did not start the loanee once. In one sense, that hurt his club because, according to L'Equipe Nwaneri's contract contained a clause under which Marseille had to pay Arsenal less in loan fees the more he played. At the same time, given his role as a reserve, the sports daily wrote of a "continuing impression of indifference" from Nwaneri.

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Ethan Nwaneri is the youngest player ever used in Premier League history

Still, the sobering spell in the south of France has helped Nwaneri develop in Arteta's eyes. After his return, the coach repeatedly praised him. In July he said: "It definitely opens your eyes to how a young player can develop in such a short time and what you can take from a difficult and challenging experience abroad. He has done that brilliantly. He seems like a completely different person."

Arteta then used Nwaneri in all five pre-season matches, in which he scored two goals, including one in the 3-2 defeat to BVB. The long-serving Gunners coach had shown his faith in him early. In September 2022, he gave the London-born son of Nigerian parents his Premier League debut. Nwaneri therefore remains, at 15 years and 181 days, the youngest player ever to appear in the top flight of English football. At Arsenal he overtook Cesc Fabregas as a result.

Having joined Arsenal at the age of eight and already playing for the Under-18s at 14, Nwaneri enjoyed his best spell with the first team in the 2024/25 season. Particularly as the replacement for Bukayo Saka, who was injured for more than three months, he turned in good performances and finished with nine goals and two assists in 37 competitive matches. Speaking of Saka, in February 2025, in a 2-0 win against Leicester, Nwaneri became the youngest player since records began (2003/04) to complete five or more dribbles and provide an assist in a Premier League game, taking that record away from Saka.

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BVB loan signing Ethan Nwaneri: these are his strengths and weaknesses

From there, though, Nwaneri did not kick on. Only recently, Arteta was unsure whether his immediate future really lay at Arsenal. "I want him to stay at the club. But what is best for the player in the medium and long term? Ethan needs to play football. If he stays here, it will only be because we can guarantee him that game time. Otherwise, that is no good for anyone," he said.

Now, with no managerial change and with Konstantelias injured, Dortmund can offer Nwaneri plenty of minutes. He is more similar to Konstantelias than provider Konstantinos Karetsas. His dribbling and precise shooting are among his greatest strengths.

In terms of profile, Nwaneri is a hybrid: a left-footed all-round attacking player who operates between the No 10 role, the right half-space and an inverted wing role. He has an excellent feel for space and is fairly press-resistant under pressure. Thanks to his close control, quick changes of direction and clever body feints, he can escape tight situations. He does not hug the touchline in the classic sense, but uses his mobility to drift inside from the half-space.

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After the Konstantelias shock: what can Ethan Nwaneri give BVB?

Tactically, Nwaneri stands out for his instinct for where the next free space will open up and how to attack it dynamically. His flexible positioning makes him difficult to pin down in attack. He prefers to move inside from the right to launch attacks or create a goal threat himself. His balance between creating and finishing from the half-space is also good.

There is still room for improvement in the use of his slightly weaker foot. He tends to neglect his right foot a little in dribbling and passing and does not use it often enough. At Arsenal too, he repeatedly had longer phases in matches when he was not heavily involved in proceedings.

Kovac's football, built on the premise of "defence first", has similarities with Arsenal's approach under Arteta. The move to Dortmund therefore means not only more playing time for Nwaneri, but also more responsibility on the pitch and in defence. The space and counter-attacking opportunities in the Bundesliga should suit him as well, giving him a better chance to make an impression than he did in Marseille.

On paper, Nwaneri has all the attributes to provide what Borussia are missing after the Konstantelias shock: dynamism, unpredictability, depth, courage to take risks. He must find his rhythm quickly, though. In Marseille he paid his dues. Dortmund is now meant to be the maturity test for Nwaneri. The conditions are there: a coach who believes in him and a system that demands his strengths.

Ethan Nwaneri: his professional career at a glance

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