Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund are still interested in a deal for Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri.
The Gunners allowed Nwaneri to join the French club midway through the January transfer window with the 18-year-old already playing four times for Marseille.
Journalist Charles Watts, who has been covering Arsenal for years, was frustrated to see Nwaneri leave Arsenal after Mikel Merino picked up a foot injury at the beginning of February and will be out ‘for an extended period’.
Watts wrote on X: ‘There’s a good young midfield player at Marseille apparently.
‘Something like this was always my fear about letting Nwaneri leave. Undoubtedly good for his development, but given what’s at stake this season, my purely selfish preference was to keep the squad as strong as possible until the summer.
‘I know Nwaneri and Merino aren’t comparable in terms of profile, but Havertz is back now, who can do a lot of the Merino role if needed, and Nwaneri would provided another very valuable rotation option.
MAILBOX: Arteta sack? OK, *now* Arsenal are ‘bottling it’ as rivals rejoice in sensational schadenfreude
‘But what’s done is done – and playing week in, week out is clearly better for Nwaneri. No doubt about that. MLS as a midfield option could be useful now at times if needed.’
Romano has confirmed that Nwaneri will return to Arsenal in the summer before deciding his future – but the transfer expert has confirmed that Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund remain interested in the youngster.
Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Now, it is complicated. He is at Marseille on loan, not with an option, so he is not going to stay there next season. He will go back to Arsenal. But what happens in the summer transfer window?
“There have been reports saying Nwaneri could go to Borussia Dortmund, or that he could leave Arsenal permanently. But let me be clear. Dortmund wanted Nwaneri on a permanent transfer from Arsenal already one year ago, when Arsenal were negotiating a new contract and eventually managed to agree one. At that time Chelsea were also very interested, and Dortmund were strongly in the race.
MORE ARSENAL COVERAGE ON F365…
* Top ten biggest Premier League title bottlejobs: Where would 2025/26 Arsenal vintage rank?
* Arsenal mentality ‘smashed to pieces’ as ‘here comes the melt’ – Merson
* Hargreaves shocked by ‘remarkable’ Arsenal stat as Bournemouth ‘suffocate’ Prem leaders
“That interest remains strong now. Several clubs around Europe are attentive to the situation. But Arsenal have not told the player or his camp that he can leave in the summer. So that is not the case at the moment. It is still not decided.
“At the end of the season, Arsenal will assess the situation with Nwaneri. Not today. Nothing is clear yet. Dortmund are still hoping to do one of their usual deals, with top talents and then potentially sell them later. So Nwaneri remains on their shortlist, but nothing is decided by Arsenal yet.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has warned Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and any other Hale End graduate that they “have to earn” their place in his side.
Arteta said this week: “At the end, what has to define this football club is to seek for excellence and seek for the best, regardless if you’re coming from the academy or abroad.
“If we can have players from Hale End, much better because the identity is there. We grow with them and they know exactly what we’re looking for.
“But at the end they have to earn it. Not for a week, not for a month, for years. Like anybody else, it doesn’t matter what department or role you have in the club.
“You have to sustain performance and that has to be at the very highest level if we want to win and be where we want to be.”
