Mason Greenwood could hinder Ethan Nwaneri’s loan spell at Marseille (Image: Getty Images)
Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri is now in direct rivalry with Mason Greenwood as he attempts to revive his campaign. The 18-year-old made an immediate impact following his January switch to Marseille, but has since seen his position in the side come under threat after the Gunners decided to sanction a loan.
In pursuit of more regular playing time, Nwaneri was swiftly rewarded with a starting berth by Roberto De Zerbi only a day after finalising his move. The midfielder wasted little time in finding the net, marking a fairytale debut in a 3-1 triumph against Lens in January.
It appeared to be an ideal situation for Nwaneri, who started four successive games under De Zerbi as he aimed to demonstrate his credentials on the continent. Arsenal would have been heartened by his impressive beginning, but the teenager was also substituted at the interval on two occasions.
A further setback arrived when De Zerbi left the club in the wake of a 5-0 thrashing by Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month, leaving Nwaneri’s future uncertain. He remained on the bench throughout the next match under interim boss Jacques Abardonado before featuring for 20 minutes for new boss Habib Beye in last week’s loss to Brest.
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Confronted with the challenge of impressing a new manager, Nwaneri faces the additional hurdle of displacing one of the squad’s leading performers.
Journalist Fabrice Lamperti, who reports on Marseille for La Provence, has revealed that the Arsenal loanee plays in a similar position to Greenwood, who has scored 23 times across all competitions this season.
Discussing Nwaneri’s striking debut, Lamperti told football.london: “Seeing him start so quickly was a surprise, especially in such an important match as the one against Lens.
“He played in a hybrid role, mostly as a right winger to give Mason Greenwood a rest, but also deeper in midfield. He scored a sublime goal but, above all, was very good in open play.”
While De Zerbi showed willingness to deploy Nwaneri immediately, Marseille’s disappointing results may prompt his replacement to adopt a more conservative approach. The French side have secured just one victory from their previous six fixtures since Nwaneri’s introduction, and Beye’s appointment signals a departure from De Zerbi’s philosophy.
Ethan Nwaneri is aiming to reclaim his place in the Marseille team (Image: Getty Images)
“After Abardonado’s interim spell, Nwaneri is getting to know Habib Beye, who has just arrived. Beye is looking to implement a more direct, vertical style of play, which isn’t exactly De Zerbi’s style,” Lamperti added.
“Beye only gave Nwaneri a few minutes in Brest. Perhaps he’ll give him more in the upcoming matches, after observing more in training and adapting his system.
“Nwaneri’s problem is that he plays in the same area as Greenwood, OM’s X-factor. De Zerbi tried to put them together, but this led him to shift Greenwood to the left, which he didn’t understand. Now it’s up to Beye to make his mark.”
In a recent match against Brest, Marseille’s new manager brought on Nwaneri for striker Amine Gouiri, moving Greenwood into a more central position as they sought to turn the game around.
Although it didn’t yield the desired result, it showed that Beye is open to fielding both players together, potentially enhancing the Arsenal player’s chances of regaining a place in the starting line-up.
Nwaneri has had the chance to impress Beye during training this week and will be vying for a starting spot against Lyon on Sunday.
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