Deadline-day coup: how Jobe Bellingham lured Nwaneri to BVB | OneFootball

Suddenly, everything happened very quickly. Due to the serious injury suffered by new signing Giannis Konstantelias (23), Borussia Dortmund became active in the transfer market once again. Their choice fell on Ethan Nwaneri (19) from Arsenal FC.

“We got it over the line. And now I’m here,” the attacking midfielder said in a club interview, commenting on the excitement of Deadline Day. Nwaneri will wear the BVB shirt until the end of this season. “It does get hectic. A lot happens behind the scenes. But you just have to keep your eye on the goal. And sometimes keep your fingers crossed.”

Konstantelias suffered a torn cruciate ligament in the first match of the new Bundesliga season. In the game against Hamburger SV (2-0), the Greek had delivered a standout performance for more than a half. But then came the fateful challenge with HSV player Bakery Jatta (28) in the 52nd minute.

Everything developed “very quickly,” Nwaneri reveals. “After just a few hours, there were already advanced talks going on behind the scenes. So as soon as I heard about the interest, I was ready to leave.” Lars Ricken (50), BVB’s managing director for sport, described the new arrival from the English capital as “a very talented midfielder with enormous technical ability.”

Spell in Marseille

Since 2015, Nwaneri had been chasing the ball for Arsenal FC. The only interruption came during a loan spell at Olympique Marseille in the second half of the 2025/26 season. Despite his young age, he has already made 51 competitive appearances for the Gunners’ first team, scoring ten goals and setting up two more. He played 11 matches for OM (two goals, one assist).

“I think any of the four attacking positions suit me. The main thing is to be somewhere in attack, close to the goal. I like being near the goal,” the youngster says, describing his preferred role on the pitch. “Whether out wide or through the middle.”

Photo: Getty Images

Nwaneri has already made 15 appearances for the England U21 national team (five goals). There, he played alongside Jobe Bellingham (20). “He kept telling me the whole time that I should come to BVB,” he says of his compatriot’s efforts.

Right at the last moment, Nwaneri made the move to Borussia. During pre-season, he was still playing against his new club, scoring in the 2-3 defeat in the Emirates Cup clash to make it 1-2 at the time. “I’m here and I’m going to fight for my place in the team,” he says, determined to establish himself in Dortmund.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.