Fabrizio Romano confirms Chelsea, Dortmund interest in Arsenal star ‘remains strong’ | OneFootball

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Chelsea and German giants Borussia Dortmund remain interested in a deal for Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Gunners allowed Nwaneri to join French club Marseille midway through the January transfer window, with the 19-year-old already playing four times for Ligue 1 side.

Arsenal journalist Charles Watts, who has been covering the club for a number of years, admitted to being frustrated at the decision to allow Nwaneri to leave, which was compounded by the foot injury that Mikel Mertino then picked up at the beginning of February.

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.

“But what’s done is done – and playing week in, week out is clearly better for Nwaneri. No doubt about that. MLS [Myles Lewis-Skelly] as a midfield option could be useful now at times if needed.”

Romano delivers Nwaneri future update

Romano, meanwhile, has confirmed that Nwaneri will return to Arsenal this summer before deciding his future, although Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund both remain keen on the teenage talent.

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.

“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.”

Speaking this past week, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta revealed that Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has also been linked with a summer exit, “have to earn” their place in his side.

Arteta said: “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.”