Arsenal face huge Ethan Nwaneri transfer decision as Morgan Rogers chase steps up | OneFootball

Gunners need sales to fund summer spending and may have to make uncomfortable choice

It was only 12 months ago that Nwaneri was considering his options amid interest from clubs including Borussia Dortmund.

However, after discussions with Mikel Arteta and the Arsenal hierarchy, Nwaneri was convinced that staying put was best for his development and he signed a new five-year contract.

That deal runs through to the summer of 2030 but right now it is doubtful whether the 19-year-old will still be an Arsenal player by the end of this window.

Nwaneri had concerns over his minutes last summer and his path into the first team became even more crowded with the arrivals of Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze.

It had been expected that Nwaneri would be back-up to Martin Odegaard as Arsenal's main creator in midfield, but an injury to Kai Havertz led to the Gunners accelerating their interest in Eze and pulling the trigger.

That hampered Nwaneri. The teenager made six appearances off the bench in the Premier League between August and November, but meaningful opportunities were limited.

That is normal for a player of his age, particularly at a club challenging for major honours domestically and in Europe, but Nwaneri has always been ahead of the curve.

He got his chance in the Arsenal first team at the age of 15 and there was a sense his development would be hindered unless he played more.

That became particularly apparent when Max Dowman was named in matchday squads ahead of him and preferred as the young wildcard option off the bench.

A January loan was supposed to reignite Nwaneri's career. Arteta would have been happy to keep him around the squad and maximise his options, but Nwaneri and his representatives felt he was not needed and that a loan would be more beneficial.

One in, one out? Arsenal’s pursuit of Morgan Rogers could mean that Ethan Nwaneri moves on this summer

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Arsenal accepted that and Marseille were chosen, viewed as an ideal club for the pressure it would put on Nwaneri and the learning opportunities he would get under Roberto De Zerbi.

It could not have gone much worse. Marseille were knocked out of the Champions League and De Zerbi left the club 18 days after Nwaneri arrived, later joining Tottenham.

That was hugely frustrating for Arsenal. Arteta is a big admirer of De Zerbi and wanted the Italian to oversee Nwaneri's development.

"The fact that Roberto is there and he’s an incredible developer of young talent and he’s a really courageous manager in the way he plays, the way he plays with young talent as well and he has a big track record about that," Arteta said after Nwaneri's loan was completed.

Arteta was also keen to see how Nwaneri would grow off the pitch. Having been in the Arsenal environment for most of his life, the club wanted to test the teenager in new surroundings.

"You have to go, 'okay, pack your bags, this is the flight tickets and you have to go to Marseille,’" Arteta said.

"And that is fear, is insecurity, is getting out of a place that has been really comfortable for him around his family.

"But then this is the thing at the end - you have to be thrown there, into the sharks in an incredible football culture and atmosphere and club and it's going to make him so good."

Instead, it turned into a nightmare. De Zerbi was replaced by Habib Beye and he did not take to Nwaneri, questioning his attitude.

Beye warned Nwaneri he had to "show us a lot more in his every day commitment" to get opportunities, but those were few and far between. Nwaneri did not start a match after February 8.

That loan was a tough one but he is still highly-rated. Thomas Tuchel selected Nwaneri to join England's preparation camp ahead of the World Cup and he scored in a training friendly against Miami United.

There is now a pivotal call for Arsenal to make over his future. Nwaneri's priority is to finally become a regular starter but that is unlikely to happen at Arsenal.

The Gunners are looking to sign another winger this summer. If Morgan Rogers arrives as Arsenal hope, Nwaneri would slip even further down the pecking order.

With Arsenal now at the top of the table domestically and fighting it out at the business end of the Champions League, it is not an ideal time to try and break into their first team.

The sense is that Nwaneri has been left behind by Arsenal's progress. Myles Lewis-Skelly experienced that to a lesser extent for the majority of last season, until he won Arteta's trust back in the final month.

Arsenal need sales to fund another ambitious summer of spending and academy graduates appeal to those looking at the balance sheets

Arsenal would have been open to selling Lewis-Skelly this summer, but that calculation appears to have changed after his eye-catching performances in midfield.

However, what has not changed is Arsenal's need to sell. Money needs to be generated to fund another ambitious summer of spending and academy graduates appeal to those looking only at the balance sheets.

Nwaneri would represent pure profit. A final decision has not been made but it is understood that Arsenal would consider a significant offer for him.

There is the possibility of another attempt at a loan move, but staying around the Arsenal first team and hoping for minutes off the bench or in cup competitions is currently viewed as the least likely outcome.

Arsenal have for many years been a bad selling club. They have not moved players on at the right times and have failed to cash in on their assets.

That is not to say selling Nwaneri is the right thing to do. He is a special talent and there is every chance he could thrive elsewhere, leaving Arsenal to rue their decision.

However, the Gunners now have a strong enough squad that they do not need to fear that quite so much. They are also shopping in the elite aisle of the transfer market, wanting players ready to have an immediate impact.

Doing so comes at a price and one of them is making uncomfortable decisions when it comes to selling. Nwaneri could fall into that category.