Mikel Arteta responds to Ethan Nwaneri loan criticism

“I think that’s the coach’s opinion, he’s with him every single day,” Arteta said. “He’s the one making the decision. He’s the one that sees and understands better what he’s doing, and Ethan has to respond to that in the right way.

“It’s the same place that William Saliba was there, same club. And the outcome, let’s see. Maybe it’s the best thing that can happen for Ethan, for his career. Maybe, we don’t know.”

Photo via Nwaneri on Instagram

Things are not going well for Marseille at the moment, as they’ve slipped out of the Champions League qualification places and down into sixth, which would only earn them a Europa Conference League qualifying play-off next season.

With AS Monaco just two points behind them in seventh, Marseille appear more likely to drop further down the table than to regain a top-four spot in their final three matches.

Yet in spite of Marseille’s struggles, or perhaps because they’re so desperate for results, Nwaneri has had to settle for cameo appearances in recent weeks.

Whether the overall experience turns out to be a positive one depends on how Nwaneri responds, as Arteta suggests. The club are next in action on Saturday afternoon away to Nantes at 14:00 BST.