Arsenal make final decision on loaning out Ethan Nwaneri during January window

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Arsenal will not allow Ethan Nwaneri to leave the club in the January transfer window amid interest from Premier League clubs. The academy graduate has been a bit-part player for the North London side this season despite a standout breakout campaign last term.

That has seen Nwaneri linked with a move away from the Emirates, with Premier League rivals Bournemouth among the clubs interested in signing him on loan. But it appears that the youngster will not be going anywhere.

According to BBC Sport , neither Arsenal nor Nwaneri himself are considering a loan move. It is thought that he will learn more playing a role in a title challenge alongside established talents such as Bukayo Saka , Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard instead of a loan. The teenager remains under contract until the summer of 2030.

Nwaneri of course has plenty of opportunities over the coming weeks, with Arsenal set for games in the FA Cup , Carabao Cup, Champions League and Premier League. The 18-year-old has made 50 appearances for the North London side and has scored ten goals - nine of which came last season.

But he has been limited to just three starts in all competitions this term. Boss Mikel Arteta has spoken out on the midfielder recently and called for patience when it comes to his development.

He said: "Ethan’s attitude on that is exceptional, He wants to train and he wants to be outside and he wants to be in touch with that ball. In that sense, he’s top. In the same manner that other players have to cope with this kind of situation, preparing in the best possible way, I think he’s doing it.

“His attitude has been excellent and when he’s got the chance to play, prove that I’m wrong, that he needs to play more minutes and help the team as much as possible."

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When asked how he explained Nwaneri’s lack of minutes this season, Arteta replied: "Probably, by looking at where he is. He’s 18 years old [and has] 50 appearances for the club.

“I want to see how many examples there are in English football with that number at that age. That’s a reality, that’s not if, if, if, that’s a reality.

“So if somebody were to tell him, any of us, two years ago, that number with the squad that we have, probably we would go, it doesn’t sound very realistic."

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