Habib Beye on Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri: ‘There are still aspects of his game that need to be much stronger.’

Marseille, France – When Ethan Nwaneri arrived at Olympique de Marseille on loan from Arsenal in January, the 19-year-old wasted little time announcing himself. Handed a start on debut, the English teenager scored in a 3-1 victory over RC Lens and followed it up with two more starts under then-manager Roberto De Zerbi, the very coach Arsenal hoped would accelerate his development.

But De Zerbi’s sudden departure has altered the landscape. Under new boss Habib Beye, Nwaneri has yet to be named in a starting XI, and the former Stade Rennais and Red Star tactician used his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s clash with AS Monaco to explain why.

“He is a great talent who needs to adapt to Ligue 1 and its intensity,” Beye told reporters, including Get French Football News. “Against Lille, he scored, but there are still aspects of his game that need to be much stronger.”

Beye emphasized the step-up required at a club of Marseille’s stature: “He needs to understand that he is arriving at a really top-level club.”

The manager did acknowledge a bright spot on Nwaneri’s recent résumé: a brace for England’s youth side in a 4-1 rout of Andorra. “What is good is that he scored with his national team,” Beye noted.

With Mason Greenwood suspended for the Monaco fixture, Nwaneri could finally earn his first start under Beye and seize the chance to prove he has addressed the deficiencies highlighted by his coach.