David Seaman said Ethan Nwaneri’s loan move to Marseille ‘makes sense’ – but insisted he would stay at Arsenal if he was in the young midfielder’s shoes.
Nwaneri appears to be closing in on a loan move to Marseille having struggled to get regular minutes in Mikel Arteta’s side this season.
The teenager’s fine form last season saw him sign a new, long-term contract in the summer, but he has been limited to just 12 first-team appearances this campaign.
Nwaneri’s six Premier League appearances have all come as a substitute and he has made just one start in the Champions League.
The 18-year-old’s move to France will be a straight loan without a permanent option, but former Arsenal goalkeeper Seaman says he would still prefer to see Nwaneri remain in north London for the rest of the season.
‘The thing with Ethan obviously is that he got a taste of the first team last season and a bit this season, but he’s still young and he’s still learning,’ Seaman told talkSPORT.
‘For me, he goes out on loan if anything but if I was him I would stay where I am because you never know what could happen with injuries and things.
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‘With Ethan I would hate him to go anywhere else because he’s such a good player.’
Seaman, however, did concede that regular first-team minutes under Roberto De Zerbi will ultimately serve to benefit Nwaneri’s progression.
‘Game time is what you’re after,’ he added. ‘When you are playing friendly matches and academy matches it’s not the same.
‘You need that game time and you need to have to make decisions in matches not just in training.
‘In training there isn’t any consequence so you never really learn a lot about decision-making, it’s only in matches where you learn everything about the pace of the match and all those sorts of things.
‘So a loan at the most, but I’d still like him to stay there.’
Speaking ahead of Marseille’s Champions League clash with Liverpool, head coach De Zerbi admitted he was a fan of the young Arsenal midfielder.
‘Regarding the transfer market, I don’t think it’s the right time to talk about it,’ the Italian said on Tuesday.
‘I know him, he’s a good player. But you’ll have to ask [Marseille president Pablo] Longoria.’
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