Arsenal wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri’s career has taken an interesting turn in recent weeks, having now made nine appearances for Borussia Dortmund while on loan for the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign.
The England Under-21 star initially hit the ground running in the red and black of the German giants, seemingly proving to be the all-action, tireless attacking midfielder that Niko Kovac’s unbeaten side had desperately needed.
It also appeared likely that he would return to Arsenal next summer with a new lease of life, ready to prove he remains one of the Hale End academy’s finest graduates and give the likes of Martin Odegaard a run for their money for a place in the starting XI.
While that may still be the case, not everything has been plain sailing for the teenager in recent weeks, although some eye-opening developments could soon be coming to fruition.
How Ethan Nwaneri’s Borussia Dortmund Loan is Going
REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler
Since his last start for Dortmund on October 17, the 19-year-old has found himself relegated to a bench role, with his impact seemingly beginning to wane as matches wore on.
That was also the game in which he was mistakenly shown a red card, only for the decision to be overturned later. He has only been involved for 42 minutes of playing time since.
Nwaneri came on in injury time during the Champions League clash against Sabah FK before playing 22 minutes of the second half in the 1-0 win over Frankfurt.
He then made another 19-minute cameo in the German Cup victory over Werder Bremen, before being left as an unused substitute against Bayern Munich this past weekend. Watch his highlights from October 14 against Bodo/Glimt below:
There are, however, some positives to take from his spell in Germany so far. Nwaneri has already racked up more minutes than he managed throughout the entirety of the 2025/26 season, when he was on loan at Marseille. That said, he is still waiting to get off the mark in black and yellow, having seen an audacious bicycle kick ruled out for a foul earlier in October.
He Could Be Set To Change Nationalities
The biggest development in Nwaneri’s career, however, has to be the speculation surrounding his possible switch away from England national team commitments.
He was born in Islington, England, to a Nigerian father and an English-French mother, making him eligible to represent England, Nigeria, or France internationally.
Nwaneri won the Under-21s European Championship with the Young Lions last summer, but after only recently following Nigeria’s Super Eagles on social media, rumours have begun to swirl around the potential for him to turn out for the African nation.
He has reportedly since unfollowed them after fans caught on to his social media activity, while the Nigeria boss has downplayed any suggestions that he’s close to changing national sides. Although, indeed, talks have taken place.
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