Mikel Arteta considered blocking Arsenal’s deadline-day deal

Published by Sabastine Enobakhare

According to a report published by Metro on Thursday September 3, 2026, Mikel Arteta was initially reluctant to sanction Ethan Nwaneri’s departure from Arsenal on loan to Borussia Dortmund. The Arsenal manager eventually approved the deadline-day transfer, but only after taking considerable time to assess whether sending the young midfielder away was the right decision for the club and the player.

Nwaneri ultimately completed a season-long loan move to Dortmund after the Bundesliga side intensified its pursuit of him following a serious knee injury suffered by new signing Giannis Konstantelias. The injury created an immediate need for additional attacking options, prompting Dortmund to increase its interest in the Arsenal player.The 19-year-old returned to Arsenal after spending the previous campaign on loan at Marseille, where he was given limited opportunities to establish himself. His lack of regular playing time there added uncertainty to his next step, particularly as he looked for a club that could offer him a more consistent role and valuable first-team experience.

Nwaneri’s position at the Emirates remained unclear throughout the summer. Those doubts increased after he was left out of Arsenal’s lineup for their first two Premier League matches, raising questions about whether he featured prominently in Arteta’s immediate plans.Metro reported that Dortmund helped persuade Nwaneri by assuring him that he would have regular first-team opportunities under manager Niko Kovac.

据报道,这些保证对于说服这位英格兰U21国脚相信转会德国能提供他所需要的出场时间和发展环境至关重要。然而,阿尔特塔在同意这笔租借交易前,显然经过了长时间的考虑。

据报道,阿森纳主帅担心允许恩瓦内里离队可能会让球队在赛季中缺乏深度,尤其是在没有签下替代者的情况下。报道称,这笔转会一度“悬而未决”,多特蒙德体育总监尼尔斯-奥勒·布克与阿森纳官员深夜持续谈判,最终两家俱乐部达成协议。

科瓦奇解释说,多特蒙德一直在寻找具备恩瓦内里特质的球员,他说:“我们一直在寻找那种位置的球员——能够一对一、速度快、盘带能力强的球员。”他继续强调这位年轻球员的潜力和国际经验:“恩瓦内里是一位非常有天赋的球员。他效力于英格兰U21队,是英超历史上最年轻的出场球员。”科瓦奇还表示,他相信恩瓦内里能够应对转会带来的要求,并实现俱乐部对他的期望。

“我们签下了一位非常优秀的球员。我们希望他能达到我们对他的期望。我确信他可以。”他说。恩瓦内里则表示,在得知德国俱乐部对他感兴趣后,他立即对加盟多特蒙德充满热情。

“我一得知他们的兴趣,就准备好离开了。”他还确认,在完成转会前,他曾与乔布·贝林厄姆交谈过。这两位英格兰U21队友现在将有机会在德国一起踢球,为恩瓦内里的新环境增添一份熟悉的联系。