Loan Watch: Nwaneri at Center of Refereeing Controversy in France

Youth News: Wednesday, February 5, 2026

Arsenal’s highly-touted teenage prospect Ethan Nwaneri has found himself in the eye of a storm during his loan spell at Marseille, with a rival manager claiming officials admitted to mistakenly not sending him off.

The 18-year-old midfielder, who made headlines with a goal on his Marseille debut, was handed his first home start in a Coupe de France clash against Rennes. Midway through the first half, Nwaneri was booked for a strong challenge on former Gunner Glen Kamara, who was later substituted.

Post-match, Rennes manager Habib Beye dropped a bombshell, stating: “The match was altered… by that of the refereeing trio who had the honesty to admit it”. Beye claimed the officials privately acknowledged the challenge should have been a straight red card. With no VAR in operation, the yellow card decision stood.

Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi, erring on the side of caution, substituted Nwaneri at halftime to protect him from a potential second booking. Marseille went on to win the match 3-0. The incident comes amid speculation that Arsenal considered recalling Nwaneri following Mikel Merino’s injury, but opted to let his development continue in France.