‘Be careful’ – Arsenal criticised over risky January decision | Football

Nigel Winterburn says Arsenal left themselves short and took an unnecessary risk by allowing Ethan Nwaneri to leave on loan for Marseille in January.

Nwaneri made a name for himself as one of the most exciting young talents in English football last season having broken into Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad aged just 15 back in 2022.

But Nwaneri, now aged 19, struggled to kick on for top-of-the-table Arsenal in the first half of this campaign, limited only to substitute appearances in the Premier League.

Arsenal’s hierarchy had initially been reluctant to consider loan offers for the Hale End academy product amid interest from the likes of West Ham and Bournemouth over the winter.

However, the Gunners altered their stance when Marseille made contact to discuss a temporary agreement for the teenager, who registered four goals and two assists in the league last term.

Discussions between Arsenal and Marseille progressed at a pace over the following days and Nwaneri made the trip across the Channel to complete his move to the Ligue 1 outfit before the January deadline.

But just days after Nwaneri scored in a dream debut for Marseille against Lens, Arsenal were dealt a hammer blow as Mikel Merino was ruled out for a lengthy spell with a serious foot injury.

There are hopes Merino could return before the end of the season but Arsenal are taking a cautious approach with the Spaniard’s rehabilitation and it appears an imminent comeback is optimistic.

‘When January came around, I had already stated players shouldn’t be going out on loan when we’re competing in all four competitions,’ ex-Arsenal and England defender Winterburn told PariuriX.com when asked about Nwaneri’s departure on loan.

‘You keep them all unless a player is really asking to go out on loan. You don’t do anything. You never know what’s going to happen with the squad.

‘We let Nwaneri go out on loan and all of a sudden, Merino gets injured, so you need to be careful.’

Myles Lewis-Skelly enjoyed a similarly explosive impact at Arsenal last season after breaking out of the academy ranks to establish himself as a genuine first-team star.

However, much like Nwaneri, it’s proven a tricky few months for Lewis-Skelly, with Riccardo Calafiori leapfrogging the 19-year-old in the pecking order at left-back.

Lewis-Skelly sent a timely reminder to Arteta of his undoubted ability while playing for the England Under-21s against Moldova during the international break.

But speculation has been swirling that Manchester United are eyeing a summer deal for the out-of-favour youngster – and Winterburn is hoping those rumours come to nothing.

‘We’ll have to wait and see at the start of next season whether the squad changes,’ he said.

‘Myles Lewis-Skelly last season was brilliant, but for me, I’ve said all along that if you had a high percentage of ball possession, I’d want him in my team.

‘If I’m playing against a fast or tricky winger, then I’ll revert to Hincapie. Saying that, he had a tough time against Antoine Semenyo.’

According to Winterburn, Arteta should give Lewis-Skelly more opportunities in central midfield, which is where he rose through the ranks as a youngster in the academy.

Asked who had been Arsenal’s standout players this season, Winterburn replied: ‘If I flip it all around and you’d asked me at Christmas who Arsenal’s players of the season would have been, then I would have said Timber and Calafiori before Calafiori got injured.”

‘So, that might give you a bit of an insight into why Myles Lewis-Skelly hasn’t played much this season.

‘Personally, I would love to see him play in that midfield role, and I felt for him because that’s where I watched him play as a kid and when I did my co-commentating.’

Winterburn, widely regarded to be among Arsenal’s greatest ever left-backs, hopes Lewis-Skelly is able to remain positive while ‘pushing’ hard for more minutes in training.

‘I think Mikel Arteta just felt left back was the best position for him to come through at that time,’ he went on.

‘I felt for him when Califiori got injured, and I saw the team sheet, and I thought Myles Lewis-Skelly would play in midfield. He has to.

‘All of a sudden, Myles Lewis-Skelly had to play left back so that was disappointing.

‘He’s got to keep pushing in training and work on his defensive game. He’s still a very highly thought of young player.’

Winterburn has been massively impressed by Jurrien Timber’s ‘outstanding’ form this season, which he feels has pushed Ben White to the periphery.

‘I think Timber is the outstanding, complete full-back at the club,’ Winterburn, who won three league titles with the Gunners, continued,

‘Ben White has spent a long time injured, but his combination with Saka helps Saka more.

‘He’s still a terrific player, but he’s been out injured, so you’re always fighting to come back to that real match sharpness.”

‘We’ve seen Mosquera play there, too, on occasions. If you’re saying to me, “Did Mikel Arteta leave Ben White out over Mosquera?”, I would say no.

‘There have been fitness doubts over Ben even though he’s done a fantastic job for Arsenal.

‘I think Timber’s form and his injury situation this season have both held him back.’

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