When it was decided in January that Arsenal would loan Ethan Nwaneri out for the remainder of the 2025/26 season, manager Roberto De Zerbi was one of the key reasons he went to Marseille. The Italian, however, was then sacked in early February.
Since then, Habib Beye has taken charge of Marseille. In that time, the Arsenal loanee has played five times for his new boss. Here’s what the local media have been saying about the Englishman after his latest outing.
Nwaneri Scores in Defeat vs Lille
Marseille took on Lille in their latest Ligue 1 fixture. Having failed to start any of his three league appearances under Beye – playing a total of just 47 minutes – Nwaneri was handed the chance to get some good minutes this weekend.
While he didn’t start, an injury to Mason Greenwood meant that the Arsenal youngster came on after just 17 minutes. The good news is that Nwaneri appeared to grab his opportunity, as he opened the scoring, arriving on the penalty spot to turn in a low cross shortly before the half-time break.
This wasn’t enough to get Marseille a win. Lille levelled the scores in the second half, and then Nwaneri was brought off with 75 minutes on the clock. He was then forced to watch on from the bench as former Gunner Olivier Giroud won the game late on as he made it 2-1 in the 86th minute.
According to the stats, Nwaneri’s output looked positive. He had a total of 22 out of 23 attempted passes (96%), with 18 out of 18 coming in the opposition half. He also had two shots in total, and managed three recoveries. Beyond that, he did lose the ball 11 times and had only one successful dribble out of five attempted, but still managed a 7.2 SofaScore rating – the second-best score amongst Marseille players.
He also recently played 45 minutes in the Coupe de France against Toulouse, but may have hurt his chances of getting more minutes under Beye, as he missed the crucial penalty in the shoot-out.
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Nwaneri’s Marseille Efforts Fail to Impress the Local Press
Unfortunately for Nwaneri, it seems as though the local press weren’t particularly impressed with his efforts. La Provence acknowledged the importance of his goal, but felt he could have done more, saying: “He deserves credit for opening the scoring after coming on for Greenwood, but didn’t have much influence on the rest of the game. Beye substituted him, bringing on Traore, who was virtually invisible.”
GFNF had a similar view on things, praising his finish as they wrote: “The Englishman met it [the cross] with a lovely cushioned finish on the volley to open the scoring just before the break.” They then handed him a 5/10 mark, adding:
“The Englishman came on after Greenwood’s concussion injury and managed to find his second goal in OM colours this season
“He gradually felt his way into the game and his late run was smart and the finish on the half volley was exceptional. He did however, regress in the second period, losing the ball on several occasions when OM were looking to break quickly. Habib Beye then substituted Nwaneri in the 75th minute for Junior Hamad Traore.”
Foot Mercato echoed more of the same, noting: “Greenwood, brought down by the Lille player, ultimately had to leave the field and was replaced by Nwaneri in the 18th minute.
“He was a bit sloppy on his first touches, but he finally broke the deadlock by perfectly converting a cross from Paixao. Less prominent as the minutes ticked by, he was eventually called back to the bench.”
With the 2026 World Cup nearly upon us, perhaps the biggest story so far has been around the treatment of players, staff and fans coming into North America. Mexico, Canada and the United States are co-hosts, but the latter nation has not been particularly welcoming.
A number of stories have broken in the last week, detailing issues for those arriving in the US. Most notably, top African referee Omar Artan was interrogated for 11 hours, held in a cell, and then sent home due to vetting concerns. He will no longer be able to officiate at the tournament.
It seems as though there is no end to these issues, with football legend and Uzbekistan manager Fabio Cannavaro the latest to suffer at the hands of the overzealous US security.
Fabio Cannavaro Questions Treatment of Uzbekistan Stars
Cannavaro won the 2006 World Cup as Italy captain, making him one of the greatest centre-backs of the modern era. He won the Ballon d’Or on the back of that success, becoming just the second defender to win the prize, after German icon Franz Beckenbauer (in 1972 and 1976).
The Italian, now 52, took charge of Uzbekistan in 2025 and will lead the country at their debut World Cup appearance. However, upon arriving in New York for their pre-tournament friendly match against the Netherlands on 8 June, his squad were met with a rather distrustful security team.
Footage quickly went viral as the Uzbekistan stars and their football legend manager were treated like criminals, as they underwent drug-sniffing dog and metal detector checks. Speaking to CGTN Sports Scene, Cannavaro has now called out the incident, noting:
“They said to me it’s the rules, but in the end the check was only for us.”
Senegal Squad Also Treated With Suspicion Ahead of 2026 World Cup
Cannavaro appeared to think that only his team were treated poorly in New York but more footage has since emerged of the Senegal being subjected to a thorough search on airport tarmac upon their arrival in the US.
The African team are based at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and it seems as though security were just as unsure about the Lions of Teranga, with midfielder Pathe Ciss, who plays his club football in Spain with Rayo Vallecano, seen having the soles of his feet scanned by a handheld metal detector.
The wary treatment of these athletes has certainly left a bad taste in the mouth for many football fans, with some questioning the wisdom of handing the United States hosting rights when their president, Donald Trump, seems so unhappy to have the world arrive at his doorstep.
Aston Villa are preparing for a busy summer transfer window after they secured qualification for the Champions League.
It was a phenomenal 2025/2026 season for Unai Emery’s side, who qualified for the Champions League while also winning the Europa League.
Qualifying for Europe’s elite club competition will allow Villa to shop in a different market when it comes to new additions this summer.
Emery’s side won’t want to stand still despite their impressive campaign, and with players being linked with departures, it could be a busy transfer window.
Romano: Aston Villa Eyeing Goalkeeper
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Zion Suzuki is among a list of three goalkeepers that Aston Villa are interested in ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Midlands club are reportedly eyeing the Parma goalkeeper, due to talks between Emi Martinez and Juventus.
Liverpool are in the market for a new centre-back during the summer transfer window after it was confirmed that Ibrahima Konate would be leaving the club.
Konate departed Anfield and looks set to join La Liga side Real Madrid in the summer, with his contract at Liverpool expiring.
The French defender has been a mainstay in Liverpool’s defence in recent years, partnering Virgil van Dijk under both Arne Slot and Jurgen Klopp.
Konate has struggled for consistency at times, and Liverpool may have been looking to bring in a replacement this summer regardless. Konate’s departure has certainly pushed it higher up their priority list.
The Reds do have Jeremy Jacquet arriving this summer, after he was signed in January. It remains to be seen whether he will come in and be a guaranteed starter.
Bastoni is also left-footed, meaning he can provide balance in the back four alongside Van Dijk.
Having a left-footed defender as part of a defensive pairing is very beneficial, something Liverpool haven’t had the luxury of in recent years.
Bastoni is incredibly comfortable on the ball whilst also being a powerful, tough-tackling defender. There’s an argument to suggest that not only would he be a competent replacement for Konate, he would also be an upgrade.
