Sports
French Media Drop Verdict on Ethan Nwaneri’s Marseille Form
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.
Nwaneri had made a pretty positive start to life in France, earning plenty of praise as he scored just 13 minutes into his debut, as his side picked up a 3-1 Ligue 1 victory over RC Lens. He would play just four times under De Zerbi before seeing his head coach depart.
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.”
Manchester United are looking to strengthen their attacking options as we head towards the summer transfer window.
The Red Devils are certainly in the market to sign midfielders this summer, but they could also look to strengthen in other areas.
It’s an incredibly important summer transfer window for United as they look to build a squad capable of competing in the Champions League.
The Red Devils were without European football during the 2025/26 season, which made it easier for them to finish in the top four due to the lack of distractions.
Michael Carrick’s side will now be playing twice a week for large parts of the season, so they’ll need a deeper and more competitive squad.
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According to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, Manchester United have working on Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo ahead of the summer transfer window.
The 21-year-old is set to compete at the World Cup with Belgium, and United are showing an interest as a potential forward option.
Despite his age, Fernandez-Pardo made 29 appearances for Lille in Ligue 1 last season, providing 13 goals and assists combined.
The Belgian forward, who has made two appearances for his country so far, predominantly plays as a centre forward but can also play on either wing.
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Versatile Forward Could be Smart for Man Utd
Signing a versatile forward in the summer transfer window could be an ideal move for United ahead of the 2026/2027 season.
Bringing in a player capable of playing in multiple positions in the forward line would be hugely beneficial, especially when Carrick looks to rotate his squad across different competitions.
Fernandez-Pardo, described as ‘one of the most promising forwards in Europe’, should receive a significant amount of game time if he were to make the move to Old Trafford due to their European qualification.
Whether he’d be keen on a move to United remains to be seen, and it doesn’t appear to be any more than just interest as it stands.
Tottenham Hotspur are in talks to sign Savinho and Jan Paul van Hecke as their summer business shows no signs of slowing down, but they are also negotiating terms to sign another player for Roberto De Zerbi, according to TEAMtalk.
Tottenham chiefs knew that they had to make sweeping changes to their squad over the summer break following successive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, and the early signs are that they mean business.
Spurs might end the summer being the busiest Premier League club in the market if their early moves are anything to go by, with Andy Robertson already through the door at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on a free transfer.
Marcos Senesi is set to be announced on a similar deal after he left Bournemouth following the expiry of his contract, but the north Londoners are nowhere near being done.
De Zerbi wants to add a third new defender to his squad in Van Hecke, who he worked with during his spell as Brighton boss, which would suggest we could see a high-profile exit at the heart of the Spurs defence.
Cristian Romero looks the most likely candidate given the amount of talk there has been around his future in 2026, but the only changes won’t be restricted to defence and attack.
Tottenham Re-Negotiating Joao Palhinha Terms
It was a rollercoaster season-long loan spell for Joao Palhinha at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Bayern Munich man started well, and it looked as though Spurs would be activating their £26m option to sign the Portugal international on a permanent basis.
However, a mid-season dip threw that into doubt, before his rejuvenation at the end of the season under De Zerbi changed minds again, with the Italian making it clear he wanted to sign the 30-year-old on a full-time basis. He has labelled him as ‘one of the best’ players to work with.
Tottenham are in talks to renegotiate the terms of the deal with Bayern as they look to get a deal over the line, according to TEAMtalk, with the hope of agreeing a reduced fee with the Bundesliga champions.
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Joao Palhinha Wants Tottenham Move Despite Reports
Fabrizio Romano reported last week that despite reports from his home country that Tottenham had pulled out of the race for his signature as he was prioritising a move back to his homeland, it wasn’t actually the case.
Romano claims that the 30-year-old is actually giving priority to staying at Spurs permanently because of his relationship with De Zerbi.
The Italian journalist does say that Sporting Lisbon are waiting in the wings if the north Londoners can’t reach an agreement with Bayern however.
Tottenham chiefs appear to be spinning many plates at the same time right now in terms of transfers, but landing Palhinha could be one of their most important signings of the summer.
De Zerbi clearly loves the Portuguese star’s experience, and despite his deeper midfield position, Palhinha showed his character and threat in the final third with two crucial goals against Wolves and Everton during the run-in as they staved off relegation from the Premier League.
Manchester City have reportedly made a £120 million bid to sign a Manchester United target ahead of the summer transfer window, according to David Ornstein.
City are preparing to enter a new era after Pep Guardiola left the club following the conclusion of the 2025/2026 season. It’s certainly an interesting period for the Manchester club, who are so used to having Guardiola in charge.
GIVEMESPORT understands that Enzo Maresca is set to take charge of Man City, although they are yet to officially confirm his appointment.
Some clubs will be looking to get some business out of the way before the World Cup, when players’ prices often rise after strong tournaments.
It now appears that Man City are looking to do just that.
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Man City Bid £120m for Midfielder
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Manchester City have submitted a verbal proposal to Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson. The deal is believed to be over £120 million, but Forest wants a British record fee guaranteed, not after bonuses.
Anderson is also a target for Manchester United, but it remains to be seen whether they will make an offer.
The Nottingham Forest midfielder is currently away with England ahead of the World Cup as they prepare for their first game against Croatia next week.
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Man City Aren’t Messing Around
It’s certainly a huge move for Man City to offer such a big fee for Anderson, and it remains to be seen whether United will now enter the race concretely.
It’s also a brave move from Forest to reject such an offer, but it’s admirable that they are willing to stick to their guns and wait for their desired fee.
Forest clearly know that a strong World Cup for Anderson, who has a big chance of starting for England, could see his value go through the roof, so they are happy to play the waiting game.
The Midlands club will certainly be hoping that United now submit their own offer, meaning they can drive the price up for Anderson.
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