Ethan Nwaneri Continues To Struggle On Loan With Dortmund

Ethan Nwaneri is currently out on his second loan spell away from Arsenal with Borussia Dortmund in Germany. He spent the second half of last season with Olympique Marseille in France as Mikel Arteta remains keen to develop Nwaneri into a more seasoned player so he can reach his full potential.

Nwaneri has shown huge signs of becoming a superstar since he broke into the Arsenal side consistently during the 2024/2025 season. Arteta’s side was riddled with injuries, allowing the teenager to step in and deliver, and he most definitely took that chance. He scored nine times and assisted twice as Arsenal finished second in the Premier League and reached a UEFA Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain.

The following season, Nwaneri struggled to break into the side as frequently, so was allowed to join Marseille on loan in January. After a relatively successful time out in France, he was then sent to Germany for a full season. Dortmund are well known for taking young talent and getting the best out of them, so this was certainly an opportunity that Nwaneri could not pass up.

The Englishman has now played seven times for the Black and Yellow and has not managed to hit the ground running as of yet. He is still without a single goal involvement during that period and has received some mixed reviews from the Dortmund fanbase.

After Dortmund were defeated by Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League on Wednesday night, there were arguments made by a handful of fans that Nwaneri just isn’t ready for a club like Dortmund and he cannot handle a low block. It was also argued that he lacks much creative output throughout his time on the pitch.

In Saturday’s game against Union Berlin, which saw Dortmund held to a goalless draw, Nwaneri was substituted after an hour as he failed to register any meaningful impact. He was booked in the opening minute for a reckless challenge on Tom Rothe and then for the rest of his cameo, he never really had an influence. He forced a save out of Frederik Rønnow just before the break, but it was comfortable for the Danish goalkeeper.

Ultimately, it seems Nwaneri is massively struggling during his time away so far and it could be damaging for his confidence going forward. There is still a long way to go in this campaign, but the 19-year-old still has a lot to prove to his new fanbase in Germany.