Mikel Arteta insisted Ethan Nwaneri must ‘respond in the correct way’ after having his commitment questioned during his loan spell at Marseille.
The Arsenal academy graduate joined the French side on loan in January after struggling for normal minutes in the course of the first half of the season.
Nwaneri scored on his first appearance for Marseille, but his playing time has been greatly diminished following the departure of Roberto De Zerbi.
The 19-year-old is yet to begin a match since Habib Beye’s arrival and has been an unused substitute in two of Marseille’s last three games.
And more recently, Beye has insisted that Nwaneri must ‘show us rather a lot more in his on a regular basis commitment’ if he’s to turn out to be an everyday starter in his side.
Asked about those comments on Friday, Arteta said: ‘I feel that’s the coach’s opinion.
‘He’s with him each day and that’s it. He’s the one making the choice, he’s the one which sees and understands higher what he’s doing.’
But Arteta urged Nwaneri to reply those doubts, and said it could possibly be a pivotal a part of his profession development if he’s capable of.
‘Ethan has to reply to that in the correct way,’ Arteta added. ‘It’s the identical place that William Saliba was there, same club. The end result – let’s see.
‘Possibly it’s the most effective thing that may occur for Ethan, for his profession. Possibly, we don’t know.’
Nwaneri and fellow Hale End academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly each face uncertain futures this summer in consequence of limited playing time this season.
Each signed recent long-term contracts in recent seasons, but reports suggest Arsenal are willing to money in on each teenagers in the summertime.
Speaking last month, Arteta insinuated that each players – or anyone from the academy more generally – won’t receive special treatment once in the primary team.
‘At the top what has to define this football club is to search for excellence and search for the most effective, regardless when you’re coming from the academy or abroad,’ he said.
‘If we are able to have players from Hale End, significantly better since the identity is there. We grow with them and so they know exactly what we’re searching for.
‘But at the top they need to earn it. Not for per week, not for a month, for years. Like anybody else, it doesn’t matter what department or role you will have within the club.
‘You will have to sustain performance and that must be on the very highest level if we would like to win and be where we would like to be.’
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