AC Milan contacted Arsenal about Ethan Nwaneri, but there is no official offer for now
AC Milan has established contact with Arsenal to check under what conditions it could sign 19-year-old English attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri. According to information from Italian transfer journalist Matteo Moretto, the Milan club has taken an initial step and inquired about the availability of one of the best-known players from Arsenal's academy. At this stage, the talks are described as sounding out the situation rather than final negotiations, so it has not been officially confirmed that Milan has submitted a concrete offer or agreed personal terms with the footballer. Arsenal reportedly does not consider Nwaneri completely untouchable, but it would prefer to arrange any potential departure through a permanent transfer rather than another loan. At the same time, the London club wants to retain a certain degree of influence over his future, which shows that, despite being open to talks, it still sees him as a player with significant development and market potential.
Milan's interest comes at a time when Nwaneri has returned to Arsenal following a half-season loan at Olympique Marseille. The English champion sent him to France in January 2026 so that he could gain more senior playing time after struggling to establish continuity in Mikel Arteta's team during the first part of the season. Arsenal officially announced at the time that the loan would last until the end of the season, while the British media reported that Marseille did not have an agreed purchase option. Nwaneri showed occasional flashes of quality in France, including a goal on his league debut, but the loan did not provide him with a stable role or the expected number of appearances. After his return to London, the question has reopened as to whether he should stay and fight for a place in the team, leave on another loan or accept a permanent transfer.
Arsenal open to a sale, but wants to protect its long-term interests
The most important part of Moretto's report concerns Arsenal's position on a potential deal. According to the available information, the club is prepared to listen to offers, but prefers a sale with a mechanism that would allow it to retain a certain degree of control over the player's further development. It has not been reported exactly what kind of clause Arsenal would request, but in practice such an interest is most commonly protected by a buy-back right, the right to match a future offer or a percentage of the next transfer fee. All three options would allow the London club to generate income today while simultaneously reducing the risk of giving up a player whose value could quickly increase in a new environment. Such a framework also shows that a possible sale would not necessarily mean a final loss of faith in Nwaneri, but rather an attempt to align his development with the current sporting needs of the first team.
Arsenal is also in a strong negotiating position because Nwaneri signed a new long-term contract in August 2025. The club did not publicly state its expiry date at the time, but the British media reported that the agreement could run until 2030. This means that Arsenal is not forced to accept the first offer or make a decision under pressure from an approaching contract expiry. The Times reported on July 31, 2026, that the London club values the young midfielder at around £50 million, although such a valuation does not mean that an official asking price has already been sent to interested clubs. The high value reflects his age, homegrown-player status, experience in the Premier League and European competitions, and the fact that he has already demonstrated an ability to score goals at senior level.
For Milan, the initial contact could therefore be only the first step in assessing the feasibility of the transfer. The Italian club must determine how much Arsenal would actually accept, what kind of clause it would demand and what sporting role it could offer the footballer. Nwaneri's position, which is not yet publicly known, is equally important. A long-term contract gives him security, but after two seasons of fluctuating playing time, his decision would probably depend on a clear development plan and a realistic possibility of playing regularly. Without an agreement at all those levels, the initial inquiry does not have to develop into an official offer.
Serious competition from Germany and the Premier League
Milan is not the only club monitoring the situation. According to Moretto's report, RB Leipzig, Everton and Fulham have shown interest, while the British media have also listed Borussia Dortmund among the interested parties. There is currently no public confirmation that any of those clubs has submitted a formal offer, so the race is still at an early stage. Nevertheless, the number of interested parties increases Arsenal's negotiating room and reduces the possibility that the player could be available at a significantly lower price. For Nwaneri, such competition opens several different development paths, but also requires careful consideration of playing time, style of play, European ambitions and his long-term position in the team.
RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund could offer him the continuation of his career in the Bundesliga, a competition in which numerous young players have been given significant roles earlier than at the biggest Premier League clubs. Everton and Fulham offer the possibility of remaining in English football without having to adapt to a new league and everyday environment, but in neither case would a regular place in the starting line-up be guaranteed. Milan, on the other hand, can offer the experience of Serie A, a different tactical context and the pressure of playing for one of the world's best-known clubs. The specific sporting role, rather than only the size of the club, will probably be one of the key criteria if negotiations progress. After a loan spell in which he did not achieve the desired continuity, another wrong choice could slow his development at a sensitive stage of his career.
The competition also means that Milan cannot count on observing the situation for a long time without consequences. If one of the clubs moves from interest to a concrete offer, Arsenal could open structured negotiations and set clearer financial conditions. At the same time, the London club can use the pre-season period to reassess Nwaneri while he works with the first team. The British media report that the young midfielder should be given an opportunity during preparations to show Arteta that he can earn a larger role. It therefore cannot be ruled out that Arsenal, if it does not receive an offer that meets its requirements, will decide to keep the player at least until the next transfer window.
From a record-breaking debut to a breakthrough into the first team
Nwaneri has been under the scrutiny of the European football public for years. In September 2022, he became the youngest player in Premier League history when he appeared for Arsenal against Brentford at the age of 15 years and 181 days. The Premier League officially confirmed that he had thereby broken Harvey Elliott's record and become the first 15-year-old to play in the competition. That debut brought him considerable attention, but Arsenal subsequently managed his development gradually through the academy, first-team training and limited senior appearances. He signed his first professional contract in March 2024, shortly after his 17th birthday.
He achieved his real breakthrough in the 2024/25 season. According to Arsenal's official data, he made 37 appearances in all competitions, including 16 starts, and scored nine goals. He scored in the League Cup, Premier League and Champions League, and particularly stood out with his ability to cut inside from the right and finish moves with his left foot. Arsenal describes him as an attacking midfielder, while he has also played on the right wing during his senior development. His technical composure, control of the ball in tight spaces and instinct for finishing explain why clubs from several leading European leagues regard him as an investment with considerable potential.
The new contract from August 2025 was presented at the time as confirmation of Arsenal's confidence in him. In its official announcement, the club recalled that Nwaneri had joined the Hale End academy at the age of eight and had completed almost his entire development pathway within the same organisation. During that same season, however, competition in the first team limited his opportunities. He made 12 appearances in all competitions before his January loan, after which a move to Marseille until the end of the season was agreed. The move was intended to provide him with more experience, but changes in the French club's coaching staff and the battle for a place in the team affected his playing time.
What the loan spell at Marseille provided
The loan spell at Marseille was supposed to be an important step between the status of a major talent and a permanent senior role. The French club acquired a player who already had Premier League and Champions League experience, while Arsenal expected Nwaneri to return with a greater number of minutes played. The start was promising because he scored on his Ligue 1 debut, but what followed was not equally stable. According to reports in the British media, he made a limited number of appearances during the half-season, while he remained an unused substitute in several of the final league matches. Such an outcome does not mean that the loan was without value, but it did not resolve the fundamental issue of his continuity.
The experience in France is now important when assessing his next move. Nwaneri became acquainted with a new league, a different style of play and the pressure of a major club outside England, which could be useful if he decides on a transfer to Italy or Germany. At the same time, it became clear that a change of environment alone does not guarantee minutes, especially when a club changes its coach or priorities during the season. For that reason, any potential buyer will have to offer a more convincing sporting plan than a general promise of development. If a sale takes place, Arsenal will also want to avoid a scenario in which the player once again remains on the edge of the rotation and loses market value.
For Milan, this is an important element in assessing the risk. Nwaneri is not a finished player arriving with a long run of complete senior seasons, but an exceptionally young footballer with proven elite talent and still limited continuity. His value is based on a combination of what he has already shown and what he could become. Such transfers can deliver significant sporting and financial benefits, but require patience, a clear hierarchy and a coach prepared to invest playing time in development. Without that, a high transfer fee would place additional pressure on the player.
Milan must align the price, the role and Arsenal's conditions
If the initial contact develops into negotiations, three questions will be decisive. The first is the transfer fee, because according to current reports Arsenal does not plan to sell Nwaneri at a discounted price. The second is the structure of the agreement, namely whether the London club will insist on a buy-back right, a percentage of a future sale or another protective mechanism. The third is the sporting project that Milan can present to the player and his representatives. Only when those three elements move closer to agreement could it be said that the transfer has entered its final stage.
For now, the most accurate conclusion is that Milan has shown concrete interest, but that the deal is not close to completion. There is no confirmation of an official offer, medical examination, salary agreement or direct agreement between the clubs. At the same time, Arsenal is assessing the player during pre-season and has no contractual need to make a quick sale. If several offers emerge, the decision could depend on a combination of the price and the possibility for the club to retain future rights. If no offer arrives that matches its valuation, remaining in London continues to be a completely realistic possibility.
Nwaneri's situation will therefore be one of the more interesting stories of the final part of the summer transfer window. This is a player who has already set a historic record, scored at the highest level and signed a long-term contract, but has not yet secured a permanent place in the starting line-up. Milan's contact shows that the Italian club is considering him as a long-term option, while Arsenal is attempting to protect the value of a talent it has developed since childhood. Leipzig, Dortmund, Everton and Fulham further complicate the negotiating picture, and it is not yet known which project is most attractive to the footballer himself. The next concrete step will be an official offer; until one appears, this is serious interest, but not a transfer nearing completion.
Sources:
- Football Italia – report on contact between Milan and Arsenal, interest from other clubs and Arsenal's openness to a permanent sale while retaining control over the player's future (link)
- Arsenal FC – official confirmation of Nwaneri's loan to Olympique Marseille until the end of the 2025/26 season and an overview of his appearances up to that point (link)
- Arsenal FC – official announcement of the new long-term contract from August 2025 and data on his breakthrough season with 37 appearances and nine goals (link)
- Premier League – official data on his record-breaking debut at the age of 15 years and 181 days against Brentford in September 2022 (link)
- The Times – report from July 31, 2026, on interest from Milan and Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal's valuation of around £50 million (link)
- The Times – report on the conditions of the January loan to Marseille, the absence of a purchase option and Nwaneri's playing time in the first part of the season (link)
- Sky Sports – context of the loan, Nwaneri's positions and the reasons for the move to Marseille (link)
- The Guardian – report on the structure of the contract agreed in 2025 and Borussia Dortmund's interest at the time (link)
- talkSPORT – report on Nwaneri's role at Arsenal, the beginning of his loan spell at Marseille and his reduced playing time following a change of coach (link)