At a bargain price: Borussia Dortmund sign Arsenal record player as replacement for injured Giannis Konstantelias
Borussia Dortmund are reacting to the lengthy absence of new signing Giannis Konstantelias and are turning to the reigning English champions.
Borussia Dortmund have agreed a loan deal with Arsenal for Ethan Nwaneri until the end of the season. The Ruhr club announced it on Wednesday. BVB are reportedly paying a total package worth five million euros, including his salary.
"With the loan signing of Ethan, we have succeeded in bringing in a very talented and technically enormously accomplished midfielder. Due to the longer absence of Giannis Konstantelias, it was important for us to be able to strengthen our squad again at short notice. From a sporting perspective, signing Ethan was now the best possible solution for us. We are delighted that we were still able to make this happen shortly before the end of the transfer window," explained sporting managing director Lars Ricken.
Earlier reports suggested the Black and Yellows had wanted to do business in Poland with Zaglebie Lubin and sign Poland Under-21 international Marcel Regula. The 19-year-old is not an unknown name in the Bundesliga, having been considered 1. FC Cologne's preferred option if Said El Mala moved to Dortmund.
Regula would allegedly have cost up to ten million euros. Those in charge around sporting director Ole Book and the sporting managing director have now decided against a permanent transfer, at least for the time being. Polish sports journalist Mateusz Borek claims BVB still want to keep an eye on Regula. The attacking player is also said to be on the list at Burnley and Feyenoord Rotterdam.
Nwaneri makes Premier League history at Arsenal
Nwaneri's cheaper overall package counted in his favour, along with experience at the very highest level and the fact there are no purchase agreements whatsoever with the Gunners. The 19-year-old will return to Arsenal after the season, and Konstantelias will take his place back in BVB's starting line-up once he has fully recovered.
Dortmund have been linked with Nwaneri on several occasions before. As far back as last summer's transfer window, the Black and Yellows were said to have sounded out Arsenal, but Nwaneri then extended his contract in London until 2030 and was immediately loaned to Olympique Marseille.
The central attacking player is regarded as hugely gifted and, despite his young age, already has 51 competitive appearances, 10 goals and 2 assists for the reigning English champions. When he made his Premier League debut almost exactly four years ago at the age of just 15 years and 181 days on matchday eight against Brentford shortly before the end, he set the record as the youngest player in the league's history, and it still stands today.
Marseille started well for Nwaneri and he scored his first goal on debut. The closing stages of the season were far less satisfying for Nwaneri, and probably Arsenal too. From the start of April, the teenager appeared only once more, and then only for half an hour. In the final four matches of the season, he spent the full 90 minutes on the bench.
Will Nwaneri go straight into the BVB starting line-up?
Nwaneri could make his BVB debut as early as next weekend away at TSG Hoffenheim, possibly even from the start. Alongside long-term absentee Konstantelias, Samuele Inacio will also be missing. The top talent was shown a red card shortly after coming on in the Bundesliga opener against Hamburger SV following a crude foul and will miss the next two league matches through suspension.
Kovac does not see the currently unfortunate permanent reserve Fabio Silva, around whom transfer rumours once again swirled this summer, in the attacking half-space role, but "only" as a challenger to or supporting player for the established Serhou Guirassy at centre-forward. Carney Chukwuemeka, who according to Kovac would actually be the best alternative to Konstantelias, is once again struggling physically and has not been in the squad for the competitive matches so far.
For now, at least next Saturday, Maximilian Beier could fill the half-space role alongside Konstantinos Karetsas. The Germany international had actually been planned by Kovac for the left flank.
