Dortmund to take Arsenal forward Ethan Nwaneri on season-long loan

Borussia Dortmund in Germany have agreed a season-long loan deal with Arsenal to sign 19-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, the clubs announced on 1 September 2026. The forward previously spent the second half of last season on loan at Marseille.

Dortmund attempted to sign Nwaneri last summer. The academy graduate has drawn interest from clubs across the Premier League and Europe during this summer's window. BBC Sport reported earlier this month that Arsenal would prioritise loan offers for Nwaneri and that the club do not want to sell him.

With manager Mikel Arteta possessing an abundance of attacking options, Nwaneri would probably have had limited opportunities at Arsenal this season. There is a sense at Emirates Stadium that he would benefit from increased game time elsewhere. Those considerations underpinned Arsenal's openness to loan moves for the forward.

The German club moved for reinforcements after losing new signing Giannis Konstantelias to a significant knee injury. That injury was sustained during Saturday's 2-0 win over Hamburg. Dortmund are set to recruit Nwaneri following Konstantelias's setback.

Meanwhile, Gunners midfielder Fabio Vieira has joined Hamburg on a permanent transfer after spending last term on loan with the Bundesliga side. The 26-year-old joined Arsenal in 2022 for £34.2m from Porto. He made 49 appearances for the club.

Nwaneri is expected to travel to Germany for a medical. The loan is due to be completed before the Bundesliga transfer deadline at 19:00 BST.