Borussia Dortmund to take Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri on loan in late-window move

Borussia Dortmund have reached a verbal agreement to sign Arsenal forward Ethan Nwaneri on a season-long loan, with the player giving his approval to the move in the final hours of the summer transfer window.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported the development on social media platform X, saying: “Exclusively… Borussia Dortmund have reached a verbal agreement to sign Ethan Nwaneri from Arsenal… here we go!”

The agreement means Nwaneri will spend the entire season with the German club, after accepting the possibility of moving to Dortmund overnight. The deal has been described as completed, although the initial agreement is verbal.

Romano added that the player had agreed to the transfer during the preceding hours, allowing Dortmund to secure an attacking addition from Arsenal before the summer market closes.

Sources at Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that the club will cover Nwaneri’s full salary for the duration of the loan. The arrangement therefore places the responsibility for the player’s wages with the German side throughout his temporary spell away from Arsenal.

The move brings an end, for now, to the uncertainty surrounding Nwaneri’s next step during the current summer transfer window. The young Arsenal player had also been linked with a switch to Milan, but Dortmund have moved ahead with a deal to take him on loan for the full season.

Romano announced the agreement in a post that read: “EXCLUSIVE: Borussia Dortmund reach verbal agreement to sign Ethan Nwaneri from Arsenal, here we go! Season long loan agreed from Arsenal as Nwaneri said yes to this possibility overnight. BVB sources confirm salary will be entirely covered by the Geeman club.”

Dortmund’s agreement with Arsenal is specifically for a temporary transfer rather than a permanent move. Nwaneri will remain an Arsenal player while spending the upcoming campaign with Borussia Dortmund, with the German club meeting his salary costs during the loan.

The deal represents a significant late addition for Dortmund’s attack, while Nwaneri now appears set to continue his development in Germany. His name had emerged as part of the transfer discussions involving both Dortmund and Milan during the current window.

Romano’s report said the agreement was reached in the final hours of the summer market, completing a move that had developed quickly after Nwaneri gave his consent. Borussia Dortmund sources then confirmed the financial terms, including the club’s commitment to pay the player’s wages in full.

Nwaneri’s proposed loan to Dortmund is the latest development in a summer in which his future attracted interest from outside England. For the moment, the agreement points to Germany as his destination for the season, with Dortmund securing his services from Arsenal on a temporary basis.