Much of the attention in relation to transfers this week has focused on the arrival of Konstantinos Mavropanos, but that isn’t the only deal that Arsenal have been involved in so far in the January transfer window.
This week also saw attacker Stephy Mavididi cut short his frustrating loan spell with Championship side Preston North End and return to League One with Charlton Athletic, for whom he impressed in the second half of last season before a hamstring injury cruelly halted his progress.
Mavididi will be determined to hit the ground running during his second spell at Charlton having found regular playing time rather difficult to come by while at Preston.
In total, the England U20 international made 11 appearances for Preston, ten of which came in the league, but he couldn’t command a regular place in the starting lineup, especially in recent weeks.
This is now an important stage in Mavididi’s development. The prospect, who scored with regularity for Arsenal at various youth levels, will turn 20 by the end of the season and it is time for him to demonstrate that he can perform consistently on the senior stage.
Charlton appears to be the perfect environment for Mavididi to showcase his credentials. He has a good relationship with the club’s manager Karl Robinson and will be looking to pick back up from where he left off with some good displays last season.
Usually deployed as a striker, Mavididi is also capable of playing on either flank or as an attacking midfielder and possesses pace and power in abundance.
The youngster will be especially determined to score his first senior goal during this loan spell and it is hoped that once he does find the net then further strikes will soon follow.
Making the breakthrough into the Arsenal first-team will of course be a very difficult task. Mavididi has been on the bench in the League Cup for the Gunners previously but the progress that Eddie Nketiah has made this season may well have pushed him further down the pecking order.
Mavididi would surely have relished featuring in the League Cup and the Europa League for Arsenal this season but as it transpired he spent the first half of the season enduring a largely frustrating time at Preston.
Now he is determined to show that he has what it takes to succeed at Arsenal.
—
Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
This is the kind of stuff that can seriously influence someone’s career. A bad loan, an injury, etc. Just that bit of bad luck, and your entire career takes a different trajectory.
Good luck to him.
Isn’t Karl Robinson the manager who played him in the game last season despite the fact he knew he was in the red zone which resulted in his serious injury?
Yes. To be fair to him though, he did come out and take full responsibility and looked like he was genuinely sorry for it
I watched him in what was a very rare start for Preston v Bolton before Christmas. He took up very good positions, ran the channels well and never gave Mark Beavers and David Wheatear a moment’s rest. He even tried his best to compete in the air against them which was no easy task. Preston just had no one with the vision in midfield to see the runs and pick a pass to him. I don’t think Alex Neil trusted him cos most of his appearances were as sub. A footballing side like Charlton try to be should help him… Read more »
wishing you all the best. Score some beauty and stay injury free
Well he scored today in his first game for them against Oldham.