Tim Akinola saw his loan spell at Chesterfield come to a heartbreaking conclusion at Wembley yesterday as his side lost on penalties to Notts County in the National League play-off final.
It has been a strange season for the powerful midfielder, who started the campaign by representing Arsenal at youth level prior to his temporary switch to Chesterfield, where he impressed with his early performances.
However, in March Akinola lost his place in the matchday squad and wasn’t involved for a run of games before working his way back into the setup towards the end of the season.
Akinola’s loan adds to the experience that he gained at Dundee United last season but given that he is 22 years old it seems like now is the right time for him to make a permanent departure from Arsenal.
A surprise arrival at the club in 2020, Akinola has progressed well in the ensuing period but breaking into the first-team squad at Arsenal was always going to be a significant challenge.
A player who is effective at winning possession, Akinola certainly seems capable of playing in the Football League and it will be interesting to see where he ends up.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
Unfortunate for him and his team mates but fair enough that Notts County secured promotion after the season they had.
Snapped him up for 20k on FM for MK Dons
Looking like he’ll be a championship player in the future