The January transfer window is now open and, while the main focus of supporters this month will be on any potential incomings for the first-team squad, it will also be intriguing to see which of the club’s youngsters head out on loan.
Arsenal, in contrast to their usual style, elected to not send many players on loan in the summer, with just seven individuals dispatched elsewhere, including first-team players such as David Ospina and Calum Chambers.
There could be some other players going on temporary transfer this month, and here are three members of the U23 squad that would benefit from regular playing time at a different club.
Jordi Osei-Tutu
Osei-Tutu impressed for the first-team during pre-season, operating in his usual right-back berth and also at left-back.
However, injury and suspension have meant that he hasn’t featured prominently for the U23s in the first half of the campaign and the 20-year-old is now at the stage of his development where he needs to start becoming involved in senior football.
A switch to a League One side could be hugely beneficial for Osei-Tutu, who may well have a chance of establishing himself as the main back-up to Hector Bellerin in the near future.
Ben Sheaf
Sheaf featured fleetingly for the first-team in cup competitions last season but, like Osei-Tutu, has had an injury-hit 2018/19 so far.
The centre-back gained valuable experience on loan at Stevenage in the second half of last campaign in League Two and seems ready to step up a division this time in order to further enhance his development.
Cohen Bramall
Two years ago Bramall made headlines as he undertook the surprise leap from non-league football to Arsenal.
It seems likely, though, that the left-back will leave the club at the end of this campaign without having made a competitive appearance for the first-team.
Bramall hasn’t progressed much during his time with the Gunners and found playing time difficult to come by while on loan at Birmingham City last season.
It wouldn’t be surprising if he was sent out on loan again for the rest of the campaign so that other players can be given opportunities in the U23s.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
I watched Colin against Portsmouth in the Chekatrade cup; I must say, I wasn’t wholly impressed by his performance on the day. He seemed tentative and played with very little confidence. The move to Arsenal, in my opinion, has been too big a leap for him.
Frankly you can add Mavropanos. He is largely untested and much of the preliminary round of the league cup /europa is now done and dusted. Chambers is a bit of a mystery. Hardly features for a club close to bottom. Had he stayed he would have had his fair share of games particularly tucked into the back 3 on the right. Not sure if there is anyway to recall him. he could not be any worse than say using Lichsteiner. Otherwise with Holding out, its Mustafi- Sokratis- Koscielny for me but we need a reasonably seasoned back up and Chambers… Read more »
Chambers has started 9 of the last 11 games for Fulham in defensive midfield, don’t know where you’ve got that he “hardly features” for them. Also, there is no clause to recall him early, which is too bad because he could benefit us at this time.
Cohen was always a gamble, I’ve no
complaints and hope he can make a career for himself in League One or Two.
Now that Mavro is nearly back we might
want to think about a loan for Medley
or Plez too.
Plez has had too many loans.
We’re in a defensive crisis right now, so we either need to keep him or if Emery doesn’t believe he’s good enough, sell him (with a sell-on and buy-back clause, ofcourse).
I’d have said Nketia, Willock, Smith-Rowe but Arsenal loans often signal an end to your Arsenal career (Akpom, Afobe, Toral, Mavididi etc) – so I can’t really wish a loan on any youngster I rate.
In the past I would have agreed with you, but there seems to be a far more professional approach to loans now. Per stated that the most important thing was to ensure that the loan was positive for the young player and that they would be playing, whereas in the past it seemed they were shipped off to anyone who would take them, with very little follow up. The Gnabry loan still disgusts me, that we would allow a creative young Arsenal player to go to Pulis, but that sort of thing seems to have stopped.