Top 5 Arsenal performers away on-loan
Arsenal have large and hugely talented squad, from the first team right down to the academy, and there is a huge amount of competition for places and opportunities.
The loan system is a fantastic way for Arsenal’s youth academy prospects to get some first team football in the lower leagues and for players on the fringes to get a chance to show what they can do.
The likes of Hector Bellerin, Danny Welbeck, Francis Coquelin and Jack Wilshere in the current first tea have all benefitted hugely from their time on loan in the past, and returned to the Emirates stronger and more confident players than when they left.
We have eleven players on loan just now looking to impress and break in to Arsene Wenger’s plans for the future. There’s been mixed fortunes for some of them as they come to grips with the reality and expectation of first team football, although there are plenty who are impressing.
Click on the image below to see FIVE of the top performers away on-loan!
Carl Jenkinson, 23, West Ham
It was a masterstroke from Arsene to loan Jenkinson to West Ham. He’s been excellent for the Hammers and is gaining superb experience in the Premier League. They’re flying high right now, and with his solid defensive displays, marauding runs on the right and two goals to his name this season, Jenkinson has made the right back slot his own there.
It’s tough to break into the first team at Arsenal, especially with Hector Bellerin’s emergence, but with the performances he’s putting in at West Ham, he’s done more than enough to come back to the Emirates and challenge for a first team place.
His value has also rocketed for what we signed him for – even if he doesn’t make it back, we will still get a sizeable fee for the 23-year-old.
Chuba Akpom, 20, Hull City
Akpom is a promising attacking prospect for the Gunners and at just 20 years old is already looking like will break into the first team in the coming years.
He’s on loan to Hull City at the moment and has three goals in eleven appearances for Steve Bruce’s side. Akpom impressed in the pre-season for us, but with us challenging for the title, opportunities to bed in youngsters are limited. It was a great decision to let him go out and get first team football and he is reaping the awards.
Akpom has a lethal combination of attributes for a forward in the modern game as he is big, strong, athletic, fast, intelligent and a great finisher. He’s scored plenty of goals for the Arsenal and England youth setups and with his form in helping Hull to the top of the Championship, he will get his chance at Arsenal sooner rather than later.
Jon Toral, 20, Birmingham City
The 20-year-old former Barca youth player arrived at the Gunners academy alongside Hector Bellerin aged 16, and although he hasn’t quite managed to make the impact his Spanish teammate has in the first team, Toral is highly regarded and has a great future at the club.
He played well in the opportunities he was given on loan at Brentford last season scoring 6 goals in the 34 games and includes a memorable hat-trick for them in a 4-0 win over Blackpool.
His latest loan adventure is proving just as fruitful as he has made the step up to be a key player for Birmingham City in their bid for promotion to the Premier League. He’s played 8 games for the Blues this season and scored 2 cracking goals.
After he smashed home in their 5-2 hammering of Fulham, Birmingham manager Gary Rowett said: “For me, he was the best player on the pitch in terms of his composure & his vision. He is only 20.”
He’s on course to have a great season at St Andrews and a great career for Arsenal.
Wojciech Szczesny, 25, Roma
Szczesny moved to Roma on loan in 2014 after falling behind David Ospina and then Peter Cech in the pecking order.
Lets be honest, after some high profile mistakes and mischief off the field, it was a wise move all round to loan the Polish keeper out. Ospina came in and lifted the defence and with Euro 2016 approaching, Szcesny got the chance to get some first team football.
It’s worked out well for him in Rome – the Serie A title challengers seem keen to sign him permanently after his solid performances this season and although he’s been public in his desire to return and battle Cech for the number role, first team football at another huge club may be to difficult for him to turn down.
It’s unlikely he would get back in the side ahead of Cech, but as a backup keeper and well liked character in the squad, his performances in Italy have gone a long way to reminding Gooners how good he can be if cleans up his act. As an academy graduate, it’s another win win situation for us if he does decide to move on, the club will make a healthy profit from any transfer fee.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles, 18, Ipswich Town
Maitland-Niles is another product of Arsenal’s academy and has been with the club since he was 6.
He made his debut for the senior side at the end of last year against Galatasaray in the champions league and at just 17 years old became the second youngest player after Jack Wilshere to represent the Gunners in the competition.
He went on a season-long loan to Ipswich in the summer to get some first team football and is another player who is impressing in the Championship as they fight for a playoff place. He’s played 12 games for them this season and has one goal to his name. He is definitely another one who is taking the opportunity to show what he can do and his powerful runs from the wing and tenacious personality will see him do well for us in the future. Definitely one to watch.