Five Arsenal stars who could benefit from a loan move this summer

Eddie Nketiah

Five Arsenal stars who could benefit from a loan move this summer

By Oscar Maung-Haley

With the transfer window merry-go-round in full swing, we look at the Arsenal players who could benefit from a temporary move away from the Emirates ahead of the new season.

Eddie Nketiah

At 22 years old, Eddie Nketiah is somehow at risk of becoming yesterday’s man.

While 13 goals in 65 appearances for the Gunners is by no means disastrous, Nketiah has hardly hit the ground running since making his debut four years ago.

After featuring in all but two of Arsenal’s opening 14 Premier League games last season, he only appeared five times in their remaining league fixtures.

There can be no doubt that Nketiah still has potential – he did break Alan Shearer’s England U21s record with 16 goals in 17 appearances.

Recently, the Athletic’s David Ornstein reported that Arsenal had offered Nketiah a new contract that would protect his value, which has not been accepted.

With his contract set to expire next summer, Arsenal may be forced into selling him.

Should he re-sign however a loan move would probably be beneficial to the young forward.

Folarin Balogun

Penning a new four-year deal in April, Folarin Balogun is clearly part of Arsenal’s plans for the future.

The 19-year-old is one of the Gunners’ hottest prospects and while he has yet to make his Premier League debut, he did score twice in Europe last season against Dundalk and Molde.

At such a young age, there can be no expectations upon Balogun to contribute to the first team immediately – not everyone is like Bukayo Saka!

But some increased game time, be it in the Championship or Premier League, would certainly help his development.

A loan away from north London seems to make sense.

Folarin Balogun

Reiss Nelson

Reiss Nelson is the next player on our list who could benefit from a loan move this summer.

The 2020-21 campaign was a frustrating one for the 21-year-old, with the winger only featuring nine times for the Gunners.

Hampered by injuries, Nelson will be hard pushed to take the places of Saka, Nicolas Pepe and Emile Smith Rowe, who all shone last season.

A loan move away from the Emirates makes sense for both parties.

There might not be the market for Nelson to be sold – and if there is, it will almost certainly be at a cut-rate price.

If Nelson can get some regular minutes under his belt, he could come back and contribute more for the Gunners, or be sold on for a better price.

Joe Willock

We’ll preface this one by saying this: Joe Willock has done enough in his loan at Newcastle United to warrant game time at the Emirates for the coming season.

During his time at St James’ Park, Willock was instrumental in helping the Magpies pull away from the relegation zone, scoring eight goals in 14 appearances for Steve Bruce’s side.

So good were Willock’s performances, he was named Premier League Player of the Month in May.

But depending on who Arsenal recruit in the summer, coupled with whether Mikel Arteta trusts him in a two-man midfield, Willock could find himself on the outside looking in again.

He has already shown he is a more than capable Premier League midfielder.

If Arsenal can’t find a place for him just yet, he should be loaned out to further his development rather than sold.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles

Returning from West Bromwich Albion after a January loan move away from north London, Ainsley Maitland-Niles is an interesting one.

Only 23, he has already amassed 121 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions but moved after stating his desire to play in central midfield.

Under Arteta, most of his appearances have come as either a right back or a right midfielder, with little to no game time in his desired central midfield position.

With five England caps to his name, Maitland-Niles’ versatility and ability to operate up and down the right hand side is impressive.

But with two years left on his current deal, next season is make or break for Maitland-Niles’ Arsenal career.

And with first-team opportunities in the centre of the park likely to be limited, he could be forced to go out on loan to prove his worth, or risk sitting on the bench at the Emirates.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Popular posts from this blog

What have we learned from Arsenal's pre-season so far?

Image
  Arsenal – what have we learned from pre-season? By Jack Lacey-Hatton It only feels five minutes since Euro 2020, but incredibly we are just one week away from the new Premier League season starting. Arsenal will travel to newly promoted Brentford for a London derby in front of a noisy crowd next Friday night, not the easiest of starts to the new campaign. But what sort of shape are Mikel Arteta’s side in, going into what could be a defining season for the manager? We took a close look at what we have learnt from the pre-season period and what kind of shape the squad are in.   The new signings are ready to go It has been a mixed transfer window so far. Some fans would have expected more both leaving and arriving at the Emirates stadium over the summer. But positives can be taken - Ben White has arrived from Brighton for £50million, and highly-rated full back Nuno Tavares has come in from Benfica. Albert Sambi Lokonga completes the 2021 summer singings so far. Cruc...
Read more

Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves

Image
Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves By Jonny Bray It is hard to believe that Ruben Neves is still only 25-years-old.   It feels as if the Portuguese international has been tipped for big things for nearly a decade now.  With the midfielder out of contract in 2023, it appears his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers could be coming to an end.  Understandably, with a player like Neves on offer for a reduced price, clubs around Europe are queueing up to secure the international's signature.  So, after all this time, should Arsenal move for Ruben Neves now, or is it time for the Gunners to turn their attention to a new target?  What would he bring?  Arsenal do not have enough defensive midfielders.  Martin Ødegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka give Mikel Arteta plenty of midfield options going forward, but the Gunners have been found lacking when out of possession this season. Thomas Partey has been in and out of the side due to injuries, a fact that has not hel...
Read more

Where will Arsenal finish this season?

Image
Where will Arsenal finish this season? By Alec McQuarrie Arsenal have made steady improvement over the last few seasons under Mikel Arteta. After finishing 8th in his debut season, the Spaniard oversaw a five-point improvement in his first full campaign.  And last year an eight-point leap followed, which was unfortunately not enough to pip Tottenham to fourth place.  Cruelly, the 69 points accumulated would have been enough to seal Champions League qualification in the previous two seasons.  Looking at the trajectory over the Arteta era, it would be fair to assume a continued improvement this coming season.  After all, with five signings already secured this summer and Alexandre Lacazette the sole first-team player to depart, surely fourth place should be a bare minimum expectation.  Oleksandr Zinchenko offers much-needed cover at left-back and competition for central midfield.  Gabriel Jesus is a proven goalscorer and brings a tireless work-ethic to fulfil...
Read more