The transfer window may be closed but the punters here in the Transfer Tavern still have plenty to talk about, with the Arsenal lads in particularly being quite active today.
They gathered around the sofas to share the latest news regarding starlet Serge Gnabry, who is being courted by three sides for a loan stint. Having spent the first-half of the season on-loan at West Brom, where he found playing opportunities extremely limited, our punters are hoping the German will enjoy better success this time around.
Our landlord sparked a new discussion when he posed an interesting question as he brought after a fresh round, asking the Gooners in the bar which five players do they want to see follow Gnabry out of the club on-loan to earn crucial first-team experience.
After debating the answer for a while, they came up with a list of five players they’d like to see earn their stripes elsewhere in the second-half of the season before potentially becoming regular members of the first-team next term.
Hit Gnabry below to see FIVE players who could follow him away from Arsenal on-loan!
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Jeff Reine-Adelaide
The 18-year-old starlet has already made an impression in the first-team this term, putting in a quality shift in the FA Cup third round success over Sunderland, but the return of the injured contingent puts him right down the pecking order.
It’s clear he’s set for a massive future with the North London giants and spending the second-half away from the club on-loan would be extremely beneficial. Potentially earning a wealth of experience, it could provide the teenager with the platform to succeed in a more regular role in Arsenal’s squad next season.
Alex Iwobi
Like Reine-Adelaide, Iwobi has enjoyed first-team action this season and was a regular fixture in the match-day squad during the injury crisis. Now though, with Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returning to provide competition to Joel Campbell, Iwobi’s opportunities are depleted.
A Nigerian international at the age of just 19, Iwobi could be a valuable asset for any side looking for a short-term boost. For Arsenal it could also pay dividends, giving Iwobi the experience to build upon next season when he returns to the Gunners.
Krystian Bielik
During Arsenal’s shock 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup this season, Krystian Bielik came on for the final half hour and was a top performer. The Polish international will be a crucial player in the future for Arsenal, though for now he needs to bide his time.
With Arsenal reluctant to enter the transfer market for a defensive midfielder, whilst Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini both see their contracts expire this summer, potential injuries next term could make Bielik a first-team fixture.
To ensure he can cope with those levels, a spell away on-loan would be extremely valuable to the 18-year-old.
Daniel Crowley
18-year-old Daniel Crowley is the most highly-rated prospect in Arsenal’s academy since a certain Jack Wilshere, with the former Aston Villa trainee enjoying great success behind the scenes. Heading into his third year with the Gunners, Arsenal fans now want to see him in action.
Crowley joined the club on the pre-season tour of Singapore last summer and impressed on-loan with Barnsley earlier this season, where he made 11 appearances. Another loan spell like that could be the making of him, as Arsenal have shown in the past.
Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey spent time on-loan before becoming part of the first-team furniture, so the evidence of success is clear to see.
Yassin Fortune
Arriving last summer at the same time as Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Yassin Fortune has been quietly ticking in the background of Arsenal’s youth team. The 17-year-old is likely to still be a few years off his first-team bow, so the Gunners may wait to send him on-loan.
A short stint could be crucial for Fortune’s development though, with strikers at Arsenal throughout the years spending time earning their stripes away from the club. A similar spell would be beneficial, with the forward areas of the Gunners squad the most difficult to break into.
