The 5 Players Who Could Leave Arsenal on Loan This January Transfer Window
The winter transfer window opens for Premier League clubs on January 1, 2017, but Arsenal are unlikely to be involved in any significant business. With the squad in its healthiest shape for several years, Arsene Wenger may even consider letting a number of players leave on loan.
In this piece, we identify five players who could depart on a temporary basis in the forthcoming window. Some are younger players who would benefit from first-team experience, while for others, a loan move would surely be a step towards a permanent departure from the club.
Chuba Akpom
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Chuba Akpom is one of the most highly thought of players to have graduated from the club's academy in recent years.
Akpom was involved in Arsenal's first EFL Cup game of the season, starting on the left wing against Nottingham Forest.
Afterward, he told the Arsenal website:
"Hopefully [the future holds] more games and more minutes. The feeling of just going out there with an Arsenal top on and just playing is the best feeling and that's the feeling that I want to have, so I've just got to keep working hard in training and keep working hard to just get out there and get as many minutes as I can.
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Unfortunately, that remains the only competitive appearance he has made this season. He has spent the last few months recovering from a significant back injury, but he has now returned to full training.
Akpom has already had loan spells with four clubs in his Arsenal career, most recently at then-Championship club Hull City. However, he has not set the world alight during any of his temporary stays.
Wenger will be looking for a significant improvement from his young charge—particularly on the goalscoring front—with his next club.
In October, Akpom turned 21. Now is the time for him to start fulfilling his potential and show he can thrive at the top level. Wenger will hope there is a Premier League club willing to gamble on the inexperienced striker and afford him the game-time he urgently needs to develop his game.
Yaya Sanogo
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Arsenal fans could be forgiven for forgetting Yaya Sanogo is even on their books. The Frenchman spent the entirety of last season out on loan, and he has not made a single appearance for the Gunners during 2016/17.
With the likes of Alexis Sanchez excelling upfront, Sanogo was never likely to get a look-in. However, there is also an underlying fitness problem that has prevented him from taking part.
The precise nature of the injury remains unclear, with Arsene Wenger mysteriously telling the press after their EFL Cup quarter-final loss to Southampton:
"He had a real medical problem that I cannot explain to you here because it is a confidential problem.
[It is] not a secret problem, but it is medical, I cannot speak about that.
He has no life-threatening problem but he had a long-term injury, and I am not specialised enough to explain to you exactly what it is in his calf.
But we had to rest him completely.
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Frankly, it's still unclear whether Sanogo would be able to pass a medical to join another club, even temporarily. What's more certain is that most clubs would be unwilling to pay a transfer fee for a player with such a chequered record.
However, if he is cleared to go, this January will surely be the last time we see Sanogo at Arsenal. He's had loan spells with Crystal Palace, Ajax and Charlton Athletic, all of which have underwhelmed to different degrees. Wenger has retained faith in the French forward far longer than most anticipated, but it seems a succession of injury problems have thoroughly derailed a once promising career.
This January, Sanogo will turn 24. It is time for Arsenal to cut their losses and let him go.
Carl Jenkinson
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Earlier this season, it appeared as if Carl Jenkinson's Arsenal career might be about to reignite. After Hector Bellerin suffered an ankle ligament injury, he was the obvious choice to step in as the Spaniard's understudy.
However, a series of unconvincing performances eventually saw him overlooked in favour of centre-half Gabriel Paulista. Now, it seems as if Arsene Wenger is prepared to allow the former Charlton full-back to leave.
Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail reported:
"Arsenal will consider offers for out-of-favour full-back Carl Jenkinson next month.
The defender has recovered from a long-term knee injury and has made five starts for the club this season.
But he is set for a move away from the Emirates Stadium next month, with the Gunners ready to listen to permanent or loan offers for the right-back.
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Hull City manager Mike Phelan has been particularly forthcoming about his interest, telling reporters: "Yes, he's been spoken about. But there are a few others in the hat for Carl. I would love him to come here. I've spoken to staff at Arsenal and I've been encouraged by it."
Having lost his way this season, it's difficult to see there being a way back for Jenkinson at Arsenal. A loan move this January would effectively be an admission that his Gunners career is over.
Mathieu Debuchy
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Asked whether Arsenal were listening to offers for Mathieu Debuchy in January 2016, Arsene Wenger told the club's website that "of course" they were.
The Frenchman moved on loan in February that year, joining Bordeaux in the hope of reigniting his hopes of playing in Euro 2016. However, yet another unfortunate injury put paid to that particular ambition, as well as simultaneously scuppering his chances of a permanent move in the summer.
Debuchy’s stock at Arsenal has not risen since then, so it seems certain he’ll seize the opportunity to move away from the club again next month.
Emiliano Martinez
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Emiliano Martinez was Arsenal's EFL Cup goalkeeper this season, but with the Gunners now out of that competition, he's likely to find game-time difficult to come by.
A loan move would enable him to continue his progress—and with Petr Cech and David Ospina, Arsenal should still have plenty of cover.
Martinez signed a new long-term contract in November, and Wenger is clearly a huge fan. The Gunners boss told Arsenal Player:
"If you look at him, I personally see all the top qualities that a goalkeeper needs.
He has the stature, he has the passion, he has the technical quality, he has the decision-making, he has huge power and he's not frightened of anything.
I remember a game at Anderlecht in the Champions League - it was a decisive game where he saved us. In the League Cup, every time he plays, he does extremely well. I am very happy that he committed, because I think he is the future goalkeeper at this club.
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Martinez is clearly a big prospect, but he needs regular football to accelerate his development. A loan move this January could be an ideal solution for both club and player.
