How are Arsenal’s out on loan players getting on?

Whilst Mikel Arteta has curated an Arsenal squad capable of challenging for the title, it has left a number of players needing to head elsewhere for game time.

Consequently, the Gunners hashed out a number of loan deals late in the transfer window. Reducing squad size and helping players get more game time, the moves were designed to be mutually beneficial.

Here’s how they are getting on so far this season…

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Oleksandr Zinchenko joined Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan deal on deadline day. With Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ricardo Calafiori favoured to him last campaign and with further defensive recruitments made in the summer, the Ukrainian was deemed surplus to requirements by Mikel Arteta. 

It has been a tumultuous campaign so far for Forest, who sit 19th in the Premier League. Managers Nuno Espirito Santo and his replacement Ange Postecoglou have both been dismissed.

Zinchenko has so far made six starts across all competitions. However, he picked up a groin injury in Sean Dyche’s first game in charge and has been sidelined for the past month. It remains to be seen where he will fit into the new head coach’s plans, and whether he has a long-term future at Arsenal.

Fabio Vieira

Fabio Vieira was on loan at Porto last season, however he has landed at a new destination for this campaign. Unfortunately for him, his Arsenal career never really taken off. The midfielder has now joined German side Hamburg, in another deadline day deal.

However the Portuguese player has not taken the Bundesliga by storm. His debut came in a 5-0 defeat to Bayern Munich, although he did provide a match-winning assist in his second game, Vieira was then shown a straight red card for a high foot in his third match. A couple of underwhelming appearances followed, before he was shown a red card once again.

Two red cards in just five Bundesliga matches represents a nightmare start to Vieira’s time in Hamburg. The German side have the option to make his loan deal permanent for €20 million, although an upturn in his form would be needed for that to be triggered.

Reiss Nelson

Reiss Nelson is another player who has spent the last couple of seasons on loan. After an injury-hampered year with Fulham, the winger is with Brentford for this current campaign.

Now aged 26, Nelson is still struggling to string together a proper run of games in a team. So far he has played just a handful of minutes across two appearances for Brentford in the league. However, a goal and an assist in a recent cup game could be cause for optimism.

Karl Hein

Karl Hein is another academy graduate who has been unable to establish himself in the first-team. The goalkeeper’s sole appearance for Arsenal came more than three years ago in the Carabao Cup. The Estonian international has now joined Werder Bremen on a season-long loan deal.

The 23-year-old was expecting first-team football but so far Hein has been second choice for the Bundesliga outfit and has played just twice for the German side. The goalkeeper’s contract at the Emirates is set to expire this summer, although there is an option to extend it for a further year.

Lucas Nygaard

Lucas Nygaard is another young goalkeeper that has been sent on loan to gain experience. The 19-year-old joined Arsenal last summer. After a season with the youth team, he has now returned to his home country for the season. Nygaard is playing for Danish second tier side Brabrand IF.

The goalkeeper has started a number of times for the Danish side at the start of this campaign. However, the league has now entered a winter break, which will last until March.

Ismeal Kabia

Another player from Hale End that is out on loan for the season is Ismeal Kabia. The youngster was named on the bench for Arsenal a number of times last season, making his debut in the Carabao Cup. The 19-year-old has now joined Shrewsbury Town for the current campaign.

The winger has made an impression with the League Two side, already starting eleven times in the league. Kabia has notched two assists as he continues to gain valuable experience.

Maldini Kacurri

Maldini Kacurri is an aptly named young central defender from Arsenal’s academy. The Albanian made his Arsenal debut in the same game as Kabia. The 20-year-old is currently on loan at Morecambe in the National League.

He did not join Morecambe until midway through September, but has already made 11 league starts since his arrival. The defender is clearly doing something right, as he recently made his senior international debut for Albania.