Over the years, the loan market has proven to be a valuable asset for Arsenal. This trend has continued since the appointment of head coach Mikel Arteta, with William Saliba’s recent success being the most notable.
Devoid of a consistent spot in Arteta’s lineup, the defender spent consecutive loan seasons on loan at Nice and Marseille. He established himself as one of the top center-backs in Ligue 1 during his time in France, and his performance has continued to improve since his return to north London at the start of the previous campaign.
Folarin Balogun, who excelled for Reims last season, appeared poised to follow a similar trajectory to first-team stardom. However, the United States forward decided to leave definitively and joined Monac this summer, generating a substantial transfer fee of £26 million ($31.6 million) for the Gunners.
10. Albert Sambi Lokonga (Luton Town) – N/A ↔️
An arduous loan transfer to Premier League newcomers Lokonga might have been developed from the ashes of Luton Town. Nonetheless, a hamstring injury sidelined him for a couple of months after just two encounters. He only returned to the fold recently, and in order to help the Hatters escape the relegation morass, he will need to immediately hit the ground running.
9. Nuno Tavares (Nottingham Forest) – 3/10 ⬇️
The defender, who was another Arsenal loanee hindered by injury at the beginning of the season, was forced off in the first half of Forest’s match against Manchester City despite making an impression through impressive cameo appearances. Tavares’ performances at Marseille last season demonstrated his potential, but since his injury, Steve Cooper has not utilized him and has omitted him from the squad wholly in recent weeks.
8. Marquinhos (Nantes) – 3.5/10 ↔️
Following a lackluster tenure at Norwich City in the previous campaign, the Brazilian will join Ligue 1 club Nantes for the 2023-24 season. He has made a mere five appearances for the first team thus far, failing to penetrate the lineup. The fact that he flew to Chile in October to represent Brazil at the 2023 Pan American Games did not help his situation, and the Gunners are reportedly contemplating recalling him in January.
7. Runar Alex Runarsson (Cardiff City) – 4/10 ⬆️
In all honesty, it is not exactly proceeding splendidly. Unexpectedly, Cardiff are still in contention for the Championship playoffs this season, but Runarsson has only contributed marginally. Jak Alnwick’s nine concedes in three games at the start of the season appeared to solidify his position as the Bluebirds’ starting quarterback, so it came as a surprise to supporters when he was substituted for the Arsenal loanee against Preston in November.
Since then, he has kept one clean sheet in four contests, and manager Erol Bulut has denied that Arsenal exerted pressure on Cardiff to utilize Runarsson in response to fan criticism.
6. Kieran Tierney (Real Sociedad) – 6/10 ⬇️
This season has been a familiar one for the unfortunate Tierney. Beginning the match for Real Sociedad in a resolute sackcloth, he earned Champions League minutes and provided the assist for the team’s victory over Valencia. A September injury he sustained during La Real’s victory over Athletic, however, rendered him inactive until December. However, he has performed admirably since his return and is scheduled to participate in the UCL knockouts in January.
5. Omar Rekik (Wigan Athletic) – 6.5/10 ⬆️
Being loaned to a crisis club is inherently difficult, and Rekik’s experience thus far at cash-strapped Wigan confirms this. In his third match, the Tunisian was defeated 4-1 by Bristol Rovers. However, both he and the team have made strides towards recovery in recent times. Rekik’s injury in November terminated a four-match unbeaten streak in the first team, and it is regrettably unlikely that he will return for the Latics before 2024.
4. Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Millwall) – 7/10 ⬆️
Right wing-back Norton-Cuffy has not had any difficulty maintaining his spot in the Millwall lineup, supplying the Lions with force and vitality. Last month, on Wednesday, he scored his first goal for the club in a 4-0 rout of Sheffield. He then assisted against Sunderland. A loan move that is optimal given his current stage of development.
3. Charlie Patino (Swansea City) – 7/10 ⬆️
Patino, who has been hailed as a future first-team hero in north London, has maintained his reputation this season with impressive performances for Swansea. Although the Welsh club have not had the most successful seasons thus far, the Arsenal loanee has performed admirably on the field, accumulating assists and scoring.
He has also demonstrated his versatility by serving in a variety of midfield positions for the Swans. Although his dismissal against Sunderland at the start of November was discouraging, he quickly rebounded with goals in consecutive Championship contests.
2. Mika Biereth (Motherwell) – 7/10 ↔️
On his début, Biereth promptly earned the affection of the Motherwell supporters with a goal and an assist. This ought to have sparked a fruitful loan stint, but the very next game, a substantial challenge caused the Dane to sustain a knee injury that prevented him from playing for several months. However, since his return, he has contributed to five goals in eight league appearances. The situation is not terrible at all.
1. Arthur Okonkwo (Wrexham) – 8/10 ↔️
A young goalkeeper for Arsenal made an effective debut in north Wales, maintaining a spotless record in the EFL Trophy triumph of his new club over Newcastle Under-21s. At first, it was more difficult for him to earn minutes in League Two. However, on September 30, in place of veteran goalkeeper Mark Howard, who conceded five against Stockport, Okonkwo was substituted against Crewe.
Following that, he participated in every minute of the subsequent 12 league and FA Cup matches, during which Wrexham suffered just one loss, before a mandible injury at Harrogate Town rendered him inactive at the end of November. Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds will be eager to have him return at the earliest convenience.