Miquel set for Brighton loan?

The Daily Mail is today suggesting that Ignasi Miquel is set to go out on loan to Brighton, so that the youngster can get some more playing time. The youngster is behind the likes of Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker in the pecking order and the likes of Johan Djourou and Sebastian Squillaci are still at the club. With Kyle Bartley announcing his promotion to the first team yesterday, there appears to be very little room for Miquel at the moment. After a year away, Arsenal might have sold the likes of Squillaci and Djourou and with a year of competitive football under his belt, he would be able to challenge for a spot in the team.

The Mail are also suggesting that Miquel could rejoin Barcelona, having spent his early years at his hometown club. It would be a similar story to that of Gerard Pique’s, as he was a reserve team player at Manchester United having been at Barcelona from a young age. His return to Barca didn’t turn out bad, eh?. Of course there is also the story of Cesc Fabregas, who left Barcelona for Arsenal at the age of 16 and 8 years later in 2011, left Arsenal to return home.

Miquel actually joined Arsenal from Cornella, a team based in Catalonia, but started off at Barcelona. He made his first team debut in 2011, in a match against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup. Arsenal drew 1-1 that day, but thrashed Orient 5-0 in the replay, with Miquel starting both of these games. He made his Premier League debut last August, coming on as a substitute in Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at the Emirates. Miquel was a regular for Arsenal in the League Cup, playing every minute of their cup run that featured games against Shrewsbury, Bolton and Man City. Miquel featured in further Premier League games against Man City and Swansea, as well as making his Champions League debut in a 3-1 defeat to Olympiakos, helping to play his part in Yossi Benayoun’s consolation strike that night. As well as this, he played in the FA Cup tie against Leeds in January, so all in all, a good season for Miquel, with more first team opportunities than ever before.

I would like to see Miquel be given a chance when the likes of Vermaelen and Koscielny are injured. I think he’s a better defender than Djourou, or certainly has the ability to be a much better one anyway. But if Wenger sends him out on loan then I wish him all the best. I definitely don’t want him to join Barcelona permanently, I’m fed up of them taking their old players back after the Fabregas saga. I hope to see Miquel make it at the club, I definitely believe in his ability to do so.