Arsenal: Rob Holding loan sensible in right circumstances

Burnley are reportedly pushing to sign Rob Holding on loan. A temporary departure is sensible for Arsenal and the young defender, but only if the circumstances are right.

While the modern world may focus on potential incomings, often times, the most important decisions that a manager and club have to make in the transfer window actually centres on departees. That is especially true for those that are still in the sprouting years of their career and could leave on loan. Take, for example, Arsenal and Rob Holding.

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The now 22-year-old defender finds himself quite a long way down the pecking order in North London. With Laurent Koscielny now back from his Achilles’ problem, Nacho Monreal also available, as well as the resurgence of Calum Chambers and the continued, experienced presence of Per Mertesacker, there are a great many options for Arsene Wenger to choose from.

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As a result, it is difficult to envisage Holding being afforded regular and consistent playing time between now and the end of the season, and playing time, as has been discovered by those who never had it as an up-and-coming youngster, is invaluable to development and progression. Consequently, perhaps a loan departure for Holding, where he could be afforded the chance to play first-team football on a regular basis, would be ideal for his career.

That is certainly what Burnley are hoping Wenger is considering. According to the most recent reports, Sean Dyche is interested in bolstering his defensive options with the temporary addition of Holding between now and the end of the season. It is, on the face of it, a deal that seems to make sense for all parties involved. But is a loan move actually the best course of action for Holding his continued growth?

Well, it all depends on the circumstances.

The most important factor is whether Arsenal can afford to lose Holding without exposing themselves to defensive vulnerabilities with a lack of depth at the centre-half position. With the returns of Monreal and Koscielny, the Gunners should have enough cover, especially if they were to sign Jonny Evans, as has been rumoured.

The second most important influence to consider is the destination. In particular: Will Holding be played regularly, gaining first-team experience? Is the buying club the type of place where Holding will be given sound coaching, honing elements of his game as Wenger would want? These are questions that are a little more difficult to answer — it is very easy for Dyche to lie about his intentions, for instance. But this is the key judgement that Wenger must make in determining whether a certain loan move for Holding would be prosperous or not.

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If those conditions are satisfied, then I feel that a loan move for Holding would be extremely sensible. The improvements that Calum Chambers made last year are the ideal proof of how beneficial a spell of regular football away from the club can be. Perhaps Holding could enjoy a similar impact on his game.