Arsenal: 3 players who need productive loan moves

The Arsenal youth academy has consistently produced gems over the past few decades. Where more experienced starters have faltered, the younger core have often stepped up and shouldered the burden. In the past, the likes of Jack Wilshere and Alex Iwobi burst onto the scene and more recently, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have fought to the front of the pack and are now the first names on the team sheet.

While it hasn’t always been the case, Arsenal have (finally) started to understand the usefulness of loans.

Smith Rowe had a productive season at Huddersfield, Joe Willock is currently banging in goals for fun at Newcastle, both William Saliba and Konstantinos Mavropanos are excelling in Europe and even Matteo Guendouzi has profited from a move away.

These loans can have different outcomes: a player can prove that he is ready to be integrated into the first team or the valuable minutes of first team football can raise his eventual transfer fee.

Arsenal: 3 players who need productive loan moves when summer transfer window opens

Regardless of the outcome, loans serve to benefit the parent club.

The reluctance for the Kroenke’s to spend any money means that youth academy products will continue to be integral to the development of the club. Players such as Eddie Nketiah are due to leave in the summer, but while him not breaking into the first team is a disappointment, that doesn’t deem his departure a failure. It’s pure profit to invest elsewhere.

Players earlier into their development require game time, like Nketiah did, and here are three that would benefit the most from loan moves next season.

3. Joel Lopez

Kieran Tierney has become such a crucial part of this Arsenal squad: his leadership, work rate and ability on the ball have been impossible to replace during the periods he has been injured.

The lack of alternatives, however, is striking. Granit Xhaka lacks the athleticism and defensive nous to be anything other than average in the position, getting exposed regularly; Bukayo Saka moving to fill in means he needs his own replacement on the right hand side of the front line (God help us if it’s Willian).

Enter Joel Lopez. The Spanish defender has yet to suit up for the first team but has impressed for the Under-23s. He is clearly rated highly by Mikel Arteta and the first team staff as he made the bench for the home fixture against Slavia Prague, while he has also trained with the first team but has been unable to break into the starting eleven.

With an upcoming season that will be less physically demanding than this one, there is hope that Tierney will be able to stay fit and firing with cover brought in, even if Saka is capable of filling in. Looking towards the long term, however, sending Lopez out on loan will allow him to build up fitness and experience as he will be an option to seriously look at further down the line.

He’s not ready for senior action yet and is in need of bulking up before taking the next step, so a lower league loan would suit him perfectly.