>

'In Love With a Loan Player'

$title =

Arsenal – Which loanees have performed best this season? Loan Roundup 2022/23

;

$content = [

As a club which has produced a core of phenomenal first team talent at their Hale End academy in recent years, it’s no surprise that Arsenal are top of the league at the time of writing, as well as having some serious talent out on loan.

But which loan players have fans of other clubs fallen in love with? We’ve selected a few of the best players that Arsenal have had out on loan this season. 

Folarin Balogun, 21 – Stade de Reims

The Facts:

It’s fair to say the young English striker has taken his loan as the perfect opportunity to shine, particularly under the management of young Will Still at Reims. Balogun has notched up a wholly impressive tally of 18 goals and two assists in 30 Ligue 1 games this season, and it doesn’t look as though that will be coming to an end anytime soon, with the bagsman reaching four goal involvements in his past five games.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Maxi’s Verdict:

Praised for his consistency, discipline, his fitness and his all round skills on the ball this season, Balogun may not be happy playing second fiddle to Gabriel Jesus at the Emirates next year, in what could be the perfect opportunity to secure a loan move within the Premier League to showcase his talents. 

Perhaps a side challenging for European places or pushing top half, would be the perfect side for Balogun to show what he can do and prove to Mikel Arteta that he’s more than ready to be the starting striker for the red side of North London.

Auston Trusty, 23 – Birmingham City

The Facts:

A key figure in a dependable Blues defence this year, Trusty has generally been well received by many at St Andrews, sending social media into a frenzy after each game as Blues fans rave about his performances, usually accompanied by the hashtag “#TrustyTheProcess.” 

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

He has played across the back four this season and been dependable in each position, his tall frame usually resulting in him winning his duels, as well as being 20th in the league for tackles per 90, with 2.3, and 17th for blocks with 0.8 per 90. (WhoScored).

Maxi’s Verdict:

Trusty has seriously impressed in a physical league this season. The second tier has truly been at it’s competitive best this year and Blues looked to be on the precipice of a playoff place in the second quarter of the season, and this was largely down to the efforts and consistency of a group of players, Trusty being one of them. He’s more than ready for a Premier League/ challenging Championship side next year and will undoubtedly become an asset for Arsenal in a few years, as well as a regular starter for the USMNT.

Nuno Tavares, 23 – Olympique de Marseille

The Facts:

Tavares, who found his first season at Arsenal difficult to say the least, has played some of his finer football at a Marseille side who continue to put pressure on the ever dominant Paris Saint-Germain.

Having scored six goals in 24 league games and featured in all his sides Champions League fixtures, it’s fair to say the Portuguese full back has found himself playing further up the pitch for Igor Tudor’s side, his most fruitful spells coming when he plays at the left midfield position. He has been given the freedom to utilise his excellent dribbling skills, placing at 11th in the best dribblers in Ligue 1 (WhoScored), completing 1.9 dribbles per game.

Maxi’s Verdict:

Whilst Tavares has impressed in France and played consistently for one of the top sides, he’ll still find it hard to find a place in Mikel Arteta’s plans. He is still only 23, so perhaps another loan move may aid his progression, this time to an Italian side, where he can work on his defensive output, providing he still wishes to be used as a full-back, or in La Liga, where he can expand on what he has learnt in an attacking sense, having been pushed further up the pitch this season under Tudor’s coaching.

 It’s clear to see however, this loan spell has been effective in his development, and he may yet feature in Arteta’s plans, as he looks to build squad depth and expand on his full back options. 

Charlie Patino, 19 – Blackpool

The Facts:

As previously stated, the Championship is a brutal league and even moreso for younger players trying to find their feet. Charlie Patino however, has arguably shone for a Blackpool side that have largely struggled this season, having recently succumbed to their second managerial sacking of the season. 

Patino is ranked 44th for most tackles made in the Championship this season, with an average of 1.9 per game, as well as 1.6 interceptions per game, as he has played largely in a central midfield role for the Tangerines. His offensive output is not to be scoffed at either, with three goals and four assist in 34 Championship games, an impressive total for a debut season in one of the world’s toughest leagues.

Maxi’s Verdict:

Patino has proven that, despite his tender age, he has talent. However, Blackpool have been extremely poor this season (I think even their fans will admit to this) and as such, Patino’s form and appearances have wavered throughout the season. His talent is still very raw but I’d liken him to a player such as Josh Brownhill, who has been transformed into a crucial cog in Vincent Kompany’s Burnley side. 

I feel as though a loan to a side like Burnley, who have an emphasis on young players and having several midfield cogs would work extremely well for Patino. Perhaps Southampton would be a good move next year, depending which direction the club goes in, or Forest under the stewardship of Cooper, who has proven to be tactically astute with younger players similar to Patino. 

These are just a handful of loan players that have performed particularly well at their respective loan clubs this year. Of course, with an academy and squad the size of Arsenal’s, we’re sure we’ll have missed the odd Tyreece John-Jules here, or the occasional Sambi-Lokonga there, so feel free to mention it to us on our socials!

];

$date =

;

$category =

,

;

$author =

Maximus Arvo

;

$previous =

;

$next =

;