Arsenal face decisions over loan policy

Today at 02:06 PM

Marquinhos was loaned out again yesterday, with the winger set to spend the entirety of 2025 with Cruzeiro.

Given that it is his fourth loan spell away from the club (following on from stints at Norwich, Nantes and Fluminense) it seems very unlikely that Marquinhos will have a future at Arsenal.

The fact that the 21-year-old didn’t return to Arsenal at a time when the club were extremely short of wingers is perhaps indicative of where his future lies.

Upon his arrival at Arsenal in 2022 Marquinhos showed some very encouraging signs at U21 level before scoring on his debut for the first-team against Zurich. However, he made just five further senior appearances for the Gunners and his performances during his time on loan haven’t been sufficient to earn a full-time return.

At some stages in recent years Arsenal have had a significant amount of loanees but they currently have just six – all of whom are first-team players.

Of those, Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga appear unlikely to represent Arsenal again, while Fabio Vieira’s long-term future is also uncertain.

Karl Hein could potentially return to Arsenal following his spell at Real Valladolid but would have to be patient if he was to eventually challenge to be the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, while Reiss Nelson is undoubtedly talented but has again struggled with injury.

Arsenal currently do not have any academy players on loan and it will be interesting to see whether that changes during this transfer window.

There are several youth players who could benefit from spells elsewhere, such as Maldini Kacurri, Ismeal Kabia and Jimi Gower, although it remains to be seen whether Arsenal will revert to their previous policy of loaning out many players.

During the first half of the season it seemed that the club are more focused on developing players themselves, with there being risks attached to the loan system as some youngsters find it difficult to adapt to different styles of play.

Loan spells can help the development of a player in some cases – Jack Henry-Francis, for instance, enjoyed a very impressive stint at Sligo Rovers – but there have also been many examples of temporary transfers not working out.

It will be intriguing to see what Arsenal’s approach to loan moves for youngsters will be in this transfer window.

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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird

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