Arsenal sent 20 players out on loan in the summer but many have had varied seasons, including Kieran Tierney, so here are our power rankings of the 23/24 loan army so far.
The Gunners took full advantage of the loan market during the off-season to find temporary homes for many of their current and future first-team players. Tierney was among the last to leave Emirates Stadium when he joined Real Sociedad for a season after falling out of favour.
Loan moves can be crucial for players fighting for their futures for Arsenal or for those trying to impress Mikel Arteta. Temporary spells away from north London ultimately worked a trick for William Saliba, for example, who became an instrumental cog after a year with Marseille.
Arsenal have five first-team and 15 academy players out on loan
Arteta sent a total of five first-team stars and 15 members of Arsenal’s academy out on loan in the summer. Of those, 18 are due to spend a full season away from the Emirates. But two will return to the Gunners in January, yet are unlikely to have done enough to impress so far.
Arsenal will hope many of their loan army step up over the rest of the season to, potentially, warrant fees like Folarin Balogun. The attacker joined AS Monaco for €30m (£26m), rising to €40m (£34.5m) during August after scoring 22 goals in 39 game on loan to Stade de Reims.
So, with that in mind, here are our power rankings of Arsenal’s 23/24 loan army so far. A raft of players still have much to accomplish away from Emirates Stadium. But some players will have given Arteta some food for thought with their promising performances so far this term.
1) Mika Biereth (on loan to Motherwell for the 2023/24 season)
Arteta will be disappointed with the achievements of many of Arsenal’s 23/24 loan army but Mika Biereth is one of the few to truly impress. The forward hit the ground running after his move to Motherwell in the summer. He has also picked his form up again after a knee injury.
Biereth burst out of the gates with a goal and an assist on his debut at home to Hibernian in August. He even returned from a six-Premiership-game absence to score and assist at home to Ross County in October. The 20-year-old has since been among their goals consistently.
The former Fulham trainee is doing exactly what Arsenal sent him to Motherwell to achieve after Biereth spent 2022/23 on loan for RKC Waalwijk. His spell in the Eredivisie was not too successful after an array of injury problems restricted the striker to two goals in 13 matches.
2) Charlie Patino (on loan to Swansea City for the 2023/24 season)
Life on loan from Arsenal has seen Charlie Patino enjoy a strong season in the Championship with Swansea City. The 20-year-old has offered the Jacks a regular presence and also a goal threat from their engine room. His efforts are even receiving transfer interest from Juventus.
Patino has often been a pivotal player for Swansea despite the Welsh outfit sacking manager Michael Duff in December. His performances from the heart of their midfield inject drive to their plans. So much, in fact, that Michele Fratini says Arsenal value Patino at €30m (£26m).
Juventus technical director Cristiano Giuntoli is a huge fan of Patino after a stellar loan spell at Swansea so far. But, given his versatility and goal threat in the Jacks’ engine room, Patino may yet do enough to convince Arteta that he has a future for Arsenal on his return in 2024.
3) Brooke Norton-Cuffy (on loan to Millwall for the 2023/24 season)
Arsenal already knew they had a real rising star in their ranks when they let Brooke Norton-Cuffy join Millwall on loan in August. The 19-year-old enjoyed a terrific temporary spell with Coventry City during the second half of last season that helped them reach the play-off final.
Norton-Cuffy played 24 times for the Sky Blues and started at Wembley before Luton Town won on penalties. His first taste of the Championship last term, having also spent time with Rotherham United over the first half of the season, has now paid real dividends for Millwall.
The right-back, who can also play as a right midfielder, has been a key cog in the Lions’ line-up this term. Norton-Cuffy also made his debut for England’s U21s in October after offering Millwall continued progress. He also returned from the Young Lions to deliver a goal threat.
4) Arthur Okonkwo (on loan to Wrexham AFC for the 2023/24 season)
Wrexham AFC signed Arthur Okonkwo on loan from Arsenal for their return to the Football League in League Two. Their decision to land the 22-year-old’s temporary transfer has been a dream for Red Dragons boss Phil Parkinson, too, since he replaced Ben Foster in their net.
Parkinson initially turned to Mark Howard when Foster retired but quickly gave Okonkwo his chance. The Hale End gem has since emerged as one of the best shot-stoppers in the fourth tier. Wrexham even won six and drew four of his first 11 games before suffering a jaw injury.
Arsenal may be tempted to look into terminating Okonkwo’s loan transfer with Wrexham in January if they can recall the goalkeeper. He already showed his talents in League Two over the first half of 2022/23 with Crewe Alexandra, keeping nine clean sheets across 23 outings.
5) Runar Alex Runarsson (on loan to Cardiff City for the 2023/24 season)
With injury problems and a lack of form hindering many of Arsenal’s loan army, including for Tierney, the form of Runar Alex Runarsson at Cardiff City has seen the shot-stopper shoot up our power rankings. He only featured once in the Championship over his first 14 games.
Runarsson joined the Bluebirds ahead of their third game of the season and started in a 3-2 defeat at Ipswich Town. But boss Erol Bulut recalled the 28-year-old in November and saw a new goalkeeper. The Iceland international especially stood up to deny Millwall for a 1-0 win.
6) Kieran Tierney (on loan to Real Sociedad for the 2023/24 season)
7) Omar Rekik (on loan to Wigan Athletic until January 2024)
8) Catalin Cirjan (on loan to FC Rapid Bucuresti for the 2023/24 season)
9) Nuno Tavares (on loan to Nottingham Forest for the 2023/24 season)
10) Tyreece John-Jules (on loan to Derby County until January 2024)
11) Marquinhos (on loan to FC Nantes for the 2023/24 season)
12) Albert Sambi Lokonga (on loan to Luton Town for the 2023/24 season)
13) Mauro Bandeira (on loan to Colchester United for the 2023/24 season)
14) Billy Vigar (on loan to Eastbourne Borough for the 2023/24 season)
15) Henry Jeffcott (on loan to Derby County U21 for the 2023/24 season)
16) Salah-Eddine Oulad M’hand (on loan to Den Bosch for the 2023/24 season)
17) Kido Taylor-Hart (on loan to Bromley for the 2023/24 season)
18) Mauro Bandeira (on loan to Colchester United for the 2023/24 season)
19) Nathan Butler-Oyedeji (on loan to Cheltenham Town for the 2023/24 season)
20) Alex Kirk (on loan to Bromley for the 2023/24 season)
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