Arsenal look like they may be about to let summer signing Rob Holding leave on loan in January, with a host of Championship clubs reportedly keen to sign the former Bolton man on a temporary basis.Â
Although Holding is arguably a better defender than Gabriel Paulista, a man who is getting plenty of playing time of late – Arsene Wenger seems to give the Brazilian the nod ahead of Holding due to his seniority. Whether that is right or wrong (it’s wrong) is another matter.
And with German duo Shkodran Mustafi and Per Mertesacker nearing full fitness, it looks like game time will be limited should Holding be kept at Arsenal and considering his age (21), it is important that he gets regular minutes on the pitch to develop and realise the huge amount of potential that he has.
According to The Mirror, Arsenal have several options when deciding whom to loan Holding too. A Championship club looks the most likely, with Premier League suitors unlikely to be able to guarantee him a starting spot in their team – something Wenger is surely likely to demand should be move.
In my opinion, Holding may be the third best central defender at the club when they are all fit, and I think it would be better to keep him on board. If another defender needs a loan then I would send Gabriel out. He may be older, but he really needs to prove himself and iron out his errors, finding some consistency, before he can be truly considered in the Arsenal starting line-up. Although he was certainly not solely to blame for either defeat, Gabriel has looked poor and had a negative effect on the team since replacing the injured Mustafi at the heart of defence. On the contrary, Holding looks a player with maturity beyond his years and a defender that is more than capable of rising to the challenge of featuring in the first eleven.
Holding is also capable of playing at right-back, useful considering Debuchy is out injured and there is no obvious understudy for Hector Bellerin.
Would you loan Holding out? Comment below.Â