It’s quite possibly been the most boring transfer window for Arsenal fans to sit through, but believe it or not, there aren’t many people complaining.
It finally looks as if Arsene Wenger has a squad that are capable of competing on all major levels, and with nearly everyone back fit and healthy he hasn’t had to dip into the market.
January has seen Welbeck, Mertesacker and Walcott return to action from long spells on the sidelines, but now it looks as if Wenger is turning his attention to outgoings. A gamble? Take a look at the latest Royal Ascot odds if you fancy a flutter yourself.
Having seen what they can do in training during the first half of the season, the Gunners boss is expected to let at least three youngsters go out on short-term loan spells.
Chuba Akpom (Brighton or Aston Villa)
These days, I’m a strong believer that the term ‘highly-rated’ is used way too much, but if Akpom can keep his head down then he genuinely has a future with the first team.
With so much pressure on Arsenal’s frontline, the forward role is always difficult to get a sniff at when you’re an academy graduate, and Akpom has taken his chances well.
A regular during pre-season and the leading man in Arsenal’s Premier League 2 squad, Akpom is now a striker who is beginning to mature on the pitch as well as off it.
His several spells away from the Gunners has ensured his mentality is right, and I think he know it’ll still be a couple of years until he’s getting ‘Iwobi’ chances in the first team.
Aston Villa looked to have secured the England international earlier this month, but now it looks as if the high-flying Brighton was a more tempting offer for Akpom.
He’ll immediately link up with the Championship leaders, who have recently signed Bournemouth striker Glenn Murray on a permanent deal following a successful loan spell for the veteran.