Arsenal could send ‘outstanding’ gem who wowed Mikel Arteta out on loan

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Arsenal could now send Lino Sousa on loan to an EFL club during the upcoming January transfer window. The Gunners are exploring options to give the youngster vital experience.

That is according to the Evening Standard, which reports it is possible that Sousa leaves the north Londoners in January. He is yet to make his senior debut since the full-back joined in January from West Brom. But Mikel Arteta has included Sousa in one Premier League side.

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Sousa featured as an unused substitute as Arsenal won 3-0 at Brentford on September 18 in his only senior involvement. The 17-year-old has instead spent his term playing regularly for their Under-21 squad in the PL2. He is youth boss Mehmet Ali’s first-choice at left-back.

Expectations at Arsenal are high for Sousa since his transfer from West Brom

Expectations are high for Sousa at Emirates Stadium since leaving his boyhood Baggies in the winter for Arsenal. He fits the mould of a left-back in Arteta’s mind with his will to push forward. The Lisbon-born, England U18 international is also comfortable when on the ball.

Sousa has even blown Arteta and a number of the Gunners’ coaching staff away at London Colney since his arrival. Football.london reported during April that the full-back impressed Arteta and his team, who earmarked the West Brom product as a likely star for the future.

Any EFL loan in January will provide Sousa with valuable first-team experience

Such has been the positivity around Sousa at Arsenal that Arteta took him to Zurich back in September. While the left-back did not make the matchday team, The Athletic reported he had travelled for the Europa League Group A opener after training with the first-team fold.

Arteta also took Sousa with the Arsenal squad to Dubai for their mid-season training camp. While the Gunners’ former youth boss, Kevin Betsy, was full of praise for Sousa during their time together last season. He told the Arsenal website that the defender was ‘outstanding’.

A loan move to an EFL side may now follow for Sousa with Arsenal ready to consider a mid-season transfer. He left West Brom without playing a first-team fixture at The Hawthorns. So, any temporary move to the Football League will offer him valuable senior experience.