Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal decided to offload Lino Sousa on the final day of the January transfer window, and Ian Foster’s comments on the Aston Villa-owned left-back domake it a confusing decision.
Sousa left Arsenal for Villa on the Deadline Day before immediately moving to Plymouth Argyle on loan.
So, what has been said about Lino Sousa? Let’s take a look.
Lino Sousa leaves Arsenal… for good
Well, Lino Sousa left Arsenal for good on the final day of the January transfer window. He joined Aston Villa, as just as we reported on HITC he would.
Sousa joined Arsenal in January 2022 after leaving West Bromwich Albion. He made such an impression that he was part of the Gunners’ first-team squad for the training camp in Germany in 2022.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta took the left-back to Switzerland for the UEFA Europa League match against FC Zurich in September 2022.
The left-back was a substitute for Arsenal in the Premier League match against Brentford away from home in the Premier League in September 2022.
Arteta named Sousa among the substitutes for the FA Cup tie against Liverpool in January 2024 and also took him to the Dubai training camp.
However, on the final day of the January transfer window, Arsenal decided to sell Sousa to Premier League rivals Aston Villa.
Villa announced that they have secured the services of the 19-year-old left-back “for an undisclosed fee” and immediately sent him out on loan to Championship club Plymouth Argyle “for the remainder of the season”.
Praise for Lino Sousa
Argyle Head Coach Ian Foster seems to be a huge fan of Sousa and has said that he was following him when he was at Arsenal.
Foster told Argyle’s official website: “Lino is somebody that I’ve known for a while. I’ve always been excited by his performances at Arsenal and with the England development teams.
“He’s a really exciting player with huge potential and I think you can see why the likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa have taken him.
“He’ll come in, in competition on the left-hand side of the pitch. He’s got a lovely left foot; he’s athletic; he can handle the ball in tight areas; he can defend in 1v1 situations and he’s good in the final phase as well.”
It does seem strange that Arsenal decided to sell Sousa just when it seemed that the 19-year-old left-back was on the verge of breaking into the first team.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
