Four Arsenal players of Nigerian descent available for loan in January

According to Football.London, Arsenal's Academy chief Per Mertesacker will allow seven promising players leave on loan in the January transfer window.

Of the seven academy stars tipped for temporary departures, four are players of Nigerian descent namely Folarin Balogun, Tim Akinola, James Olayinka and Ryan Alebiosu.

Balogun has been playing mostly for the Gunners development squad in 2021-2022 due to a lack of game time with the first team, despite his promotion to the senior squad before the start of the campaign.

The Hale End Academy graduate is wanted by multiple clubs in the Championship and is also open to joining top-flight clubs in the German Bundesliga and French Ligue 1.

Nigerian-born midfielder Akinola had attracted interest from several foreign teams in the summer but the Gunners hierarchy blocked the move because they wanted him to be loaned out to a Football League club in England.

The 20-year-old has been invited to train with the first team several times this season, making his non-competitive debut in a friendly against Brentford.

Fullback Alebiosu was heavily linked with a switch to Sunderland in the summer transfer window but the loan move fell through at the last minute.

Olayinka was another candidate tipped to leave the Emirates Stadium on a temporary basis in the summer but the fact is that no clubs were really interested in the versatile midfielder because he was recovering from injury.