Arsenal loanee could line up against the Gunners in November

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Arsenal have just four players out on loan this season across the senior and youth setups, and one of them may face the Gunners before Christmas.

Ethan Nwaneri, who joined Borussia Dortmund on loan in the summer, has settled quickly in Germany. The attacking midfielder forced an own goal on his debut against Hoffenheim in the 86th minute, and has since started league wins over Paderborn and Stuttgart, scoring an offside goal in the latter.

With Giannis Konstantelias sidelined through injury, Nwaneri is in line for further minutes under Nico Kovac. Dortmund had interest in signing him permanently back in 2025, and the two clubs are scheduled to meet in late November — meaning Nwaneri could line up against his parent club.

A quiet summer for loan exits

The small number of temporary departures is notable. According to football.london, the change of Academy Director from Per Mertesacker to Pascal de Maesschalck has taken time to take effect and may have played a role in the lack of movement out of the club this summer.

Sam Hayball is the pathway and loans manager at Arsenal, working alongside sporting director Andrea Berta on temporary transfers. With a significant push to strengthen the youth squad with new arrivals in 2027, the report states that loans have been brought into sharper focus. Max Dowman and Marli Salmon both become eligible for loans on turning 17, and are expected to attract interest.

How the rest of the quartet are faring

Tommy Setford has gone straight into the starting line-up at Stevenage after joining on transfer deadline day. The England under-21 goalkeeper is yet to keep a clean sheet, conceding one goal per game so far, but manager Alex Revell has placed immediate faith in him. Setford has again been called up by England under-21s for fixtures against Kazakhstan, Slovakia and Ireland.

Ismeal Kabia has established himself as a starter at St Mirren, though the 20-year-old winger is still waiting for his first goal or assist. He featured for Mikel Arteta's side in pre-season in Girona and Dublin, and has already faced Rangers twice and Celtic, putting in a solid display in the narrow 2-1 defeat to the latter. "We've had to fight off a lot of interest in him as well," Craig McLeish said on his arrival. "He had lots of different options up here and down south and in Europe. It's a really good one for us, and we're really excited to show him off."

Charles Sagoe Jr is on his third loan from the club, following spells at Swansea and Shrewsbury Town. The 22-year-old forward joined Kalmar FF in January on a one-year deal that expires at the end of the year, and has three goals and eight assists in 22 Allsvenskan appearances. Kalmar have not won since July and are flirting with the bottom two, with Sagoe Jr registering one goal contribution in his last eight games.

Former Kalmar striker Charlie Rosenqvist, who left in August, said of him: "An incredible player. The one-on-one ability is top-notch." With Rosenqvist gone, Sagoe Jr carries more of the load as Kalmar attempt to climb clear of trouble.

The next few months will offer a clearer picture of where each of the four stands in Arsenal's long-term planning.