Arsenal youth player, Stefan O’Connor, has joined Dutch club MVV Maastricht on loan.

The 19-year-old defender, who was loaned out to League 2’s York last season, became a regular starter in 2014/15, which given his age is pretty impressive.

He initially trained with Crystal Palace’s youth team until he moved to north London at the age of 13, before signing his first professional contract with Arsenal in 2014.

O’Connor now joins the Eerste Divisie club, who play Helmand Sport today (Friday), in order to gain some regular experience in a competitive league. The Dutch team typically float around mid-table in the Eerste Divisie, having briefly been promoted to Eredivisie in the 1970s and ’80s.

If Arsenal is loaning him out so readily, you have to consider whether he’s one for the future or whether we just want to train him up and sell him on. Given our club’s philosophy, I doubt it’s the second option.