Omar Rekik hasn’t extended his short-term loan spell with Wigan Athletic, returning to Arsenal in the January transfer window.

Omar Rekik moved on a short-term loan deal to Wigan Athletic in the summer, with the initial contract lasting until this month.

It’s not uncommon for Arsenal to extend loans mid-season, with the Gunners having agreed to do just that with Tyreece John-Jules last week.

Like Rekik, John-Jules initially had a loan deal lasting until January, but he’s now signed a new one to see out the season with Derby County.

In Rekik’s case, Wigan have now confirmed that the player is returning to Arsenal.

Rekik almost played for Wigan for a full year, having first joined the club on loan mid-season in 2022/23.

After making 11 appearances with the club in the Championship, the defender returned to the same team on loan this season for a further 14 games in all competitions.

Overall, 25 games in a year isn’t bad for a young defender, but Rekik had dropped out of the Wigan squad completely for the last couple of months due to injury.

With the uncertainty around Rekik’s return to action, it’s perhaps no surprise that Wigan have opted against extending his loan deal.

The 22-year-old will now hope to get games back at his parent club, assuming he can’t find another loan before next Wednesday’s deadline.