Arsenal’s women’s loan group has been spread across the WSL, WSL 2 and abroad this season, but the more important question now is which of those players genuinely have a route back next year.
Among the big topics from this season is the issue of players going out on loan and not doing well, with the idea of academy teams potentially playing in Tier 3 in future seen as one way of addressing that.
This is the right time to look at the players on professional contracts who are currently, or were previously, on loan in the WSL, WSL 2 and abroad.
First, there are two types of Arsenal players on loan, senior players and youth players.
There are two senior players and seven youngsters who are, or were, out on loan.
The senior players are in a different situation from the younger ones, as in theory they should be the ones coming back next season.
Arsenal women senior players on loan
Jenna Nighswonger is on loan at Aston Villa
She is clearly a player the coaching staff do not count on, having played only 15 minutes in the first half of the season.
Aston Villa took her on loan with an option to buy.
Regardless of her skills, strengths and weaknesses, it looks obvious she will not come back to Arsenal.
Rosa Kafaji is on loan at Brighton
She could come back next season, but the big question is where she would play, as a 7, 9, 10 or 11?
Would she be part of the players regularly in the starting XI?
Her loan has been successful in terms of games and performances.
If, as expected, multiple players leave in the 7 and 11 positions, that would leave spaces for her to come back.
Arsenal women youth players on loan
Laila Harbert is on loan at Everton, having previously been on loan at Portland Thorns
The Everton loan has been a disaster so far, with zero minutes.
There was also a curious period between loans when she was available for four games and Arsenal were short of players, yet she did not make the bench.
The loan at the Thorns was much more positive, with some game time as well as growth as a player and as a person.
Considering Arsenal are rumoured to be signing Geraldine Reuteler and Georgia Stanway in midfield this summer, she would probably be fourth or fifth choice in the double pivot if she came back next season.
Another loan spell might benefit her, because her potential is huge.
Michelle Agyemang is on loan at Brighton and is currently recovering from an ACL injury.
Depending on when she returns, she could be the ideal number three striker alongside Alessia Russo and Stina Blackstenius.
Agyemang has a different profile from those two players and is versatile enough to cover for both.
Jessie Gale is on loan at Bristol, having also spent the first half of the season on loan at Portsmouth
It has been a very successful set of loans at both clubs.
She could be a successor to Blackstenius, as her profile is very similar.
Another season on loan would therefore make sense, with a view to bringing her into the first-team picture in summer 2027, like Harbert.
Vivienne Lia is on loan at Hammarby in Sweden
Lia had previously been on loan at Nottingham Forest, where it did not work out well, so she moved to Sweden once the transfer window had already closed in England.
This has already been a much more successful loan, with starts, goals and assists.
Considering that one or two wingers are likely to leave in the summer, and the fact she can play on both sides of the pitch as a wing-back or full-back, she could be useful next season as the proverbial Swiss Army knife.
Maddy Earl is on loan at Glasgow City
Earl was previously on loan at Ipswich Town, where injuries and a lack of game time made it a mixed spell.
This has been a much better loan in terms of minutes.
If we look at the senior players she would be competing with for a place in the first team, we are talking about Russo, Frida Maanum or Mariona Caldentey.
She is not ready yet to compete with them.
Another year on loan looks necessary before she is ready for the first team.
Naomi Williams went on loan to Bristol City and was recalled in January once Arsenal’s senior goalkeepers were all injured
She is currently the fourth-choice goalkeeper and has not made the bench for the last six games, with Votikova and Borbe ahead of her.
Cecily Wellesley-Smith is on loan at Rosengård
Wellesley-Smith spent the first half of the season on loan at Leicester City and got no game time, as the manager opted for experienced players.
She moved to Sweden once the transfer window had closed in England. That has been much more successful, with regular starts.
Should Laia Codina and or another centre-back move on, there could be an opportunity for her to be fourth or fifth choice next season alongside Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Katie Reid when Reid returns from her ACL injury.
Like Lia, the question is whether it would be better for her development to be part of the first team next season and play a few minutes here and there, or go on another full-season loan and continue developing.
Arsenal women’s loans conclusion
Overall, the loan system has been a mixed bag for the players Arsenal have sent out.
The club have started giving first professional contracts to a lot of youngsters over the last couple of seasons, which marks a change from the previous decade.
As always, the biggest problem is integrating players into a team fighting for honours and competing in the latter stages of the Champions League.
Those players need to be ready when called upon, and that is not easy.
With the expectation that many players will leave the club and many will come in too, what happens to those players out on loan will be interesting.