Nikolaj Moller
One highly-rated youngster I’ve been told Arsenal are looking to loan out for some experience is Nikolaj Moller. He’s a striker they signed for £450,000 from Swedish side Malmo. At 6ft 4” he’s a big 18-year-old who has even been compared to a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He’s been playing in the Arsenal Under 23 side and scored just 3 mins into his debut against the much-lauded Man City PL2 side. He was nominated for the PL2 Player of the Month in just his first month with Arsenal and scored seven goals in 18 matches, as well as training with the Arsenal first team.
As well as being tall he’s apparently quite mobile and pacey and just needs to add some muscle to his slender frame. Even though he’s tall he is apparently not just a big target man, he can play that role or as the striker who can run in behind (so a combination of Tom Hopper and Callum Morton possibly). On paper he’d certainly fit the bill as the type of additional striker we could do with – a replacement for Tom Hopper when Tom needs a rest from the workload he carries as the lone front man, or as Moller can play in behind, maybe even allow us to change our tactics and play alongside Tom when required.
If Arsenal want a placement for Moller to add muscle to his frame, and develop the physical side of the game, we’d be a good fit. Under the guidance our brilliant fitness team he could quickly develop, and also learn the ropes of being a striker in men’s football by learning what Michael Appleton calls “how to bump defenders”. He may be a bit too young and raw for Michael to take a gamble on for a promotion push but then at the start of last season, the same could be said for Morgan Rogers.
Trae Coyle
Another player Arsenal are looking to get some more professional match experience into is Trae Coyle. The 20-year-old has played for England Under 17’s, the type of pedigree Michael Appleton likes. Trae is a versatile forward player who can play on either flank or as a main striker, so not too dissimilar to Brennan Johnson, and with us likely having a relatively small squad again, certainly compared to some League One clubs, Michael will surely like a player who add versatility. He certainly sounds on paper like having the abilities to fill either one of the holes left by Rogers or Johnson.
Arsenal placed Trae on a season-long loan with Gillingham last September and he scored for the Gills in the EFL Trophy against Crawley, but despite that he wasn’t getting much game time and as a result Arsenal recalled him on January 21st.