Ryo Miyaichi Joins Wigan On Loan

Arsenal have announced that 19 year old Japanese prospect Ryo Miyaichi has joined Wigan Athletic on loan for the entirety of the 2012/13 season. This will be the third loan spell for Ryo since joining the club, as a number of niggling injuries and competition for places has meant that his playing opportunities have been limited.

Ryo went on loan last year to Bolton and played rather well, scoring once in the FA Cup and assisting twice in twelve games in the league. He makes his return to Lancashire as Wigan prepare to lose Victor Moses, so playing time should not be a problem for Ryo.

Furthermore, Roberto Martinez's side is closer to Arsenal in terms of football philosophy; the wide forwards in Martinez's 3-4-3 are expected to contribute to the attack through creative passing and accurate crossing, as well as dribbling, as well as get into goal-scoring positions. This isn't all too dissimilar to what Arsenal's wide forwards do, so this move should help Ryo continue to develop the necessary skills to play wide forward for Arsenal.

It should also help his versatility. Before his move to Bolton, Ryo was effectively only a left-winger, but his deployment on the right at Bolton helped him learn some of the subtle differences between playing as an inverted winger (he's right footed) and a traditional, "natural" winger. He'll be expected to play in Moses' position, on the right, for Wigan, but also to swap sides, and this can only help him become a better player.