Toral Loaned to Birmingham City

Arsenal just announced that Jon Toral will be joining Birmingham City on loan for the 2015/16 season. The Spanish creative midfielder thrived in the Championship last season while on loan with Brentford and will hope to build on that good showing this season.

It was widely assumed Toral would be sent out on loan again this season based on the stockpile of attacking talent currently in the Arsenal set-up. Toral, who joined Arsenal as a part of the infamous Cesc Fabregas transfer, struggled early in his career in London due to injuries and never quite caught up to other attacking prospects such as Gedion Zelalem, Daniel Crowley, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, among others. That he was a last minute inclusion on the trip to Singapore, and was excluded from the Emirates Cup entirely, signaled that he was on his way out this season.

Toral did sign an extension with Arsenal at the end of last season, meaning this is likely his last chance to prove to Arsene Wenger he deserves a shot in the Arsenal first-team. We here at The Short Fuse wish Jon all the best in his move to the long since Alex McLeish-less Blues.