Gedion Zelalem signs loan deal with VVV-Venlo

According to what appears to be the official Instagram account of Eerste Divisie (read: Dutch second division) side VVV-Venlo, Gedion Zelalem is on his way to Holland for the remainder of the 2016/17 campaign.

The young Arsenal central midfielder has seen his progress stall this season after a largely successful campaign with Rangers in the Scottish Championship during the 15/16 season. He has barely been involved in first-team action this season, seeing only two substitute appearances in the Capital One Cup.

I’ve written in the past about the level of loan sides correlating to the ultimate success of the loanee at Arsenal Football Club, so there’s no need to rehash that issue. Suffice it to say, despite rumors of a new deal with the Gunners in advance of this move, Zelalem’s Arsenal career is on life support. Here’s to hoping he can revive his career in Holland and press forward in the summer to show Arsene Wenger he’s deserving of a look in the first team.

If, like me, you’ve never heard of VVV-Venlo, but think it sounds AAA-Awesome, here’s some facts for you, courtesy of Wikipedia:

• It’s located in the city of Venlo, population of roughly 100,000.
• Keisuke Honda, Ahmed Musa, and Maya Yoshida used to play there. That’s neat!
• They currently top the table in the Dutch second division, so Zelalem will hope to play a role in their promotion to the Eredivisie.
• Zelalem is the second Arsenal prospect loaned out to the Eerste Divisie following Kelechi Nwakali, on loan with MVV Maastricht.

We here at The Short Fuse wish Gedion all the best in Holland!