Transfer Rumor: French side Angers poised to add Arsenal’s Jeff Reine-Adelaide on permanent move

Few fringe or youth players hit a fanbases zeitgeist, transforming from a name in the ranks or a unheralded talent into a bit of a cult hero. They can be hyped endlessly like the youthful powerhouse The Ox, endlessly maligned as a Jeffers or rank among the utterly weird, a la DENCH (Frimpong, for those who inexplicably forgot.

But lately, few have enjoyed the boundless joy of The JEFF. Sadly, those days appear to be over.

Reports from France signal that the Ligue 1 side Angers SCO is on the verge of adding Jeff Reine-Adelaide on a permanent transfer from the Emirates. Having been on loan there since January 31st of this year and managing a mere 10 appearances, it’ll likely be a move on the cheap. So ends JEFF’s Arsenal dream.

The JEFF splashed onto the Gooner scene in the 2015 Emirates Cup, where his performance against Lyon earned a lot of praise. But form since then was inconsistent, earning the youth only eight appearances over three years for the Gunners. His work in the U21s was more promising as he was a large part of the team’s promotion into top flight football at that level.

Still, without a lot of first team time and a fairly unremarkable loan, The JEFF has found himself on the outside of the post-Wenger era at Arsenal. Unai Emery seems to have no need for him in his future plans and Angers clearly are happy to snap up the young Frenchman to further his development.

If the deal gose through, we wish all the best to The JEFF; we’ll likely find another cult hero but not one with such a buoyant nickname.