Gunners Defender: I Nearly Left On Loan Last Summer

Rob Holding reveals there were talks for him to leave on loan before Unai Emery arrived…

Arsenal defender Rob Holding has admitted that he almost left to go on loan last summer, but decided to stay and try to impress Unai Emery, he told Sky Sports.

Holding signed a new long-term contract towards the end of last season with the understanding that he’d play under Arsene Wenger for at least one more season.

The 23-year-old was used sparingly by Wenger and never really enjoyed a sustained period in the team, and it seemed that played a part in him seeking a move away.

Holding admitted that he and his dad held important conversations between themselves about whether or not they should stay to impress a new manager or depart on loan, and the former Bolton defender chose the former.

“Over the offseason, with my dad and my agent, we were thinking should I go out on loan and hopefully get some game time?” The defender was quoted as saying.

“But then the manager [Arsene Wenger] obviously announced he was retiring and then it was ‘do I want to be out the door, rather than be in front of him [Emery] and be like, this is me, I want to play for your team?’

“So we took the decision to stay and do pre-season here and from pre-season, he liked the look of me and I sort of knew I was part of his plans.”

Holding has been our most consistent defender this season and has seamlessly manoeuvred his way into a position where he’s Unai Emery’s No.1 centre-back.

He’s often partnered Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis on a number of occasions, with the aforementioned duo yet to start together in the league since October.