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The trend of Premier League youngsters moving to the Bundesliga shows no signs of abating.
After Manchester City starlet Rabbi Matondo’s £11 million transfer to Schalke was confirmed, comes news that two of Arsenal’s brightest young stars are set to move to Germany on loan for the rest of the season.
18-year old Emile Smith-Rowe is moving to RB Leipzig, having been guaranteed first-team football by the German side. Smith-Rowe, part of the England squad that won the under-17 World Cup squad two years ago, has had something of a breakthrough season at the Emirates, scoring three goals in 6 appearances in the EFL Cup and Europa League. However, having missed some weeks with a hip injury, and with the arrival of Denis Suaréz at the club, his senior opportunities for the rest of the season are likely to be limited, so Arsenal consider it better that he continue his development in a competitive environment.
Meanwhile, his team mate, Eddie Nketiah, has been linked with a move to Augsburg, where former Arsenal coach and goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has just taken up a coaching position.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.