Jon Toral joins Birmingham on loan

Jon Toral, Arsenal’s 20-year-old Spanish centre midfielder has been loaned out to a Championship side for the second year running. He joins Birmingham City this time, after a successful year with Brentford in 2014/15, which commenced with the signing of a contract extension.

Last season, he made 37 appearances, scoring six goals, including a hat-trick against Blackpool. Toral, along with Hector Bellerin, signed with Arsenal from Barcelona in 2011. Unlike Bellerin, who spent a large amount of time as a first team regular and flourished in that role, Toral has dealt with knee problems, requiring him to have four different operations during his four years with the club, all occurring between the ages of 16 and 18. Having those types of issues at such a young age would surely be a red flag to most managers, but after staying totally healthy last season, he looks to keep that trend and push on for a successful upcoming season.

Toral’s mother is from Doncaster, so him rejecting a contract extension from Barcelona to join Arsenal is not as surprising as most would normally think. The Mirror compared him to a former England international and Premier League great, saying: “Toral’s goalscoring exploits at youth level drew comparisons with England midfielder Frank Lampard.

The Spaniard has struck five goals in just seven starts for the Championship promotion-chasers this term, including a screamer at Bolton in October.”

This is no doubt that it is an impressive comparison, but it is also premature, as Toral has not yet made a competitive appearance for Arsenal’s first team. An improvement on last season should see Wenger looking at the Spaniard for a rotation role in the first team for the 2016/17 season, and if he can lead Birmingham to success, or impress on his loan, he should definitely be considered for an expanded role in the Gunners’ midfield.

The future is bright for the youngster, but he has to stay healthy, keep scoring and making goals as well as getting good amounts of playing time this season. This is no doubt a huge season for Jon Toral in regards to his future at the Emirates, so he will look to make a mark on the Championship at Birmingham.