Shrewsbury Town are currently lacking options in wide areas and are now reportedly targeting a loan deal for Arsenal winger Charles Sagoe Jr, who had a loan spell at Championship side Swansea last season, making two league appearances from the bench for the Welsh Club in defeats to Plymouth Argyle and Leeds United.
Paul Hurt’s side have been flirting with relegation in League One ever since the 49-year-old departed during his first spell in May 2018 and despite adding 11 new faces in the transfer window, face an uphill task to preserve their place in the third-tier this season.
Charles Sagoe Jr’s Development at Arsenal
The 20-year-old left winger joined the Gunners from Fulham’s youth academy in 2015 and has steadily risen to become a prospect ready for first-team football at senior level. He made his debut in the Carabao Cup third-round win over Brentford in 2023, starting and playing over an hour in Arsenal’s 1-0 win at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The winger failed to have much of an impact against Premier League opposition, failing to register a shot on goal but has impressed at development and youth level for the North London Club. He played 16 games for the development side last season and registered ten assists across Premier League 2, EFL Trophy and UEFA Youth League action.
Charles Sagoe Jr’s standout performance was a haul of three assists against Manchester United’s under-21 side in a 4-2 win for the young Gunners in September 2023. This followed campaigns for both the under-18s and development squad, where the winger registered a total of 64 matches and contributed 16 goals and six assists.
The right-footed English winger is versatile, comfortable playing in a number ten role off the main striker and on either side but is primarily suited to his natural left-wing role. This should make him suited to Paul Hurt’s 4-2-3-1 set-up that he has persisted within the opening two matches of the current campaign.
Shrewsbury Town Target Loan Deal for Arsenal Prospect to Boost Forward Options
The Shrews opened their League One campaign with a defeat at Stevenage and they struggled to create chances but found the goal trail against Notts County in the Carabao Cup, progressing on penalties after a 3-3 draw. They started with former Coventry City star Jordan Shipley on the left in both matches but they have used two players on the right with Aston Villa loanee Tommi O’Reilly and 20-year-old forward Tom Bloxham given the nod.
Neither player looks like a natural in that role, with O’Reilly a creative midfielder more comfortable in central areas and although Bloxham has played most of his senior football on the right wing, he is a centre-forward and will suffice as an additional option in both areas.
It is therefore no surprise that the Shropshire Star is reporting that Shrewsbury Town are interested in Arsenal winger Charles Sagoe Jr, who despite being a natural left-winger, could very well do a job on the right for the League One side. The player needs senior minutes to further progress his career and there is scope for him to become a regular at the Shrews should he make the move.
The report states that Arsenal are planning to offer the winger a contract extension, with his deal expiring at the end of the season, before sanctioning a loan move. Shrewsbury Town have a couple of difficult league fixtures on the horizon before the end of August. They host Peterborough United this weekend before travelling to promotion hopefuls Huddersfield Town before rounding the month off by hosting Leyton Orient.
If they are to avoid relegation this campaign, Shrewsbury Town must improve on their attacking output. No team scored fewer than their 35 league goals in 2023/24 and they finished just four points clear of the bottom four after failing to win any of their last five matches.
