Arsenal starlet Jeff Reine-Adelaide to join Angers on loan for rest of the season

Arsenal starlet Jeff Reine-Adelaide will undergo a medical with Ligue 1 side Angers this afternoon (31 January) to complete a loan move away from the Emirates, according to latest reports in France.

Reine-Adelaide is still to permanently break into the Gunners' first-team after being recruited from Lens in 2015 but had been frequently used in cup competitions by Arsene Wenger. This season, he was named on the bench for Europa League and Carabao Cup contests while also made the squad for the ill-fated FA Cup third-round clash against Nottingham Forest.

With that cup campaign over and the club facing a step-up in quality of opposition in the knockout stages of the Europa League, opportunities to force his way into Wenger's starting XI are likely to be hard to come by during the second-half of the season.

L'Equipe and France Football now report a loan move is on the cards, with Reine-Adelaide's move to 16<sup>th-placed Angers expected to be confirmed in the coming hours. The 20-year-old is currently undergoing a medical ahead of the move which does not include an option to buy, suggesting the versatile attacker remains part of Wenger's long-term plans back in north London.

Reine-Adelaide's departure will likely fly under the radar at Arsenal today following confirmation of the club's record signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund. The Gabon international has signed a long-term deal in north London, with Olivier Giroud expected to join Chelsea before Wednesday's [31 January] deadline.

The arrival of Aubameyang and his former Dortmund teammate Henrikh Mkhitaryan this month also appear to have helped convince Mesut Ozil to sign a new contract at the club. According to BBC Sport, the Germany international has signed a new three-and-a-half year deal that makes him the highest paid player in the club's history – reportedly earning £350,000-a-week before tax.

The 29-year-old's previous was set to expire at the end of the current season.