Young Arsenal trio seal late deadline day loan exits

Krystian Bielik, Matt Macey and Marc Bola all sealed late moves away from Arsenal on Tuesday evening (31 January), taking the number of deadline loan departures from the Emirates Stadium to seven following the exits of Gedion Zelalem (VVV-Venlo), Kaylen Hinds (Stevenage), Stephy Mavididi (Charlton Athletic) and Ismael Bennacer (Tours FC).

Versatile Polish midfielder Bielik has been restricted to just two EFL Cup appearances since joining the Gunners from Legia Warsaw in a £2.4m ($3m) deal two winters ago and will now spend the rest of the season in the Championship with Birmingham City. He could make his debut at home to Fulham on Saturday (4 February) as the Blues, beaten 1-0 by promotion chasers Reading at St Andrew's last night, search for their first win since December's controversial sacking of Gary Rowett. New manager Gianfranco Zola has failed to win any of his first 10 matches in charge, picking up just three points from a possible 27.

Bielik was the second player loaned by Birmingham on deadline day, with former Liverpool striker Jerome Sinclair also arriving from Watford. Zola allowed David Cotterill, Reece Brown and Viv Solomon-Otabor to join Bristol City, Chesterfield and Bolton Wanderers respectively.

League Two play-off hopefuls Luton Town were particularly active in the final hours of the window, signing Ollie Palmer from Leyton Orient and strengthening their goalkeeping options following Christian Walton's recall by Brighton & Hove Albion with the captures of Matt Macey and Reading's Stuart Moore. The latter went straight into the side for Tuesday's surprise home defeat to Cheltenham Town after joining on an initial emergency loan that was quickly extended until May.

"I'm buzzing," Macey, who made four appearances on loan at Accrington Stanley last season, told Luton's official website. "I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, to finally get a chance to go and prove myself is brilliant. It can be a bit of a bubble at Arsenal and places like that, but I had a taste of it at Accrington and before that I was at Bristol Rovers as a young lad, so I know what League Two is all about.

"As soon as I heard there was interest I was 100% on the way. You don't get opportunities like this too often, so when you get one you've got to go for it straight away, don't think twice. In terms of being a football fan I know how massive this club is and I know that the support is huge from when Luton have come down to play teams that I've been at, like Bristol Rovers. I'm really looking forward to it."

Basement strugglers Notts County also had a busy day, with manager Kevin Nolan registering himself as a player before successfully loaning Tahvon Campbell, Jorge Grant and Josh Clackstone. Bola, who signed his first professional contract at Arsenal last April, also joins until the end of the campaign.

"It's a pleasure after seeing him at West Ham scoring goals," the 19-year-old said of playing under Nolan. "He believes in young players and he's experienced. Notts County is a massive club and I'm just buzzing to get playing."