The agent of one Arsenal starlet has now admitted that the player made a major error last summer which could hinder his future prospects.
Catalin Cirjan is currently plying his trade for Romanian club Rapid Bucuresti, on loan from Arsenal.
Cirjan returned to his native Romania to join Rapid Bucuresti on a one-year loan deal in the recent summer transfer window.
The 21-year-old was one of a number of the Gunners’ more promising youngsters to be sent out loan to gain experience of senior football elsewhere. Charlie Patino has caught the eye for Swansea City in the Championship this season, and is another notable example. Mika Biereth has also been in excellent goalscoring form across his two temporary stints away from the Emirates Stadium this season.
The likes of Arthur Okonkwo, Mauro Bandeira, and Brooke Norton-Cuffy, amongst others, have all also garnered valuable experience via loan moves away from north London this season.
Cirjan may now be regretting his return to Romania, though.
Agent of Catalin Cirjan expresses regret over Arsenal loan exit
The attacking-midfielder’s agent, Florin Manea, recently confessed to Sport that, “Cirjan is back [in Romania]. I think he made a mistake by returning to Romania.”
“You don’t play for Arsenal, good, you go to Bournemouth, Luton, Brentford. There are a lot of teams and you have to try to stay in the big game. That’s what I was talking to Radu Dragusin about. The level of training is incredible. The moment you drop this level and train at the intensity here, you lose a lot and it’s hard to come back. There’s a big difference between Italy and England, let alone Romania and England.”
There is certainly a vast gulf in the standard between the Premier League and the Romanian Liga I. Given his age, time was already running short for Cirjan to show that he has what it takes to make the grade at Arsenal, and his failure to show that he can compete in a top-level division will not have helped his cause.
Cirjan has not been seen in action for Rapid Bucuresti in the league since mid-January. He began the campaign as a regular starter, but has now been an unused substitute for the last eight outings.
Arsenal youngsters must learn lesson from Catalin Cirjan
It’s hard to imagine that Cirjan now has any kind of future at the Emirates Stadium, and his list of potential suitors will likely be significantly diminished by the time this loan spell comes to any end.
Cirjan’s loan experience ought to be seen as a cautionary tale by the talented youth prospects currently on the books in Arsenal’s Hale End academy system who are aiming to break into Mikel Arteta‘s first-team squad. If any of them are given the chance to leave the club on loan, they ought to push for a move that will allow them to compete and train at the highest standard possible.