Arsenal send Tim Akinola out to Dundee United on loan for the rest of the season

NIGERIAN-born midfielder Tim Akinola has joined Scottish Premiership side Dundee United in loan for the rest of the season after the club and Arsenal agreed a deadline day deal for the promising youngster.

Akinola, 20, only got promoted to the Arsenal first team last season by manager Mikel Arteta, who was looking to boost his flagging squad. However, Akinola has not had the playing time he had hoped for at the Emirates, so is now going out on loan in the hope that he will see a lot more action.

This afternoon, Akinola flew out to Scotland to seal the deal,. confessing that he actually got a little mixed up as he initially thought it was Dundee he was signing for. His agent appears to have mixed up Dundee and Dundee United but the matter has been cleared up now and Akinola said he cannot wait to get started at Tannadice.

Akinola said: “A few days ago my agent rang me and said I spoke to Dundee and they are interested in you.  There are two teams in Dundee and I didn’t even ask him what one, and then I looked at the table to see there were two Dundees.

“I thought it was the other one, not Dundee United and I was like Oh. They are a decent club but I found out a day later it was United when he told me their position.

“I said: ‘No, they’re not seventh.’ Then he told me it was Dundee United and I knew it was a really good club. I did my research and said let’s get this moving forward.'”