Bartley re-joins Sheffield United
Arsenal central defender Kyle Bartley has re-joined Sheffield United on loan for the whole of the new season.
Bartley played 14 games for Sheffield United last season and has completed a loan switch back to the club to help them in their quest for promotion to the Premier League this season.
Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell said: "We saw last season that Kyle is a young player with great potential and the association was of great benefit to both of us - Getting him for a year means he can really concentrate on what we want from him."
Bartley is the latest in a long line of talented young players to emerge from Arsenal and another year playing first team football for another club will have a number of benefits for him as a developing player.
Positives of going on loan
The main benefit for Bartley signing on loan for Sheffield United is that he knows he will be playing football for a club that clearly respects him and wants him. He has a virtual guarantee of first team football as long as he doesn't show that he's taking it for granted.
He must have done something right last season for Sheffield United to actively seek out another deal to keep him on loan for another season. It means he can get his head down and focus on doing well for the Championship outfit, picking up experience as he goes.
He will ultimately want a chance in the Arsenal team but as he is only 19 years of age, this is unlikely to come for another one or two years. By the time he does play for Arsenal, if he does, he will be a much more complete defender who will make fewer mistakes.
Bartley has everything in place that he needs to do well. He knows Sheffield United and the club knows him. He's bigger and stronger than last season and will be much sharper in matches for the experience he gained last season. He will also benefit from playing beside the likes of Chris Morgan, who is one of the best players in Sheffield United's history.
Betting advice
Sheffield United stand a very good chance of going up to the Premier League. Bartley should add some real quality in defence and this means they will lose fewer games. If you prefer caution then there's no harm in waiting for the next couple of games to see how Bartley plays.
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