Arsenal hold talks over new defender loan after transfer agreement expires

Arsenal U21 defender Maldini Kacurri made a real impression during his time on loan at Morecambe in the National League

Morecambe have held discussions with Arsenal over a second loan for centre-back Maldini Kacurri, football.london understands.

The 20-year-old Lewisham-born defender has been a major hit with The Shrimps but their loan agreement for the Albania international expired today (January 2).

It means the Non-League side would have to thrash out fresh terms to keep the player until the end of the campaign as they continue to fight for safety.

Problematically though, Kacurri's red-hot form means he's also attracted interest from teams higher up the pyramid.

He has been a revelation at Morecambe and won both their Player of the Month awards for October and November, respectively.

Kacurri has made 17 appearances in the National League this season, scoring and assisting once.

Back in February, the Albanian joined League Two outfit Bromley on loan for the rest of the season but he only featured three times for the Ravens.

He also earned his first international cap in September when he was called up by former Arsenal and Barcelona full-back Sylvinho.

Kacurri played the full 90 minutes and helped Albania keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 away friendly victory against Gibraltar.

Arsenal snapped up Kacurri from Fulham back in the summer of 2022 and he went on to impress for Jack Wilshere's U18s.

In September 2024, he was part of the first-team squad for the 1-0 win over rivals Tottenham in the North London Derby and later came off the bench to replace Riccardo Calafiori in the Carabao Cup demolition of Bolton Wanderers.

In doing so, he became the first Albanian ever to represent Arsenal's first-team.

Given there are plenty of young defensive talents at the club - including Marli Salmon and Josh Nichols - it seems highly unlikely Kacurri will be kept around this winter to be part of the first-team picture.

Salmon is highly rated around the club and he recently came off the bench to make his senior debut in the 3-0 Champions League win over Club Brugge in Belgium. Both Salmon and Nichols were also part of the Arsenal squad in pre-season for their tour of Asia.

Bournemouth sources have also downplayed reported loan interest in Ethan Nwaneri to football.london .