Ryo Miyaichi set for Wigan loan

Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi has confirmed reports linking Arsenal midfielder Ryo Miyaichi with a summer move to DW Stadium.

The Japanese international has returned to the Emirates after ending his loan spell at Bolton, but with the fierce competition for starting places at Arsenal, he is once again expected to leave the club on loan.

The 19-year-old was recently paired with Wigan Athletic and the Latics keeper Ali Al-Habsi has revealed that Miyaichi is indeed set to sign for the DW Stadium outfit.

“I am happy that our team, Wigan, has acquired Japanese Arsenal player Ryo on loan for a season who was also loaned out to Bolton. It’ll be nice to have a fellow Asian with me in the team,” Al-Habsi wrote on his Twitter account.

Miyaichi signed for Arsenal in January 2011, but he has yet to appear in a competitive fixture for the Gunners.

The highly rated winger, nevertheless, enjoyed very successful spells with Feyenoord and Bolton, and he is widely regarded as one of world’s most talented players.

Miyaichi was surprisingly omitted from Japan’s Olympic squad by coach Takashi Sekizuka, but that didn’t stop the Blue Samurai from reaching the semi-finals at the 2012 Summer Games.