Omar Rekik moved to Wigan Athletic on a short-term loan in the summer, with his original contract running until this month.
It is not uncommon for Arsenal to extend loans in the middle of the season, and last week the Gunners agreed a contract extension with Tyreece John-Jules.
Like Rekik, John-Jules was originally on a loan deal until January, but has now signed a new one which will see him spend the season with Derby County.
Wigan have now confirmed that the player is returning to Arsenal.
Rekik has played for Wigan for almost a full year, having first joined the club as a loan player in the middle of the 2022/23 season.
After 11 appearances with the club in the Championship this season, the defender returned to the same squad as a loan player for a further 14 games in all competitions.
Overall, 25 games in one year is not bad for a young defender, but Rekik has been out of the Wigan squad completely due to injury in the last few months.
With the uncertainty surrounding Rekik’s return to action, it is perhaps not surprising that Wigan have decided not to extend his loan contract.
The 22-year-old will now hope to get back playing for his parent club if he is unable to find another loan deal by next Wednesday.