Nighswonger appeared to be a good signing for Arsenal 12 months ago. Arriving shortly after Renee Slegers was given the head coach role permanently, following an impressive spell as interim, the feeling was that she represented the slight shift in style from previous coach Jonas Eidevall to Slegers, as a full-back who suited the demands of the latter more.
However, the 25-year-old has made just six appearances for Arsenal in the time since, with just two of those starts. Five of those appearances came last season, too, with the full-back only getting onto the pitch once so far in the 2025-26 season. That was as a substitute in the win over Leicester as she replaced Taylor Hinds, another full-back whose arrival in the summer window has further limited the American's game time.
More concerning has been that Nighswonger, who The Athletic understands cost Arsenal a $100,000 (£75,000) fee, has regularly struggled to even make the matchday squad under Slegers, something which has impacted her international career, too. The full-back hasn't been called up by USWNT boss Emma Hayes since last February, something she will hope changes with this loan switch.