KENNY Jackett believes Arsenal’s recent progress in cup competitions persuaded the Gunners to change their minds and allow Millwall to finally sign Craig Eastmond on loan.

The midfielder joined the Lions on Tuesday until the end of the season after an initial attempt to lure the 20-year-old south of the river was knocked back by Arsene Wenger earlier this month.

Arsenal have since gone on to overcome Leeds in an FA Cup replay and Wenger was clearly quietly confident enough on his side’s Carling Cup prospects to allow Eastmond to make the switch before Tuesday evening’s second leg semi-final meeting with Ipswich.

Eastmond will go straight into the Millwall squad for tomorrow evening’s game with Barnsley and Jackett is delighted to have him on board at last.

He said: “We have made enquiries over quite a long period of time.

“If Craig needed some games, we felt he could do well for us and we could do well for him.

“Maybe Arsenal getting over these series of cup games has just changed it slightly and they are happy now to let him go out on loan to get some experience.

“We are happy to have him here because we have quite a number of injuries at the moment.

“I have one or two people in that area like Tamika Mkandawire and Liam Trotter who can play different roles, so Eastmond gives us good competition and thickens us up.

“I’ve got confidence in him in a player because I think he is a good player.

“We’ve got Barnsley on Friday, Norwich away on Tuesday and then Doncaster at home next Saturday.

“These are big games we’ve got coming up and there will be plenty of opportunities for Craig in the next week.”

The Millwall boss also played down suggestions he is about to snap up Hameur Bouazza from French side Arles-Avignon.

“No, not at the moment,” he responded when asked by News Shopper if a move was on the cards for the former Charlton winger.

And Jackett also confirmed there have been no further developments in his pursuit of Southampton winger Jason Puncheon.

“We can’t match Southampton’s valuation at the moment,” he added.

“ I don’t honestly know if that is the end of it but it is obviously Southampton’s prerogative because he is their player and we respect that.

“Generally my policy is to talk afterwards when players are signed.

“There are no certainties of people coming in but Monday is a key time in terms of the window closing and the deadline going.”

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