Loan rangers
Premier League clubs are finding it harder than ever to give meaningful opportunities to their young players. The influx of television money has allowed top-flight sides to cast their recruitment nets even wider in the search for talent, which has often forced academy products to look elsewhere in the search for first-team minutes.
Arsenal – Eddie Nketiah
Nketiah played 64 minutes of Arsenal’s 3-0 FA Cup victory over Blackpool last weekend, and also started against Qarabag and Vorskla in the Europa League earlier this season. He’s briefly appeared in the Premier League too, replacing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in second-half stoppage time in the 2-1 win at Bournemouth.
The 19-year-old has clearly outgrown Premier League 2 football, but he’s unlikely to get much game time at the Emirates as the business end of the campaign approaches. Plenty of Championship teams would be improved by his presence.
Bournemouth – Jack Simpson
Simpson has made as many league appearances for Bournemouth (one) as he has international caps for England U21s. The defender earned international recognition last year despite having only played three cup games for the Cherries at the time; he’s since enjoyed five more outings for Eddie Howe’s side in the FA Cup and League Cup, impressing scouts across the country with his performances.
Brighton – Viktor Gyokeres
Brighton’s expansive venture into Nordic football has brought players from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland to their development squad over the past year, and it’s Swedish starlet Gyokeres who has impressed the most.
The winger moved from Stockholm to Sussex a year ago, helping the Seagulls win promotion to the top division of Premier League 2 football in his first few months on the club’s books. He featured for the first team in the FA Cup victory over Bournemouth, but Gyokeres should push for more regular football in the second half of the season.
Burnley – Dan Agyei
Since making the move from Wimbledon to Burnley in 2015, Agyei has got used to moving around the country for various loan spells. The forward has spent time at Coventry, Walsall and Blackpool in the last few years, making a total of 46 appearances in League One.
Burnley opted to keep him around this term, and Agyei has responded brilliantly by finding the net 13 times in 20 games for the club’s U23s. Such goalscoring prowess is likely to attract interest from a host of third-tier clubs in the coming weeks.
Cardiff – Ciaron Brown
Cardiff use their development squad like an old-school reserve team, with many of Neil Warnock's first-team squad getting an occasional run-out alongside a handful of trialists and the Bluebirds' best young players.
One of those, Brown, has made terrific progress since joining from Wealdstone a year ago. He’s become more clinical in front of goal this season and looks ready to make the step up to first-team action away from south Wales.
Chelsea – Luke McCormick
Chelsea’s vast loan network stretches from Bruges and Burton to Turin and Tenerife, though the rising stars of Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount and Reece James in the Championship demonstrate that there is plenty of logic in getting into senior football at the earliest opportunity.
McCormick is another who could benefit from a stint in the second flight. He’s only 11 days younger than Derby loanee Mount but is still waiting for his first minutes at senior level. An all-round midfielder who can pass, run and tackle, McCormick would be a valuable asset in the Championship.
Crystal Palace – Nya Kirby
After Timothy Eyoma’s Tottenham debut last week, 11 of the 18 outfield players in England's victorious U17 World Cup-winning squad have now made their senior bow.
Kirby is one of seven still waiting; the closest he’s come to first-team action at Crystal Palace was a place on the bench for the League Cup defeat by Middlesbrough back in October. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has made the breakthrough at Selhurst Park in recent times but Roy Hodgson has otherwise stuck with the tried and tested, so Kirby would be advised to find a new home until the end of the season.
Everton – Ademola Lookman
When Lookman scored a brilliant late goal in Everton’s 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City in January 2017, it seemed certain that he would establish himself in the first team over the next few months. His first start duly arrived a few weeks later, but he’s only made 17 more in the two years since – seven of which came on loan at RB Leipzig last term.
Fulham – Luca De La Torre
Slavisa Jokanovic’s departure from Craven Cottage was a blow for Fulham’s prolific academy. The Serbian called upon several graduates of their Motspur Park setup during his tenure in west London, with American De La Torre one of the beneficiaries of the manager’s willingness to give youth a chance.
The midfielder scored his first professional goal in the League Cup victory over Millwall in September, but struggling Fulham aren’t exactly in the best position to blood youngsters at present. De La Torre should therefore seek a loan move away this month.
Huddersfield – Demeaco Duhaney
The Terriers are doing things differently at youth level these days. Following in Brentford’s footsteps by eschewing the traditional academy system, they instead run an operation from U17 level upwards, which features the formation of an Elite Development Team that hoovers up players released by other clubs.
Duhaney, let go by Manchester City, is one such reclamation project. A versatile defender who can play anywhere across the backline, he’s more than ready to leave the youth game behind.
Liverpool – Rhian Brewster
After winning the U17 World Cup with England the previous year, 2018 was difficult for Brewster. The striker was ruled out for 12 months after suffering a serious injury last January, so he’ll be desperate to get back playing in the second half of this season having now regained his fitness.
Liverpool may prefer to keep him under wraps on Merseyside, but Brewster is unlikely to get many first-team minutes as Jurgen Klopp’s side aim for the title. A spell further afield could do the youngster a world of good.
Manchester City – Luke Bolton
Even some Manchester City fans had not heard of Bolton before the Stockport-born teenager made a first-team impression during pre-season under Pep Guardiola last summer.
Reinvented as a full-back, the former forward’s industry and guile on the right side of the pitch will have surprised those who had questions about his potential. He won’t impact things at the Etihad Stadium any time soon, though, so a loan move seems sensible to allow Bolton to continue his progress.
Manchester United – RoShaun Williams
A month ago, this list might have included Angel Gomes, Tahith Chong or James Garner as some of Manchester United’s brightest young stars. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has since reportedly halted plans to farm them out on loan, preferring to keep said youngsters around the first-team squad for the rest of the season.
That leaves the next tier of hopefuls to head out instead. Williams was once considered to be among the very best, but hasn’t quite kicked on as expected and could do with a change of scenery and fresh challenge to showcase his ability.
Newcastle – Freddie Woodman
The England goalkeeping prospect pool isn’t exactly dry, but it’s short on stellar prospects and Woodman has been one of their better ones over the years.
A regular at every age group and an U20 World Cup winner in 2017, he got his first taste of professional football at Kilmarnock in 2017/18, but Newcastle didn’t find an appropriate follow-up this term. He was given the chance to showcase his talent against Blackburn in the FA Cup, and really should be knocking Rafa Benitez’s door down this month to make sure he gets out there on loan.
Southampton – Harry Lewis
Ralph Hasenhüttl has already taken a look at several of Southampton’s youngsters, and he may be loath to let the likes of Lewis leave as Saints battle against the drop.
Having said that, the goalkeeper is behind Alex McCarthy, Angus Gunn and Fraser Forster in the pecking order at St Mary’s, so first-team opportunities are unlikely to be forthcoming in the next few months. No one would blame Lewis for consider his long-term future, but his priority for now should be securing a loan switch this month.
Watford – Michael Folivi
From playing at Wembley in May for Boreham Wood to finishing the year with Watford’s U23s in a losing cause at Bristol City, Folivi continues to take two steps back for every step forward.
As consistent a goalscorer at that level as you’ll find, his 31 strikes for the Hornets have so far yielded just a brief and unsuccessful spell at Coventry and half a season in the National League with the Wood. With little more to prove at youth level the striker must head out on loan, particularly if he harbours hopes of a long-term career at Vicarage Road.
West Ham – Reece Oxford
It’s hard to believe that Oxford was still a teenager until last month, such has been his profile in recent years as the latest great prospect to emerge from the east London academy.
He’s played for Reading and Borussia Monchengladbach in the three-and-a-half years since he became the Hammers’ youngest-ever player, but no West Ham appearance for a year nor senior involvement since May suggest the Edmonton-born defender has hit something of a developmental snag. It seems the perfect time to find a fresh challenge.
Wolves – Benny Ashley-Seal
After starting out in north London with Arsenal and Tottenham, Ashley-Seal signed for Norwich, where he was hand-picked by the Guardian as the Canaries’ best young prospect. But after leaving Norfolk, trials with Chelsea and Stoke didn't bear fruit.
The striker has finally settled in the Midlands: only two players have more Premier League 2 goals as he leads Wolves’ promotion tilt, and he got his senior debut for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team in the League Cup earlier this season. Further opportunities will be limited, though, and the Londoner’s efforts have surely caught the attention of Football League clubs desperate for a goal-getter.
