If used well, the loan market can be a very successful way of improving the squad for a long, hard season. When the funds are not quite there to pay a full transfer fee for a player that’s needed, it can be a short-term, cheaper option to get that extra squad player.
It is also a very good way of getting excellent young players with everything to prove, for a year or two from bigger clubs, who can’t yet give their youngster enough game time to continue their development. That’s exactly how we managed to get Carl Jenkinson from Arsenal last year, who proved to be an excellent addition.
West Ham played the loan market very well last season for once, by also acquiring Alex Song (Barcelona) although he wasn’t cheap. Both players played a crucial part last season and showed the importance of the loan market if used intelligently.
Premier League rules state that only two players can be signed on loan a season from a fellow Premier League club but loans from abroad are unlimited.
I’d like to see West Ham enter a partnership with a European super power like Bayern Munich or Barcelona, to get one of their youngsters on loan at the beginning of each season. For that to happen, we would have to be regularly playing a certain style of football that aids development for young attacking players and hopefully we will start seeing that develop over the next couple of years under Slaven Bilic.
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Here are five young players available on loan that could be of huge benefit for West Ham United next season.
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