OPINION
West Ham United attacker Xande Silva has scored seven goals for the under-23s this season, so it was not a surprise that many tipped him for a first team breakthrough.
He did just that in the FA Cup earlier this season, starring in the win over Birmingham City in the early rounds, but since then, he has not been afforded the chance to showcase the talent that we all know is waiting to be unleashed on the Premier League.
The 22-year-old has been sidelined with a hernia problem recently, something which has no doubt hampered his chances of making the transition to the first team. However, with the amount of players Manuel Pellegrini has vying for his position at the moment, it seems unlikely he will be handed that opportunity when he returns.
This is why it makes complete sense to loan the young ace out in the summer. He is a diamond in the rough at the moment, and all he needs is a bit of cleaning up. In other words, he has the potential, he just needs to go somewhere he can hone it.
His first team chances are going to be few and far between if he stays at the Hammers next season. There is no doubt that he is ready for the transition from the under-23s, but perhaps he needs to play elsewhere to really convince Pellegrini of this.
Silva could benefit from playing regular senior football on loan at a club as that could see his true potential fulfilled.
The dazzler is certainly a star of the future in East London and it will be exciting to see how he develops over the next few years. That means a loan move is absolutely essential to make this a reality.
Many of the fans no doubt think that Silva is an entertaining prospect, so in order for him to become an Irons star, experience is what he needs.
