Frank McAvennie backs West Ham midfielder Conor Coventry to leave on loan
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Frank McAvennie has admitted that West Ham midfielder Conor Coventry may have to leave on loan this season to improve his future chances at the London Stadium.
The 21-year-old Republic of Ireland youth international is highly-regarded by the club and has had chances to impress in pre-season, but he made just one appearance last season and has Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and Mark Noble in front of him in the central midfield pecking order, plus the possibility of Manuel Lanzini dropping deeper.
As such, ex-Irons attacker McAvennie believes a 2021/22 loan switch may be in Coventry’s best interests, with Championship outfit Peterborough United reported to be leading the race for him, ahead of Hull City [ExWHUemployee].
“He needs to play,” McAvennie told West Ham Zone.
“Too many players want to sit around and collect their money and just play when they get a chance.
“If you’ve got a chance of making the first team, you can’t do that sitting on the bench.
“You go away and impress at another club, come back and say ‘this is my time now’. I’ve got a lot of admiration for players that go on loan, so good luck to him.”
A Championship loan looks to be in Coventry’s best interests with only 12 senior appearances in professional football under his belt, with his only other experience away from West Ham coming during a seven-game spell in League One for Lincoln City during the 2019/20 campaign.
It may be an exit that goes down to the wire, though, with David Moyes expected to make a decision on Coventry’s future closer to transfer deadline day [ExWHUemployee], as the Irons yet to bring in a new midfielder and Rice only just back in training.
In other West Ham news, the Irons are eyeing up this player after he quit a Premier League last week.
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