West Ham United duo likely to leave on loan – Roshane Thomas
West Ham United duo Emmanuel Longelo and Armstrong Okoflex are likely to leave the club on loan, according to The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas.
Okoflex, who joined the club from Celtic in 2021, was the Hammers’ top scorer in Under-23s football last season but didn’t get his chance to shine in the senior team while Longelo only had a Europa League dead-rubber group game to his name.
With first-team chances looking equally unlikely this season after a busy summer in the transfer market, David Moyes may now let the pair of them gain valuable experience on loan in the EFL if the right team makes an approach.
Conor Coventry is another player who could be on his way out but that may only be if another new midfielder is signed by the Hammers.
“Not see Coventry staying if the club sign another midfielder,” Thomas said on The Athletic’s forum for West Ham United’s game with Nottingham Forest. “Okoflex and Longelo likely to go out on loan.”
Finally
It is truly baffling as to why it has taken so long for these youngsters to potentially get a loan deal because the season is now well and truly underway.
Longelo and Okoflex needed to have a new club for six months to a year before the EFL season began on 30 July because they will now be behind the curve wherever they go.
Moyes must have known that neither of these were going to be a starter for the first team this season barring a sudden exodus of players so why has he not let them go yet?
West Ham are often guilty of keeping their young players around too long to try and win the Premier League 2 and Under-18 league but it always comes as a detriment to their actual development.
The club have to start looking out for the players rather than the form of their youth sides which is ultimately irrelevant once players become too old.