West Ham United ready to let Callum Marshall depart London Stadium on loan in January
West Ham United are ready to let striker Callum Marshall depart the London Stadium on loan in the January transfer window, according to Evening Standard.
The newspaper reported on its website (31 December) that the Northern Irish international is one of a number of young players that the Hammers are set to allow to leave on loan in search of regular first-team football away from East London.
Marshall has made the step into under-21s football with ease this season, scoring 19 goals in just 13 appearances in both the Premier League 2 and the EFL trophy, but is yet to make a senior appearance in claret and blue.
Natural next step
It is clear that despite his impressive record at youth level, Moyes doesn’t believe that Marshall is yet ready to make the step into the West Ham United first team and therefore it makes perfect sense that the 19-year-old should leave on loan.
While his goal return in the Hammers under-21s side is remarkable, it likely suggests that the Northern Irish international will have learned everything he can from playing at that level and he would learn more from a loan somewhere in the EFL.
The teenager will likely have no shortage of potential suitors given his status as a full international and West Ham will be able to have their pick of clubs depending on what sort of situation they think would be most beneficial to the striker.
Plenty of players have been unable to make the step up from youth football to a senior level and Moyes and the Irons will get a better gauge of just how talented Marshall is if they can find him regular first-team football away from the London Stadium.
That will leave Moyes with Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio, Danny Ings and Divin Mubama as his forward options for the second half of the season which will be enough depth to compete in the Premier League and the Europa League.
In other West Ham news, Paul Brown has admitted that the Hammers may reignite their interest in one player Moyes is a “big fan” of