Birmingham City submit late bid to sign West Ham United left-back Emmanuel Longelo permanently - ExWHUemployee

Birmingham City have submitted a late deadline day bid to sign West Ham defender Emmanuel Longelo on a permanent basis, according to EXWHUemployee.

The 22-year-old Hammers academy product has enjoyed a fruitful loan spell so far this campaign in the West Midlands, registering a goal and two assists from 15 Sky Bet Championship outings.

Taking to his personal Patreon page in the final hours of deadline day (31 January), Ex revealed that the Hammers are considering a last-minute bid from Birmingham to sign the left-back on a permanent basis.

Let Him Go

The Hammers are picking up a worrying trend of letting their bright academy stars leave on permanent deals recently, and it won't come as any joy to the club fans who desperately want to see the club hone talents and give them opportunities in the first team like they did with Declan Rice.

Longelo has shown at Birmingham that he's got what it takes to perform on a regular basis at a great level and it was expected that the club will bring him back to develop even further.

With the Hammers recently letting Harrison Ashby leave to join Newcastle United, it looks as though they could allow Longelo the same opportunity and for that fact, they should let him go this month.

The 22-year-old could do with some certainty in his young career right now. It's unclear whether West Ham would allow him the opportunity to stake a claim at full-back next season especially given Vladimir Coufal's expiring contract this summer.

It seems as if he is developing well in Birmingham, and for that reason, he should continue there for the long-term to further enhance his development and maturity.