West Ham United announce transfer exit as international defender leaves today
West Ham United have announced that Michael Forbes has left the London Stadium on loan to join Bristol Rovers for the season.
The Hammers confirmed on their website on Friday (5 July) that the Northern Irish international will spend the campaign on loan in League One with Matt Taylor’s side at the Memorial Stadium.
Forbes has yet to play any senior football in the English footballing pyramid in his career but has impressed in the youth ranks in East London where he has captained both the Irons U18s and U21s sides in the past.
The “talented” young defender’s current deal runs at the London Stadium until June 2026 after he penned new terms in January and there is hope that his spell in the southwest will help progress his development.
Are West Ham United close to completing any new transfers at the London Stadium?
While West Ham supporters will be much more eager to hear some news about some potential incomings than they will outgoings, this seems like a move which could be incredibly sensible for everyone involved.
Forbes needs to take his first steps into professional football in England to speed up his development and the project at Bristol Rovers has been massively geared to giving young players the chance to impress over the last few years.
Liverpool’s Jarrell Quansah enjoyed a reasonable loan spell with the Gas before he broke into Jurgen Klopp’s first team last season and there will be hope at West Ham that their 20-year-old defender will follow a similar pathway.
With Julen Lopetegui eager to revamp his backline this summer and a deal to bring Max Kilman to the capital appearing to be close to completion [Dharmesh Sheth, 5 July], opportunities would have been limited this term for Forbes to get a taste of first-team action.
Hopefully, his loan spell in League One will be a success and he will return to the Hammers ready to put his stamp on Lopetegui’s side next season.
In other West Ham news, an update has emerged about one young academy gem’s future at the London Stadium as teams line up transfer approaches
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