The Championship is a great breeding ground for young Premier League stars looking to get some much needed experience under their belts. It’s a simultaneously a difficult league to get out of or stay in, and the opportunities it provides for development are massive.
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Manchester United news
With the loan window closing for the season on Thursday, we take a closer view at the ten youngsters most likely to make a strong impact between now and the close of the campaign.
Semi Ajayi – Arsenal to Cardiff
Despite not year featuring in Arsene Wenger’s first team plans, the Nigerian under-21 international has still drawn comparisons to Gunners legend Sol Campbell.
Calm on the ball, and strong in the air, if given a good run of games in the Bluebirds’ final stretch he may finally find himself included in Wenger’s match day squads a little more.
Nathan Ake – Chelsea to Reading
The young Dutchman has been on the periphery of Jose Mourinho’s plans for the best part of a year now, even making four appearances for the club in defence and midfield.
Captain of the Dutch under-21 side, big things are expected of Ake, and the Blues are only now taking the chance of sending him out on loan having resisted for so long. He’ll be a solid addition as the Royals look to seal a return to the top flight, but he’ll be forced to sit out of their FA Cup semi-final meeting with Arsenal as he is ineligible.
Emiliano Martinez – Arsenal to Rotherham
Martinez has already shown he has the chops to perform at the highest level, having filled in for the injured Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina earlier this term, but now that the duo have returned to full fitness Wenger has seen it right that he goes and continues his development elsewhere.
Having already kept clean sheets against the likes of Borussia Dortmund, West Brom and Southampton, he should find the Championship a relative breeze.
Lloyd Isgrove – Southampton to Sheffield Wednesday
Isgrove has been tipped to be another future star at St Mary’s, with academy directors predicting he will start becoming a household name as early as next season.
For the time being, though, the 22-year-old has been handed the chance to sharpen up in the division below with a Wednesday side that should be performing better than they are.
Jerome Sinclair – Liverpool to Wigan
Sinclair became Liverpool’s youngest ever player when he featured in a League Cup clash with West Brom two years ago at the age of 16, and though that remains his only first team appearance for the Reds, he is still being raved about by all connected to the youth set up at Anfield.
Now old enough to go out and gain some proper playing experience, he will finally be given a chance to prove he is the club’s next big hope.
Gary Gardner – Aston Villa to Nottingham Forest
Having followed his older brother Craig into the first team, Gardner junior is being tipped as the standout talent. However, a series of crippling injuries had hampered his progression.
Now in the fourth loan spell of his short career, the 22-year-old finally looks as though he is getting back to his best and could provide Tim Sherwood, who is so famously adept at working with kids, a new option as Villa prepare to reshape again next term.
Modou Barrow – Swansea to Nottingham Forest
The 21-year-old Gambia international was one of Garry Monk’s summer signings last year, and has already had a taste of first team action, appearing nine times and scoring once.
However, Forest boss Dougie Freedman took the opportunity to pounce and bring him in on a short term basis after seeing his inactivity in South Wales.
Liam Moore – Leicester to Brentford
Moore was a regular in the Foxes set up earlier this season, making 14 appearances. He was that highly rated that rumour was both Arsenal and Manchester United were keeping a close watch on him.
However, he has since slipped back down Nigel Pearson’s pecking order, and he has returned to the Championship with Brentford to re-establish his credentials in the west London club’s promotion chase.
Zeki Fryers – Crystal Palace to Ipswich Town
Having already featured for the likes of Manchester United, Standard Liege and Tottenham Hotspur, Palace moved quickly to snap him up on a three-year deal last September.
Still raw, but supremely talented, he has been allowed out on loan to help Ipswich maintain their own promotion bid and help keep things tight at the heart of Mick McCarthy’s defence.
Chuba Akpom – Arsenal to Nottingham Forest
The 19-year-old has already begun to creep his way into the first team, having made eight appearances from the bench already. However, Wenger is not quite ready to entrust the club’s striking duties to him on a regular basis so has shipped him out to Forest to help cover the loss of Britt Assombalonga.
Wanted by the likes of Borussia Dortmund earlier this term, the England youth international can be as big as he wants to be, and if he takes his chance now, he could get another one with Arsenal much sooner than he thought.