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With the transfer window now open, many big clubs in the Premier League will be eager to send some of their young players out on loan. This will help provide them with first-team experience.
A loan deal would offer these youngsters an opportunity to play regularly at a club with less competition for starting positions. This would give them a platform to build on for their future.
Here, we take a look at the five young Premier League players who need to go out on loan to continue their development:
#5 Folarin Balogun (Arsenal)
Folarin Balogun is one of the most exciting and talented prospects to have come through the Arsenal academy. He has been with the club since he was a young boy and has performed brilliantly across various youth levels. There was a lot of speculation surrounding his future, but the Gunners eventually convinced him to sign a new long-term contract in April.
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Playing as a centre-forward, Balogun has found goalscoring easy at pretty much every level he has played. Last season, Balogun scored nine goals and provided three assists in 18 games for the U23s. He was superb for the U18 team, helping them win the title, scoring 25 goals in just 19 games.
Balogun has already played at senior level for the Gunners, mainly featuring in the Europa League off the bench, and has scored two goals and recorded one assist in just 61 minutes of football. His club captain Pierre-Emeric Aubameyang has already praised him, saying:
"For sure, he is very, very talented, and he shows every time he trains with us that he’s a really great talent and he works a lot and is a humble guy as well."
Still just 20, Balogun will need to keep on playing regularly to continue his development. With the likes of Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette already available in the striking department, Balogun will find little to no opportunity to break into the first team. Hence, a loan move would provide him with more opportunities to gain first-team experience and would benefit both the player and the club in the long term.
#4 Amad Diallo (Manchester United)
Amad Diallo was acquired by the Red Devils in January from Atlanta, with a deal having already in place during the summer transfer window of 2020.
The 20-year-old made his debut for Manchester United against Real Sociedad in the UEFA Europa League in February. He also played against AC Milan in the same competition for the Red Devils, scoring his first goal for the club in the process.
The youngster amassed a total of eight appearances for the club in the second half of the 2020-21 campaign. His impressive progress was rewarded with an international call-up. He made his debut for Ivory Coast against Nigeria in March before going on to score a stunning free-kick in a friendly against Burkina Faso in June.
Diallo will certainly expect to play more minutes in 2021-22, but he faces a lot of competition in the attacking areas, and the imminent arrival of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund will only make it more difficult for him. Hence, a loan spell away from the club will help him gain more playing time and continue his impressive progress.
#3 Tino Livramento (Chelsea)
Chelsea's academy has continued to produce top talent in the last few years, and the latest to come out from it is 18-year-old Valentino Livramento.
Livramento has been a part of Chelsea's youth setup from a very young age and has grown into an exciting young full-back. The youngster has quickly progressed through the ranks and was named Chelsea's Academy Player of the Year last season, racking up three goals and ten assists from 26 appearances in all competitions.
A right-back by trade, Livramento can also play as a wing-back or a winger on either side of the field. His versatility and speed make him a top asset for any team. He has only one year left on his contract and is attracting interest from clubs like RB Leipzig, Southampton and Brighton, which is proof of how talented the youngster is.
Chelsea are working on a new contract for the teenager and would not want to lose such a talented prospect. But the club knows the youngster will demand a first-team role, and, hence, a loan move following the contract renewal is the most viable option for both the parties involved.
#2 Rhys Williams (Liverpool)
Rhys Williams enjoyed a breakthrough campaign during the 2020-21 season. Due to a severe injury crisis at the back, the young centre-back played on a number of occasions last season making 19 appearances for Jurgen Klopp's team.
Though he looked slightly inexperienced last season, the 20-year-old still did a pretty good job at the back and even earned praise from the Reds boss after Liverpool's 4-2 win over Manchester United.
Next season though, regular football will seem highly unlikely as Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip will all be fit, while Ibrahim Konate has also joined from RB Leipzig.
A loan move would suit the youngster pretty well and Liverpool have already received a number of enquiries from Championship clubs for him. The Championship is a tough league and a spell at one of the clubs in it will definitely help him in his progress.
#1 Liam Delap (Manchester City)
One of the brightest prospects in the Premier League, 18-year-old Liam Delap made his debut for City in September last season, starting and scoring in a Carabao Cup tie against Bournemouth. He was handed his EPL debut by Pep Guardiola just three days later during the 5-2 defeat to Leicester.
Delap was an integral part of Manchester City's EDS side's Premier League 2 title triumph, scoring 24 goals in just 20 appearances in the division. Overall, the striker scored 30 goals in 27 appearances in all competitions last season.
Delap's exploits have caught the eye of many scouts and managers across Europe, including most of England's Championship clubs. Millwall manager Gary Rowett expressed his interest in the youngster in a recent interview with the South London Press, saying:
"Liam Delap, quite simply, is the best young striker around at the moment and every single Championship club, I’m sure, would be interested in taking him. Of course we’d be interested. But, at the same time, I’m sure everyone would be interested in him."
Despite Pep Guardiola confirming his desire to keep the forward next season and involve him in the first team, there are reports suggesting that a loan move would be possible if the right opportunity arises with Millwall, Cardiff City and Middlesbrough all interested in the Manchester City player. Playing in the Championship week in week out would definitely help the youngster in his overall development.
