Why Manchester United need to loan out Wilfried Zaha

This weekend, the newspapers have been full of stories linking Wilfried Zaha with a temporary move away from Old Trafford. The strongest rumours seem to be emanating from Wales, where new Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seems intent on taking advantage of his links with the United hierarchy to make Zaha his first signing.

Speaking to ESPN just a fortnight ago, David Moyes seemed relaxed about Zaha’s immediate future:

“I did say to Wilf if I didn’t feel he was getting enough games, I would consider it. Obviously if we’ve got injuries or other reasons, I wouldn’t take it on board.

The truth is we haven’t had anybody phoning up and wanting to do that it the moment. While it’s like that, I am fine.”

However, now that there are clubs knocking on United’s door for Zaha, a loan move would be entirely sensible. Anything else could prove detrimental to the player’s progress.

Zaha plainly isn’t getting enough games. He’s made only two Premier League appearances this season, totalling just 30 minutes of action.

Zaha can not afford to be out of action for such a prolonged period at this crucial stage of his development. In the terms of elite football, the England winger is a relatively late-bloomer. He had already been a first-team regular at Crystal Palace for several years before he finally exploded in to a true game-changer last season.

However, the first six months of this season have been a significant backwards step. Zaha has already fallen behind Adnan Januzaj, three years his junior, in the United pecking order. At 21, the pressure is on to reverse the trajectory of his career before this brief slump turns in to something more chronic.

The lack of football has already impacted upon Zaha’s confidence and ability. Last season, he was renowned for his audacious dribbling ability. However, in his fleeting cameos for United, he has been successful in just 25% of his attempted take-ons.

There’s no doubt that Zaha retains the ability to be an important player for club and country alike.

However, for this star to grow, he must be given the opportunity to shine. With chances few and far between at Old Trafford, a loan move would be an ideal solution.