Manchester United U23s manager Neil Wood has hinted that promising talent James Garner could leave the club on loan for the 2020/21 season – whenever that is.
Garner, 19, is popular at United, despite having just two league appearances to his name for the club. The fans have taken to him as one of the most obvious candidates from the academy to become a regular in the first team, though manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has tended to frustrate the most enthusiastic of supporters by refusing to give him a run in the first 11 when the Red Devils had problems in midfield and it might have paid off to have taken a chance on the youngster.
James Garner Could Leave Manchester United On Loan
Championship Interest
In recent days, Garner has been linked with a loan move away. The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reports that Championship clubs Cardiff City, Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City are interested in acquiring the young midfielder.
Wood, who is in charge of Manchester United’s reserve side, believes five or six players from his ‘small’ core squad could benefit from going out on loan.
“It depends on if the first team want them to be a part of their squad,” Wood told the Manchester Evening News. “Or if it seems better for them to go out on loan.” Wood admits the ongoing pandemic means assessing the situation when football returns, with ‘a lot of league clubs on shutdown’.
Wood is a big fan of Garner, saying: “Jimmy’s added goals to his game, he’s getting into forward positions a lot more and his goal-scoring record for the U23’s has been really good this season. But he can also be a defensive midfielder as well, he can break up the play, intercept and he reads the game very well. We want him to marry those two things together and that’s his challenge.”
Manchester United’s Recent Loans
Manchester United have had mixed success with the loan system in recent years, with Dean Henderson a shining example of the very best route to the top, and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, who has been shipped out across the Football League to try and find his feet, perhaps one of the best examples of how disappointing these temporary moves can turn out.
The quality of the players in the famous academy that oversaw the development of the ‘Class of 92‘ is looking on the rise of late and there is also interest across the Championship and League One to take Dylan Levitt, Ethan Galbraith and Ethan Laird on loan.
Garner has captained both club and country at youth level and is ready to taste first-team football. If he can’t get it at Old Trafford, then he must consider a temporary move to a club in the Championship (or above). Garner has years ahead of him and could well be one of the talents raved about come this time next year after a spell testing his mettle against senior opposition.
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