Comment: West Brom's best youngsters need to be loaned out

This week, Mason Holgate became the fourth player to join the Baggies temporarily from the Premier League, following in the footsteps of Dwight Gayle, Harvey Barnes and Tosin Adarabioyo.

Barnes and Gayle have been the two stand-out performers this season and concerns over Leicester potentially recalling Barnes will plague supporters for the rest of this month.

Taking top-tier players on loan has been incredibly successful, and Darren Moore will no doubt try to convince one or two more to do the same.

EFL clubs can have up to eight loanees and use as many as five in any matchday squad.

But are Albion sending enough of their own players out on loan?

Jack Fitzwater has briefly returned to Albion this week and is expected to be named in today’s FA Cup squad.

The 21-year-old defender is living proof of how valuable a loan spell can be.

Having never played for Albion’s first team, as he neared the age of 20 he had just one senior club appearance – earned at Chesterfield – to his name.

But after impressing at Forest Green Rovers in League Two in the first half of last season, he has developed in spades at Walsall over the past 12 months.

Fitzwater now has 60 senior games under his belt, but crucially, has started 52 of them. Sam Field, by contrast, has 29 senior appearances, but just 16 starts.

Field has been a victim of his own success. Far nearer the first team than Fitzwater was, he’s never been allowed to leave on loan.

It’s a tight balancing act of course. Should Albion suffer a few injuries, fringe players like Field will be called upon.

There is also a new EFL law that states the club must have at least one academy graduate in every squad.

But Rekeem Harper appears to have leapfrogged Field in the pecking order this season.

Over the Christmas period when Albion had four games in 11 days, Field wasn’t named in any Championship squad. Neither were Oliver Burke, Jonathan Leko or Kyle Edwards.

Edwards is another youngster who has benefitted from a loan.

He came back from Exeter City a different player and was one of the shining lights of pre-season.

Albion have some experienced senior professionals in their squad and are fourth in the table.

It may not be desirable, but it is understandable these youngsters are getting limited chances in the league.

If there is no hope of them playing, then all four of them should be sent out on loan to taste men’s football.

“Only if it’s right,” said Moore, when he was asked yesterday. “If it’s not right they won’t go anywhere. If they are to be going out on loan it will be to develop them in terms of their future for West Brom.

“It’s for them to get football and return back 10, 20, 30 per cent better for their experiences.

“You can look at the same scenario with Harvey and Tosin, both players have definitely improved, without a doubt.

“Even Dwight Gayle has improved because we’ve played him in different positions.

“All those players have come to develop, and they’ve ticked a box with West Brom too, in terms of where I want to go with the team.

“It’s the same with us loaning players to other teams. We need to develop individuals.”

But the likes of Field, Burke and Leko have been training with the first team for years.

They have now hit a ceiling that training cannot break. They all need to play.

Fitzwater and Edwards have benefitted massively from it. Barnes and Adarabioyo have too.

Albion’s reliance on loanees this season is slightly worrying, but it’s a short-term fix because the aim is for a short-term stay in this division.

Financially, there is less risk than a permanent deal.

However, the long-term health of the club also need looking after.

It would be more reassuring were more of Albion’s best young players being developed elsewhere like Fitzwater.

Burke, Field, Edwards and Leko need senior minutes. It’s time to loan them out.