By Dave Langton
Harrison Ashby could be sent on loan next season but the Hammers will need to make a decision over his future soon.
The right-back is seemingly on the cusp of a first-team breakthrough and made three senior appearances for the Hammers in 2021/22.
Still just 20, he is likely to be promoted to the role of third-choice right-back once Ryan Fredericks leaves the club on a free transfer at the end of the season.
A Scotland U21 international, Ashby has made a total of 58 appearances for both the U23s and the U18s, but it remains to be seen if he will be trusted next season.
Vlad Coufal and Ben Johnson are both ahead of Ashby in the pecking order currently but Moyes must decide soon if he intends to back Ashby in the first-team or allow him to go on loan.
There is next to no chance of him being sold, but he does need to play regularly if he is to develop. A move to a Championship or League One club would give Ashby the chance to prove his worth and play regularly and it may not be the worst idea.
But he could also be given the chance to show that he can hack it in the first-team, with a run in the starting XI.
Moyes’ history suggests it is more likely he will go on loan; we need to know sooner rather than later.
I’ve got to say I am feeling sad that our young talent of Ashby, Alese, Longelo, Perkins, Okoflex and several others coming on, are in the hands of David Moyes to bring on. Everything says that his strengths are in managing a small squad of senior experienced pros not in doing a Matt Busby with young players. It is so disappointing to hear others saying ‘they are not ready’ well of course not if you don’t play them, you can’t just view from afar and write them off. It seems we are missing a massive opportunity here; I honestly doubt if DM would have played Dec 3 years ago – yet he accepted him as an existing squad player. Same with Johnson – Moyes will not bring them in, it’s as if he has no vision. Waste of a chance
Sell Coufal and make him second choice imho, Coufal is not the same player he was before he negotiated a new contract.