Top game from young Longelo
West Ham are this evening reported to be in talks with Nottingham Forest who are interested in Hammers under 23 left back Emmanuel Longelo.
The youngster has played one first team game for the Hammers against Dinamo Zagreb when he produced an outstanding performance.
It has surprised many that he’s not been seen since but now it appears Forest are keen top take him on board as their promotion hunt hots up.
According to the very reliable London Evening Standard the 21 year old is currently weighing up whether to leave on a permanent or loan move.
Longelo is a product of West Ham’s academy set-up and is a regular in their Under-23s squad. He has been a regular in the table topping under 23s in Premier League Two Division Two.
We believe that a loan move could be ideal for the youngster given Moyes’ reluctance to play his under 23 prospects but given the issues at left back maybe a permanent move would be a bridge too far.’
After a poor start to the season Forest are now just two places outside the promotion play off places and an end of season push for the Premier League could be exactly what Lomgelo requires
I just don’t understand this if he goes on a permanent move when we need a left-back to supplement Cresswell. Longelo was impressive against Dinamo Zagreb and wasn’t out of place in the first team environment. He looked an ideal young, athletic player who can defend and go forward. He’s only going to improve, too. How he wasn’t playing some of the time when Cresswell was injured, I don’t know. I’m actually more disappointed if we lose him than if we don’t get the mythical striker in before the end of the month (which hardly appears likely). If the answer at left back is Masuaku, then what on earth is the question?
Agree with you Daze I have also been disappointed with the non-playing of him and the other U23 players who have been given one game, done very well but then ignored. This boy not even on the bench. The others ignored and wasted. Everyone raving about Curtis Jones at Liverpool, the 19 year old lad at Fulham, but they are being given a go. Are we the Academy?
Longelo is one of the stars of what is a very good Under 23 side at West Ham. He is a free kick specialist and has all the attributes of a modern full back. He is just the type of player we should be looking to bring through to the first team. By all means let him go out on loan, but a permanent deal should be out of the question. I have a concern with Moyes that he rarely trusts young players in meaningful games: if so surely we would have seen something of Okoflex. Certainly would prefer to see Longelo at left back than Masuaku.
Agreed Selsdon, I can’t understand why Masuaka is played in defence, I like him as a winger but off the ball (i.e. defending) he is not the best and creates opportunities for the attacking side by being either poorly positioned or switched off.
Begins to remind me of all the hand wringing on this site that went on when Grady Diangana left for West Brom. Anyone still miss him?
Poor memory – that was twitter. We reckoned £18 million was a great deal
Actually, excellent memory. Go review the comments to your story on September 2 2020, for example. Not every comment is intended as a negative shot at you, Hugh.
Send link Mikey
Doesn’t give an opinion and it’s from a report in the Star mate
https://www.claretandhugh.info/report-possible-diangana-hijack/
This did however
https://www.claretandhugh.info/lingard-20m-diangana-18m-its-a-no-brainer/
and this took it further accurately
https://www.claretandhugh.info/mystery-deepens-over-diangana-fee/
But again, Hugh, you have got all defensive, thinking I am having a go at you. I clearly said, look at the comments. For instance, to the story titled, Mystery Deepens Over Diangana Fee that you have kindly linked. There are 29 comments, and the majority are slamming the club, for what turned out to be an excelllent bit of business.
Not defensive at all. I can only assume you mean others and the likes of Noble who gave the club grief for it. Like you we always believed it be a good deal. Sorry for misunderstanding Mikey
I get your point, Mikey but there are some differences in my opinion.
1. We had alternatives to Diagana to play on the left wing, whereas we are very short at LB.
2. Longelo has shown against a decent European side that he can perform, albeit it was only one game, whereas I never saw more than cameo appearances from Diagana.
3. WBA offered £18 million for Diagana – that was a very good deal for us. I was in favour of that. We don’t know if Forest will offer cash for a permanent transfer, but I’ll bet it won’t be as much.
I hope Longelo hasn’t had an agent whispering in his ear, as may have happened to Ngakia, but that’s also a possibility of course. We are supposed to be developing our own youngsters for our first team – the cost/benefit of the pool of talent on our doorstep mustn’t be overlooked. Otherwise, ‘what a waste’, as someone once said ….
A loan may be a good idea for him, with Johnson able to cover Cresswell at LB.
This boy is better that Diangana. We need defenders and we have not bought any and they now want to sell one. What the hell is going on.