Manchester United Transfer News: Red Devils Tom Thorpe Loaned to Birmingham City

Manchester United have announced that defender Tom Thorpe will spend the remainder of the 2013-14 campaign on loan at Birmingham City.

The club's official Twitter account confirmed that the promising youngster is being farmed out:

Thorpe is joined at St. Andrew's by fellow Red Devils academy star Tyler Blackett, who Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News reported will be on loan with the Championship side, too.

Of Thorpe's temporary move, the official Manchester United website says:

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After linking up with his new team-mates on deadline day, Thorpe will hope to make his debut in Saturday's Championship clash against Derby County - the club where his sometime defensive partner with the Reds, Michael Keane, was on loan recently.

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The announcement goes on to make note of Jesse Lingard's successful time spent in Birmingham, where he scored six goals and made three assists in 13 Championship games, per Transfermarkt. This includes a four-goal haul on his debut.

Thorpe isn't likely to be making the same impact in attack, but his switch is equally important given how promising the 21-year-old has been for David Moyes' reserves.

Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News is excited by what the loan deal could yield:

Thorpe joins United teammate Tyler Blackett in Birmingham. Blackett is also on a loan deal with the Championship side. Young striker Federico Macheda also joined the pair later in the day, according to Manchester United's official Twitter feed:

It's also been reported by QPR that Manchester United will lose another youngster on loan:

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BREAKING: @ManUtd youngster Will Keane has become Harry Redknapp’s fourth #DeadlineDay signing #WelcomeWill pic.twitter.com/UjPrvECscp

— QPR FC (@OfficialQPR) January 31, 2014"

United's youngsters have kept four clean sheets in the 11 reserve games that Thorpe has played a part in, each of which has been for the full 90 minutes.

The starlet also earned his first call-up to the England Under-21 squad back in August, and will be hoping that some prominence under Lee Clark can provide the means for further involvement.

Though a centre-back by nature, Thorpe has played in a holding midfield role during his time in several England youth teams, having featured at every level from Under-16s to the Under-21s.

The loan now provides him with a chance to show his talent in a more unforgiving environment at precisely the time where Moyes will be considering his options at centre-back.

Although it's unlikely that Thorpe or fellow promising defender Michael Keane will be filling in directly fore the aging figures of Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic once their contracts expire this summer, but United fans will be pleased their up-and-comers are at least advancing in seniority.