3 Manchester United Players Who Would Benefit from a Loan Move for 2016/17

Sending players out on loan has long been part of the player-development strategy at Manchester United. From David Beckham's time with Preston North End to Danny Welbeck's spell at Sunderland, Sir Alex Ferguson clearly placed a good deal of value in the process.

It is sometimes pretty obvious when a player needs a loan. Last season, for example, James Wilson spent time at Brighton & Hove Albion because he had progressed well beyond the level of youth football but then-manager Louis van Gaal did not see him as part of his first-team plans.

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Sometimes it is obvious a player needs a loan, but they still do not get one. That was the case for Andreas Pereira in the second half of last season. Pereira took issue with Van Gaal's decision to keep him at the club. On 19 May, he said, per James Ducker of the Telegraph: 

"

I wanted to be loaned out in January in order to play more and to keep developing myself, but Van Gaal told me that he did not want me to be loaned out.

He told me to stay in Manchester because he would use me and that I would play.

I told him that was fine, and that if I could stay and play then I would. He did not let me leave. I took the decision and now I’m training, doing my job and waiting for him to fulfil his word.

"

As well as apparently making life difficult for Pereira, Van Gaal blurred the lines between the first-team and academy squads, using the latter to prop up the thin, injury-hit former. Thus, a player such as Paddy McNair, who would probably have been a candidate for a loan move last season, was instead used as a fringe squad player at Old Trafford.

That was also the fate that befell Wilson until his November 2015 move to Brighton.

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Even with the arrival of Jose Mourinho, though, it is not obvious who needs a loan spell. After all, we do not yet know who will find themselves part of his regular first-team setup.

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Timothy Fosu-Mensah have clearly progressed beyond youth football. A loan would be the second-best option to regular playing time at United for both, and it would considerably better than being reduced to a handful of appearances if they stay and are not used.

And some of those who would previously have fallen in this category should be moved on altogether—McNair, Tyler Blackett and Will Keane for example.

Until we have a better sense of which of the younger players in Mourinho's squad he plans to make a regular part of his setup, this list will be something of a guesstimate. Those who have made it are too good to be without regular senior football but not quite ready, or a bad fit, for the first-team squad.

James Wilson

United's striking options changed dramatically while Wilson was on loan. Marcus Rashford's emergence has significantly altered his place in the pecking order.

However, it would seem too soon to give up on a striker who has long been considered a seriously promising talent. In November 2014, Ryan Giggs, speaking to Dom McGuinness of TalkSport, described Wilson as "a brilliant prospect." 

But between Rashford's impact and the potential arrival of other attacking options, it intuitively seems unlikely Wilson will feature much under Mourinho.

In the Championship, he scored at a rate of 0.3 goals per 90 minutes, per WhoScored.com. That is not prolific by any measure, but nor is it disastrous for a 20-year old. 

Wilson signed a new United four-year contract last summer. At the time, Van Gaal said, per the club's website: 

"

James is one of the brightest young English prospects and we are delighted he has signed a new contract. He is a very talented forward player and has a keen eye for goal. His development is continuing in the right direction and it is clear to see that he has a fine future ahead of him.

"

It is much too soon to give up on the promise he has shown throughout his development, and 20 is still very young. A Premier League loan would seem the perfect option for Wilson next season.

Andreas Pereira

Pereira should get his loan wish. That is unless Mourinho is prepared to make the 20-year old a regular in the first-team picture.

Van Gaal's treatment of the Brazil under-20 international was among the most baffling of his decisions, particularly with the revelation Pereira had asked for a loan move and been denied.

After an excellent pre-season and a fine turn against Ipswich Town in the Capital One Cup at Old Trafford in September, the youngster looked more than ready for some first-team action. His chances were severely limited, though, and his development must surely have suffered adversely for his lack of playing time.

Pereira's skill set could appeal to Mourinho, particularly given there is no certainty around the No. 10 position if the new manager plays a 4-2-3-1. There is plenty of recent evidence Mourinho does not see Juan Mata as an ideal fit for the role, and Wayne Rooney is in the process of reinventing himself as a midfielder.

Thus, a spot could be open for Pereira to claim.

If it is not, though, Pereira desperately needs senior game time, and a loan move—at the highest level possible—would provide exactly that. He has shown too much promise for United to let him go permanently, and he cannot be forced into another season of bench-warming.

Axel Tuanzebe

In 2015, Axel Tuanzebe won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award for his role in United's under-18s squad. Last season, he made the step up to under-21s and got as far as the bench in Van Gaal's first-team squad.

Were it not for a poorly timed injury, a first-team debut would have been likely during one of United's injury-hit patches last season.

As the award he won would suggest, he has shown a lot of promise at youth level. His time in the under-21s saw him form an excellent partnership in defence with the younger Ro-Shaun Williams—who would be a good candidate for a loan move himself next season.

Mourinho is obviously working to strengthen United's defensive options and has signed Eric Bailly from Villareal to that end. Tuanzebe thus looks unlikely to be called upon for the first team this season. Having been promoted to the under-21s ahead of schedule, it would make sense to speed up his development even further by sending him on loan.

There are other players to consider. Something will need to be done about Adnan Januzaj for example. He does not fit the criteria here, though, given he either needs a real shot in the side or to be moved on permanently.

But the above three are solid candidates for a temporary move away, as they all could develop into players with a big part to play in United's future.