West Brom manager Valerien Ismael hints at January loan exit for Rayhaan Tulloch
West Brom youngster Rayhaan Tulloch could be set to leave the club on loan in January, Valerien Ismael has suggested.
The 20-year-old forward has played just one minute of Championship football this season, coming on as a late substitute against Blackburn Rovers in August.
He then suffered a groin strain in the warmup against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup and is only now returning to fitness.
Asked about whether any young players could go out on loan next month, Valerien Ismael hinted at the possibility of Tulloch getting game time elsewhere.
“We will assess the situation,” the Albion boss said [Express & Star].
“We will look at how the first six months have gone with the young players. Ray was a long time injured, he is the one it makes more sense to play with consistency. With the 23s, or it makes more sense to get a move. We will see.
“Now we must give him time, to get his fitness and his confidence, with a smile on his face. That’s important for young players. When the time is right we will make the right decision.”
Promising talent
An England youth international from Under-16 to Under-18 level, Tulloch was once extremely highly rated and was reportedly being monitored by Liverpool in 2019 [Daily Mail].
Speaking about the forward last year (2020), former West Brom manager Slaven Bilic said: “He is an exceptional talent. He has very quick feet, very good skill, a very good sense of the game.”
However, Tulloch has been unfortunate with injuries, as a hamstring issue curtailed his loan spell at Doncaster Rovers last season and now he has missed most of the current campaign.
Nonetheless, at 20 years old he still has plenty of time to make an impact in senior football and West Brom will hope he comes good at the Hawthorns.
A loan move away would probably be a wise decision so he can get game time under his belt, unless Valerien Ismael wants to hand him a chance in the Albion first team.
The Baggies have lacked an attacking spark this season and while Tulloch may not seem like the obvious answer to that problem, Ismael could be tempted to test him out, at least until the transfer window opens.
In other West Brom news, Steve Madeley has cast doubt over Albion’s chances of signing their priority transfer target.
Be sure to follow West Brom News on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on the Baggies and more exclusive interviews with Kevin Phillips.