West Brom sanction deal for midfielder to leave The Hawthorns on loan
West Brom have sent their midfielder out on loan to Leamington FC in an out-of-window move.
The National League North outfit confirmed the news on 15 February as they’re allowed to register new signings on loan.
They’re currently in 14th place and will be hoping that this signing can help them climb up the standings.
Matt Richards to wear the number 4 jersey for Leamington FC
Matt Richards will be wearing the number 4 jersey for Leamington as the Baggies have sanctioned his exit until the end of the season, per Leamington FC on X.
The defensive midfielder, who made five Premier League 2 appearances this term, has been loaned out to a lower league in order to get some first-team experience.
This is the 20-year-old’s second move of the season as he was sent out on a one-month loan to non-league side Alvechurch.
He made his debut for them against Stourbridge in the Isuzu FA Trophy and garnered important first-team experience.
West Brom will monitor Matt Richards’ development
Before his loan move in October, Richards was captaining Richard Beale’s Premier League 2 side so it’s evident that he’s among the leaders in the academy.
Spending some time away from the Hawthorns playing first-team football would undoubtedly help him develop as a player and mature him for the challenges ahead.
His leadership will certainly benefit Leamington as well and it remains to be seen how he fares in a different environment.
The club will certainly be keeping tabs on his development to see how well he’s playing on loan and how regularly manager Paul Holleran plays him and also send reports to Tony Mowbray.
Even before this season, Richards is someone who has been impressing the staff behind the scenes at the Hawthorns.
Back in the 2021/22 campaign, he won the Academy Player of the Year and that led to him signing his first professional contract with the club.
His deal runs out at the end of the season so it remains to be seen if the hierarchy fancy giving him a new contract or want to wait and see how he does on loan before putting the papers on the table for him to sign.