Nathan Trott has gone from West Ham’s PL2 keeper to out on loan and back. With senior team time under him, a new loan spell can be exactly what is needed.
Trott has now been a part of West Ham for six years. He signed his first official contract in 2015, and since then, he has had a loan spell with AFC Wimbledon and feature primarily in the Hammers PL2 side. While on loan during the 2019/20 season, he conceded 35 goals while keeping five clean sheets in 26 matches.
Based on Wimbledon’s atrocious defense, those numbers weren’t slated as bad. That season’s performance and his successes in the lower levels earned him three starts for the senior team last year. Trott played in three cup matches, earning a clean sheet and only giving up three goals.
Now that you are all caught up on what’s been going on with Nathan Trott over the past two years, let’s look into the most recent news. According to the Daily Mail, West Ham and Nancy have worked out an agreement to send Trott to the French second tier. Although it isn’t a prestigious location, it will still give Nathan the playing time that he needs.
The Hammers still have Lukasz Fabianski and Darren Randolph leading the goalkeeping charge and have left little room for him to shine so far. The importance of his potential loan move comes two-fold. Firstly, it will allow more time to grow, and secondly, it opens the door for the Hammers to bring in Alphonse Areola if they can work out a deal.
West Ham: The importance of Trott’s potential loan to Nancy
The 22-year-old needs time to play in order to get more confidence and for David Moyes to evaluate just how special he is. Trott has only featured in 90 matches over his career, averaging 15 per year. Although good, it’s not enough for someone who is nearing the make-or-break part of their career.
Allowing him to leave and opening the door for Areola is a massive success if completed correctly. Say Areola comes to West Ham, succeeds, and they sign him on a permanent basis. You then have two young keepers for the foreseeable future. If the board doesn’t get the deal across, you can always bring Trott back if needed or allow him to stay and trust your two aging veterans.
West Ham keeps flirting with disaster with their keepers, but their process has worked out for now. The Academy hosts a few other budding prospects in this position, so they need to play their cards right with Trott. The deal to send him out on loan is a win-win and sets West Ham up for success in the years to come.