West Ham are now facing a decision to make on the future of one of their players ahead of the January transfer window.
The Hammers are in serious danger of relegation and Nuno Espirito Santo will want to make new signings once he’s permitted to.
However, West Ham United will also have to make decisions on some of the players already at the club and there are likely to be a few exits in the coming weeks.
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Lewis Orford returns from Stevenage loan spell
Lewis Orford was loaned out to Stevenage in order to play first-team football and eventually fight for a spot in the Hammers side.
However, the central midfielder did not make his debut until late October, which was surprising, given the conditions of the loan move.
The 19-year-old played 22 minutes in the first round of the FA Cup against Chesterfield and 16 minutes in the 1-0 loss to Reading in League One on 7 November.
- Name: Lewis Orford
- Position: Central Midfield
- Age: 19
- International: England Under-20s
Due to just two senior appearances, barring the EFL Trophy, since his loan move, the Irons have decided to recall him from his loan spell, according to the West Ham Way.
He can play for the Under-21s until January but cannot make a senior appearance for the Hammers until then.
West Ham must decide on Orford future ahead of January window
Orford trained with the England players in October and has been performing exceptionally in youth games.
He did score once and provided two assists against the Crystal Palace Under-21s in the EFL Trophy, so it is clear that he’s one of the top performers for his age group.
A loan to another high-flying League One side or maybe even a struggling Championship side may be on the cards in January.
It makes sense for West Ham to start looking at potential options for him in the coming days so that a loan can be finalised as soon as the window opens.
Until then, he can feature for the Under-21s and work with the coaches at the club, who will then monitor his progress on loan.
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