West Ham United prospect Nathan Trott risks setting his career back years by sealing a late deal to join Norwegian outfit Tromso Idrettslag on loan.
What’s the word?
According to ExWHUemployee, while speaking on The West Ham Way podcast, Trott is set to sign for Tromso IL once he obtains a work permit.
The Norwegian transfer market remains open until April 1st ahead of the 2021 Eliteserien campaign starting at the beginning of next month.
Trott has long been earmarked as West Ham’s future number one but has only played seven minutes of first-team football with the Irons, after David Moyes awarded the Bermudian his debut as a substitute in January’s FA Cup win over League One side Doncaster Rovers.
The 22-year-old has been named as an unused substitute in five additional fixtures across all competitions this season, following three inclusions in the 2017/18 campaign before a loan spell with AFC Wimbledon.
He kept four clean sheets in 23 third-tier appearances for the Dons, conceding 32 goals, and impressed with his efforts but failed to kick on following his return to east London.
West Ham weighed up approaches from home and abroad to send Trott out on loan for the 2020/21 season last summer, but rejected Coventry City’s approach as the Sky Blues’ initially intended on naming the shot-stopper as their number two, per the Daily Mail.
Interest from Derby County, Doncaster and Shrewsbury Town was also noted, as the Irons sought to secure regular first-team football for the 6 ft 2 ‘keeper signed in 2016 on the recommendation of their Bermudan former striker Clyde Best.
Should West Ham send Trott to Tromso?
Trott certainly needs to secure regular first-team football if he is to kick on and fulfil West Ham’s expectations, but a move to Tromso may not be the best decision he can make.
Tromso were relegated from the Eliteserien during the 2019 season as the 15th ranked side from 16, having lost 16 of their 30 league fixtures.
They bounced back the following campaign to secure an immediate return to Norway’s top-flight, but have not finished inside the top half of the table since 2012, with two 13th placed finishes and another relegation in 2013.
Trott would need to use his time in Norway as a springboard to secure another loan move in the summer, when he can join a League One-level club and be their starting goalkeeper from the off.
He seemingly has the talent to do so, with former Irons shot-stopper Shaka Hislop – now a pundit for ESPN – a huge advocate of Trott’s potential, noting after West Ham’s FA Cup win versus Doncaster how the 22-year-old has “all the attributes” needed.
Whether Trott can show that to Moyes while at Tromso would certainly remain to be seen, much more so when he is currently in the first-team picture at the London Stadium while the Hammers boss seemingly looks to strengthen the goalkeeper position.
West Ham have been linked with moves for Manchester United’s Dean Henderson and Sheffield United’s Aaron Ramsdale, two young options at 23 and 22 years, as they weigh up potential options with Lukasz Fabianski a free agent in the summer after he turns 36.
If Trott really is West Ham’s future, he may be better off staying at the Irons and not joining Tromso, so that he can prove his potential right under Moyes’ nose rather than push that chance a few years further down the road by moving to an obscure league.
AND in other news, West Ham have been slapped with a £20m asking price to sign an “outstanding” talent this summer…