Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could let winger Tahith Chong join another club on loan in the upcoming January transfer window, according to Manchester United insiders.
The 19-year-old Netherlands Under-21 starlet played for an hour before he was substituted in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup penalty shoot-out win over League One strugglers Rochdale at Old Trafford.
Chong struggled to beat an opponent and was often forced to scurry back to cover for the kamikaze runs of left-back Marcos Rojo.
He was switched to the right side in the second half when Brandon Williams came on and Rojo went into central defence.
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United believe the former Feyenoord youngster might need to be farmed out to give him more regular opportunities.
It’s understood the Red Devils have received a number of requests to take the player on loan and there are options for him to return to play back in his homeland, with PSV Eindhoven just one of the clubs interested.
Chong was handed his senior debut by Solskjaer in last season’s FA Cup win over Reading and impressed his manager again on United’s pre-season summer tour of the Far East.
The Norwegian is still making up his mind but there is a feeling behind the scenes Chong could take his development to the next level by now being a regular starter somewhere else.
That could still hinge on what United choose to do in the January transfer window, with the club’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodwood telling shareholders earlier this week his manager can spend big yet again to bolster his squad.
Chong was courted by both Barcelona and Real Madrid before he elected to join United three years ago, suffering a serious cruciate knee ligament injury in an Under-18s game just a few months later.
He has impressed everyone at the club by his desire to return and last season he scored six goals for United’s Under-23 side, regularly standing out against older players.
Solskjaer has shown he is willing to back the youngsters emerging from United’s academy supply line and will watch Chong closely between now and Christmas before deciding whether a loan suits all the parties.
