Nottingham Forest are inching closer towards sealing a season-long loan move for West Ham United defender Sam Byram this summer. According to recent reports, the Tricky Trees have stolen a march over Celtic in pursuit of the Hammers full-back during this summer transfer period.
The 24-year-old joined the East London outfit from Leeds United in the winter transfer period of 2016. However, he has flattered to deceive with his performances so far at the London Stadium since his switch from Elland Road. He has been subject to limited first-team opportunities which is why he is set for a move away from London in search of greener pastures.
The English full-back has just featured in 36 matches for West Ham and only made 10 appearances during the course of last season. Some sources have recently claimed that Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers was planning to seal a move for him in the coming weeks.
However, it has now been reported that the promising full-back will seal a temporary move to Nottingham instead. Byram’s current contract with the Hammers is set to run out in the summer of 2020 which means that the club will still have time to assess him next summer.
However, a potential switch to the City Ground could do wonders for the English defender’s career as he looks to make a fresh start at a new club in search of more first-team opportunities. The arrival of Ryan Fredericks at the London Stadium is a clear indication that Manuel Pellegrini is still not convinced by Byram’s ability and it will now be up to the player to convince his manager for a starting spot next summer.
This latest development would be a big blow for the Hoops as Brendan Rodgers was looking to strengthen his options ahead of another long campaign. The addition of Byram would have definitely bolstered Rodgers’ defensive options at Parkhead. The Bhoys have talented full-backs such as Kieran Tierney, Mikael Lustig and Jack Hendry competing for a full-back place in Rodgers’ first XI. The potential acquisition of Byram would have definitely improved their team and added more competition for places within Rodgers’ squad.
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At 24, the Hammers talent still has his best years ahead of him which the Tricky Trees could look to benefit from, in the upcoming campaign. Only time will tell what lies ahead in the future of Byram as all eyes will be on whether his potential loan switch to the City Ground turns out to be a success or he would have been better off making a move to the Celtic Park.
