Which Town players might leave this summer?

Yesterday I wrote about the areas of the pitch that Town need to strengthen, so today I thought I’d write about who we might be losing this window. I’m not saying these players should leave, or criticising their efforts for Town, it’s just speculation about who might be on their way before the window closes.

If I was in Wagner’s position, I’d be reluctant to disrupt the squad with wholesale changes. The team we had last season was good enough to keep us up, so we don’t need to get rid of too many.

Players that might leave

Here are my thoughts about players that might leave…

Rajiv van La Parra

It wouldn’t surprise me to see van La Parra leave in the summer if anyone comes in for him. The talk in the papers about him wanting to move to a bigger club was widely mocked when it came out in the middle of the season. But I suspect his agent has got in his ear and he may move elsewhere.

I’d be sad to see him leave, but if he wants to play elsewhere then it’s better to let him go. Whether he’ll be able to move to a “bigger” club is debateable though. I can’t imagine other Premier League clubs would be queuing up to sign him, so it may be that he needs to do more at Town before he gets the move he’s after.

Scott Malone

Malone had a difficult season last year, so he may be sold or loaned out to make space for another left-back. The step up to the Premier League is a tough one, so there’s no shame in dropping down to the Championship, where he’s got proven ability.

I liked how positive Malone was last season when he came into the team, and he always looks to get forward. However, he struggled with the defensive side of the game, and spent too long out of position.

Mohammed Sabiri

Sabiri looked exciting when he arrived, and his assist to Depoitre in the Leicester home game was superb. After that his chances in the first-team were limited, despite Town having few options in the number ten position. I don’t know whether this was Wagner holding him back, or protecting him from being exposed to too high a standard.

Unless David Wagner sees Sabiri as genuine competition for Pritchard in the number ten slot, it would be a good idea to send him out on loan. Either the Championship or a decent European league would be a good destination, for him to get game time and to prove he’s ready for the Premier League.

He seems like a prospect for the future, so I’d not want him to be sold, but there’s no point in letting him waste away in the reserves.

Jack Payne

I think Jack Payne is a little bit unlucky, as he’d have been a key player for Town last season if we’d have not been promoted. Instead he had loan spells at Oxford and Blackburn in League one, scoring 8 goals and laying on 15 assists in his 52 appearances.

Despite his good season last year in League One, I can’t seen him coming back into Wagner’s plans for the first team. It may be that Town send him out on loan for another season but I think it may be better for Payne’s career if he’s allowed to leave on a permanent deal.

Tariq Holmes-Dennis

THD’s season didn’t go to plan last year, as a nasty knee injury in his first game for Portsmouth ruled him out for the rest of the season. He’s hopefully going to be able to get back on the pitch for the upcoming season, but I’d expect another loan move the most likely way he gets game time.

Given Holmes-Dennis is fourth choice left-back behind Löwe, Kongolo and Malone, I don’t think he’s likely to feature for Town any time soon. But there aren’t likely to be many clubs wanting to take a risk on buying him, so a loan with a view to selling him once he proves his fitness could be a good deal all round.

Players to keep

There are some players on the periphery on the squad that I think deserve another chance at Town next season. Here are my thoughts on them…

Collin Quaner

Regular readers of the blog know that I’m a big Collin Quaner fan, so I wouldn’t want him to leave. He’s probably not on a huge wage, he was our top assister last season, and he set up the equaliser in the Playoff Semi-final against Wednesday.

I’d keep him to have as a sub. He clearly lacks the quality and trickery to start regularly in the Premier League but he’s a great option to throw on in the last twenty mintues, because defenders often can’t handle how direct he is.

Tom Ince

Last season was a mixed bag for Tom Ince, he scored the goal against Watford that made a huge difference to our survival bid. I think he took more shots on goal than any other Town player and would get into scoring positions in most games. But he didn’t convert nearly enough of his chances into goals, and his confidence looked very low at times.

I’d not write Ince off yet. I’m confident we’ve not seen the best of him in a Town shirt and he deserves a chance to prove himself. If he can regain the finishing ability he showed in his time at Derby then he could be a big player for Town next season.

Michael Hefele

There have been a few rumours linking Hefele with a move away from the John Smiths’ Stadium, but nothing concrete. A persistent achilles injury that he carried over from the end of the promotion season meant he was rarely fit to play last season.

He may be somewhat error prone and lack pace, but he’s a leader on the pitch and a huge character in the dressing room. In the promotion season, Hefele played his best football in the big games against top opposition, so I think he could make the step up. Zanka, Kongolo, and Schindler are classier players, but Hefele deserves a chance to at least provide cover for our main defenders.

Elias Kachunga

Another player that had some unfortunate injuries last season, but Kachunga played enough games to show he can do a job for Town. New signings on the wings will push him down the pecking order, but his workrate and ability to ghost into the box makes me think he’s worth keeping.

It could be that Kachunga has to revert to his previous position as a central striker to get on the pitch. Or it may be that he and Tommy Smith get an opportunity to rekindle their partnership down the right-wing. However it happens, I hope he gets another chance at Town.

I have a feeling that many Town fans will disagree with my opinions. Feel free to make your own suggestions in the comments!