The West Ham United teenager was selected for plenty of match day squads last season but not so this time round.
Of all West Ham United’s academy prospects, Domingos Quina is one of the very best, but one wonders if a loan spell would be the best option for the 17-year-old even at this early stage of his career.
The old adage goes that if you are good enough you are old enough, and Quina is certainly good enough, as his place on the bench for 12 Premier League games last season.
He may not have got on the pitch, but that experience would have proved invaluable as he sought to make his breakthrough at the London Stadium.
While a couple of substitute appearances in this season’s EFL Cup suggest he is moving in the right direction, he was not involved against Tottenham Hotspur in the last round and is unlikely to feature as the Hammers bid to secure their first piece of silverware in many a year.
With his chances of making the bench for league games far smaller than last season, a January loan could suit all parties, allowing the Portuguese youngster to develop his game while also providing West Ham boss Slaven Bilic with an elevated platform on which to watch him shine.
The West Ham midfielder is still extremely young, but waiting for a potential appearance in the third round of the FA Cup should not be his sole area of focus come January.
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