When it came to sending players out on loan last summer, Manchester United did so by the bucket load.
Fourteen players, both experienced and young, left Old Trafford on temporary deals in a bid to either revive their careers or earn some valuable experience. Some, such as Nathan Bishop, who joined Mansfield Town, and James Garner, who spent the campaign with Nottingham Forest, flourished, while others, including Anthony Martial and Amad failed to leave their calling cards.
This summer, largely because of a new manager being in place and Erik ten Hag wanting to assess everybody within his squad, United have only allowed one player to leave on loan so far, that being Dean Henderson. The goalkeeper has followed in Garner's footsteps and joined Forest for the campaign.
However, Henderson will almost certainly not be the only player to leave on a temporary deal before the shutters come down on the window. United have no shortage of individuals who would benefit from either a short-term or season-long loan switch elsewhere.
With that in mind, MEN Sport has picked out four players who would benefit from leaving Old Trafford on loan during this summer's window.
Alvaro Fernandez
Included in the 31-man squad that Erik ten Hag has taken with him on the pre-season tour, the United left-back will be hoping that an opportunity presents itself over the coming weeks for him to throw his hat into the ring for the left-back berth. But considering Luke Shaw, new signing Tyrell Malacia, Alex Telles and Brandon Williams are more senior and ahead of him in the pecking order, chances are likely to prove limited once the competitive action gets under way next month.
United need to cut their cloth at left-back, with Telles' and Williams' futures under threat after Malacia's arrival. The Reds are understood to be prepared to let Fernandez leave this summer and allowing him to go out on loan and earn regular minutes at first-team level could do wonders for his development.
The Spaniard, who is only 19, starred for United's Under-23s in the Premier League 2 last season, scoring three goals and grabbing four assists in 22 appearances. He is an attack-minded full-back with huge promise, meaning a step-up to regular football at senior level could serve him well.
Zidane Iqbal
Another player who Ten Hag has taken with him on the tour to analyse that little bit closer is midfield ace Iqbal. The 19-year-old, who signed a new contract at Old Trafford last month, is considered one of the most talented players currently emerging from the academy.
He made his senior debut for the Reds last season, appearing as a substitute in the 1-1 draw with Young Boys in the Champions League at Old Trafford. He also made 24 appearances across all youth levels last term, scoring four goals.
Having shone in the Under-23s, this season could be the ideal time for United to grant Iqbal an exit and the opportunity to test himself at first-team level. He would massively benefit from it and it would help his development.
Amad
Perhaps the biggest grey era, and United's pursuit of a new right-winger could have a say in this particular conundrum. Amad joined Rangers on loan in January on a short-term loan deal and he failed to have the impact at Ibrox that he would have hoped for, making just 13 appearances.
After scoring just five minutes into his debut, Amad was expected to take the Scottish Premiership by storm. However, he struggled to nail down a place in Giovanni van Bronckhorst's plans, meaning it is unlikely that he would be ready to consider himself a genuine first-team contender at Old Trafford.
The 20-year-old's potential is not in doubt, he just hasn't proven that he is yet ready to establish himself as a top-end Premier League player. A Championship move, as was mooted last summer, could be the ideal next step in his development.
Joe Hugill
Not quite as far down the road in his development as the aforementioned trio, but Hugill is a striker with promise. The 18-year-old scored 15 goals in 31 appearances last season, as well as chipping in with three assists.
Although 13 of his 15 goals came at Under-18s level, he displayed enough quality and potential to earn opportunities for the Under-23s, which is impressive considering he does not turn 19 until later this year. His record makes impressive reading and the Oldham-born striker is not short on admirers.
While United cannot allow every promising youngster to leave on loan, given they'd have no players left to play for the Under-18s and Under-23s, Hugill is a player that has displayed enough quality to deserve a temporary loan exit. It could be the making of him and allow him to return to Old Trafford an even better player.
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