Town boss Kieran McKenna has confirmed that midfielder Idris El Mizouni is close to moving out on loan to a club TWTD understands to be Leyton Orient, and he has also spoken about the situations of Tommy Hughes, who we revealed earlier is set to join Torquay United, and wantaway striker Tyreece Simpson.
TWTD reported in May that the O’s were among the clubs keen on El Mizouni with that interest formalised more recently and with the switch now close to being confirmed.
While not mentioning the club involved, manager McKenna confirmed that the Tunisia international is nearing a move.
"Idris is fairly close now, which is really good for him, important for him and he’s definitely at the age where he’s done more than enough in his snippets here to show that he’s a good footballer but needs a run of games and hopefully he’s going to get that now,” he said.
"Tommy Hughes is a player who has spent more time with the academy and has had a difficult time with injury over the last few years but has made a big impression on us in training.
"Great kid, very good footballer and we’re looking at his pathway now, there’s nothing 100 per cent agreed yet but we’re looking and talking to him about his pathway and hopefully that might include a loan move and a chance to play some more regular games.”
We understand the switch under discussion is a loan at National League Torquay. Quizzed on whether there have been any talks about extending Hughes’s contract, which is up at the turn of the year, McKenna said: "That’s for the club’s situation, I’m not involved in that with Tommy.”
Town have already sent another of their youngsters, Elkan Baggott, out on loan and also hope to send Corrie Ndaba on another spell with Kilmarnock, Burton and Fleetwood all interested.
Asked whether the club holds regular meetings with its young players regarding their situations and progress, McKenna said: "I think it changes individual by individual, development and progress is very rarely linear.
"Young players have ups and downs, they have spells where everything’s going pretty smoothly at the stage that they’re at, whether it’s in the U23s or progressing into the first team.
"Then they have spells when they have dips and that’s when they might need a little bit more support.
"We dialogue with all players a lot. The young players are obviously an important part of that and they happen as and when we think is appropriate.
"But I think what’s important is that the players know that the door’s always open, there’s that support network for them and within trying to win games and trying to win football matches and doing the right thing for the club, we also have their interests at heart and if they conduct themselves in the best way and train properly and really have a desire to be part of the future here, then we’ll work them as best we can to help them in their careers.”
The Northern Irishman says he and others stay in touch with players when they’re out on loan.
"Yes, I stay in contact, but the club obviously have people who do that as well, both within the coaching staff but also within in the infrastructure of the club,” he said.
"It’s been good to see Elkan get his first couple of games in the league under his belt and we’ve been getting some good reports back.
"It’s myself, but not just myself, it’s different people who keep in touch when they’re away.”
Striker Simpson told the club at the end of last season that he would like to move on this summer having turned down a new contract following his loan spell at Swindon.
Questioned on whether the 20-year-old might come back into the reckoning at Town if no move comes to fruition, McKenna said: "It’s not a situation I’ve been involved in lately and not one I want to comment on, to be honest.
"I think everyone spoke about it at the back end of last season, on what the situation was with Tyreece, and as far as I’m aware there’s been no changes on that and the club will update in due course.”
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We understand Huddersfield Town have been in ongoing talks with the Blues regarding the academy product with the Terriers very much his likely destination prior to the transfer window closing on September 1st.