Martin Samuelsen to decide on loan move this week
West Ham winger Martin Samuelsen will decide his future in the next week whether he will stay at the club or leave on loan this summer, according to his father.
Early today, West Ham announced that Samuelsen signed a new four-year deal with the club running until 2020 and stated that he would be interested in leaving on loan.
“This season, I think it’s either going to be another loan or first team football for me at West Ham,” he told the official West Ham website.
“I really enjoyed my time at Peterborough United last season and to have another spell playing good football on loan somewhere would be great.
“Both options would be good for me, but one is tougher to achieve than the other! Whatever happens for me this year, I’ll go into it 100 per cent committed. My long-term goal is to get into the West Ham first team XI.”
West Ham U23s ran out 3-1 winners over Newcastle U23s last night in the Premier League 2, and Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy was in attendance believed to be eyeing up Samuelsen ahead of a loan move.
Martin’s dad, Frode, has spoken about the possibility of his son leaving West Ham on loan this summer, but refused to confirm or deny Ipswich’s interest.
“I cannot confirm nor deny whether Ipswich are interested,” Frode Samuelsen told TV 2.
“I got to hear that they looked at Martin, but whether they are interested beyond that I can neither confirm nor deny.”
He says his son has two options, either to go out on loan before next Wednesday’s deadline or remain at West Ham.
“We know that there are interesting clubs that are interested and it’s about taking a decision regarding a loan,” Samuelsen Snr added. “He has another week to decide whether there will be a loan.”
West Ha have a wealth of talent already in the first-team squad that can play in attacking midfield, so perhaps a loan move for Samuelsen would be best for him, especially as he has been named in the Norway squad for their World Cup qualifier against Germany next month and would need to be playing regularly to keep hold of his place.