Why Wolves loaning out Niall Ennis would be an ideal move
According to Football Insider (h/t Birmingham Live), Wolves striker Niall Ennis could be set for yet another loan spell away from Molineux after spending the previous campaign on loan at Doncaster Rovers in League One.
As per the report, third-tier clubs Portsmouth and Oxford United have both been credited with an interest in the 21-year-old forward, with Wolves currently in talks to arrange a temporary move for the academy prospect before the October 16 deadline.
Profile
A youth product of hometown club Wolves, Nial Ennis signed his first professional contract with the Black County outfit back in November 2015 and featured in a couple of pre-season friendlies in 2016-17. However, his progress was derailed by a fibula fracture and the youngster suffered a long-term knee injury shortly after joining Shrewsbury Town on loan in the third-tier.
Ennis eventually made his first-team debut for Wolves in February 2019 as a late substitute in a 3-2 victory FA Cup victory over Shrewsbury Town. The striker put pen to paper on a new contract until 2022 before being loaned out to Doncaster Rovers last summer.
The 21-year-old bagged 6 goals and 4 assists in 28 appearances for Rovers last season under the stewardship of former West Brom manager Darren Moore.
Loan move – ideal for all parties?
Raul Jimenez remains the undisputed first-choice centre-forward at Molineux after plundering 27 goals in all competitions last term. Teenager Fabio Silva, who joined Wolves for a staggering £35million from Porto in the summer window, has established himself as the designated understudy to the Mexican in front of goal.
Despite losing Diogo Jota to Liverpool, Wolves still have Adama Traore, Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence as other established attacking options. Hence, it’s pretty clear that Niall Ennis is unlikely to stake a claim for a first-team role under Nuno Santo despite enjoying a decent loan spell in League One last season.
Considering that the 21-year-old hasn’t really been a part of Wolves’ plans at the highest level so far, another loan move away from Molineux should be a fair settlement for all parties involved. Ennis is nearing a stage in his career where he needs to play regular senior football to further his development, as opposed to spending time with the U-23s at Wolves.
Read more
- Why Wolves’ £35m deal for Fabio Silva looks like risky business
- Why Tote Gomes could be a good future investment for Wolves
Verdict
Niall Ennis endured a difficult start to his career with a series of injuries but he put all the disappointment behind himself to make a real impression on his loan spell at Doncaster in League One last season.
A temporary spell in the Championship should ideally be the next big step in his development but it’s understandable if he ends up joining another third-tier club this summer in search of regular game time.
The 21-year-old doesn’t seem to have a future at Wolves so it wouldn’t make any sense for the club to stand in the way of his development. However, Ennis remains a talented player and he will be hoping to put himself on the radar of bigger clubs with yet another productive loan spell.
