West Bromwich Albion allowed Zac Ashworth to join Bolton Wanderers on a season-long loan deal on Friday.
The 20-year-old defender appeared to be part of Carlos Corberan’s plans during pre-season as he took part in behind closed doors friendlies for the Baggies, but will now spend the upcoming campaign in Greater Manchester with the League One outfit.
Ashworth could also see his Bolton switch made permanent should the third tier side sanction it at the end of the season, but West Brom may regret that should he excel.
Capped at Under-21 level by Wales, the Baggies academy graduate spent the second half of last season with Burton Albion as they did remarkably well to turn their season around and secure safety.
He made 18 appearances for the Brewers as he got the first taste of regular game time in his professional career so far, starting almost every fixture following his arrival and registering one assist in that time.
Bolton boss Ian Evatt has said that he is looking forward to working with Ashworth.
“We need some multi-functional players who can play in different roles, especially after losing George,” said Evatt.
“It was important that we have some left-footed cover on that side of the pitch. He is a really promising young player that we think can reach some real heights in the game.
“He wants to be with us, he wants to learn with us and I am looking forward to working with him.”
Should Ashworth have been allowed to leave?
The youngster has made six appearances for West Brom in total since his debut in April last year, four of which came in cup competitions, none of which were in the Championship last season.
It is clear that opportunities for regular playing time were limited with the Baggies, so loan deals away from the club make a lot of sense for Ashworth’s development. However, paving the way for his permanent exit may become a questionable decision if he hits form at Bolton.
Might this be a deal that West Brom rue in years to come?