Ritchie: Wilson May Benefit From Loan Move

Former Manchester United centre-forward Andy Ritchie believes current striker James Wilson could benefit from a loan move next season.

Wilson, who is set to feature in his third Toulon tournament match for England Under-20s against Mexico on Wednesday, made his 18th appearance for the Reds as a substitute in the final game of the campaign at Hull City. And while he is tipped for further progress at United, there would be no shortage of clubs willing to sign him on a temporary basis.

"He’s got pace and he can score goals - he’s done that throughout his career so far," Ritchie told ManUtd.com. "The one thing I think he needs now is to get some experience. Is it better for him to get that at a Championship club and get a season under his belt of good football? I think the Championship is a really tough league. After a season in the Championship, he would come back to United with a different perspective.

"There are a lot of things to consider and obviously the manager, Louis van Gaal, is the one who will make that decision. If Willo was kept at the football club as a third option in attack, I think that would be great, but - and this is only my opinion - I don’t think playing Under-21s football will further his career. I think that’s probably too easy for him. He needs a bigger challenge and if he plays in the Championship next season he’ll certainly get that challenge. Sometimes you need to be taken out of your comfort zone and then you have to deal with it. I think Willo’s got all the ingredients to be a top striker but he’s just got to be out of his comfort zone at times. There are a lot of players who need that."

Like Wilson, Ritchie broke into United's first team as a teenager. He feels some physical development would also bolster the young Red's chances of further success. "I think he’s got to work on his body as well because he’s very lean. I was a little bit bulkier than him at his age, I had a bit more meat on me. So he probably needs to get a little bit of bulk and be a bit stronger."

As for the general outlook for his old position at United, Ritchie feels some recruitment may be required this summer with Radamel Falcao's return to parent club Monaco leaving Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Wilson as Louis van Gaal's first-team strikers.

"There’s definitely room for one, maybe two [new strikers] depending on the situation," Ritchie assessed. "Memphis Depay is coming in and I’m excited about him. Primarily he’s left-sided but maybe he could do a job down the middle as well, given the circumstances. There’s going to be a need for defensive ins as well. It’s going to be a really busy summer, I think, and a very exciting one."