Colchester United Sign Southampton's Moses Sesay on Loan

Colchester United have moved to sharpen their midfield, bringing in Southampton youngster Moses Sesay on a season-long loan.

The 19-year-old arrives with a strong academy pedigree. He joined Southampton from Chelsea’s youth set-up last year and has already featured for England at Under-18 level, marking him out as one of the more highly regarded prospects in his age group.

Sesay is still waiting for his league debut with Saints, but he has had a taste of senior football. He made a substitute appearance in last season’s EFL Cup, a small but significant step into the first-team picture on the south coast.

Danny Cowley is convinced Colchester have picked up a player who can change the tempo of games.

“Moses is a very gifted player with the ball. He can really speed up the game,” the U’s boss told BBC Essex, underlining exactly why he wanted the teenager in his squad.

Cowley also stressed this will be a learning curve.

“He's been involved with England. It's his first loan, so he's going to need time to adapt, but he's got some really good attributes. We're looking forward to working with him.”

For Sesay, this is the first real test outside the academy bubble. For Colchester, it’s a calculated gamble on talent that could give their midfield a different gear.