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 growing reputation. He joined the Saints academy from Chelsea only last year and has already featured for England at Under-18 level, marking him out as one of the more highly regarded teenagers in his age group.

Sesay is still waiting for his league debut with Southampton, but he has had a first taste of senior football. He made a substitute appearance in last season’s EFL Cup, a brief glimpse of what he might offer at first-team level.

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 midfielder in his squad.

Cowley also struck a realistic note. This is Sesay’s first loan spell, his first extended spell away from the Premier League environment at Southampton.

“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 Colchester, the gamble is clear: give a raw, technically sharp midfielder the stage and see if he can grow quickly enough to shape their season.