‘Little surprised’ – Why Brighton talent Jeremy Sarmiento’s loan at West Brom didn’t work out

That is according to Birmingham Live's Baggies reporter, Joseph Chapman, who admitted to being a "little surprised" at the Seagulls' decision to recall the 21-year-old from The Hawthorns.

The Ecuadorian international, who is expected to join high-flying Ipswich Town on loan this month, made 21 appearances for the Championship side but just seven of those were starts - although he was out for a month with a quad injury in October.

Chapman said the Midlands outfit have been managing his minutes and with Matt Phillips out injured and Grady Diangana heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations, he would have had a bigger part to play in their Premier League promotion push in the second half of the campaign; but, it was not to be.

How did Sarmiento's loan go and what are your thoughts on Brighton cutting short his season-long loan?

I must admit I'm a little surprised as to why Sarmiento has been recalled. Albion couldn't have done much more for him in the first half of the season, having helped nurse him back to full fitness following the injury he picked up prior to arriving, and he's then gone on to make six starts in a row across November and December - the longest run in a first XI of his career.

I've no doubts at all that he was due to play plenty more in these coming weeks, especially with Grady Diangana away at AFCON and Matt Phillips injured until April, and would've continued to develop ahead of his return to Brighton next summer. I think West Brom have done well by him in general and he'd have been on course to have made the 35 appearance target Roberto De Zerbi challenged him to hit at the start of the season.

Prior, to this move, Chapman told Sussex World how Sarmiento had fared as a whole at Carlos Corberan's team.

It's [the loan] been a mixed bag. Sarmiento joined on the back of a year of struggle with injury and that was factored in. Because he had no pre-season, Albion and the fans had to be patient. He started the season with a string of cameos and he scored a fine goal in the win over Middlesbrough. His cameos were very exciting - Sarmiento's style of play gets you off your seat.

That meant that the calls for him to start grew louder. When he did start, against Millwall, he couldn't replicate in a sustained period what he had been able to do in bursts. Then, fitness came under the spotlight - because Sarmiento hadn't played much for Brighton before joining, it proved to be too much too soon and he suffered a quad injury which stopped him in his tracks. Since returning, Sarmiento has made an impact. He scored a wonder goal to clinch a win at Cardiff, too.

With the ball at his feet, he's unpredictable. He's able to shift the ball quickly and turn full-backs inside out. Because he's not lightning-quick but is a very capable dribbler, he often drifts inside. That's where the Cardiff goal came from. Sarmiento works very hard off the ball, too. I just think he needs to sometimes produce a better quality end product, be that from a shot or a cross - but as we saw at Cardiff, he can produce. It just needs to be the case more often.

Who kept him out of the side when he didn't play and why did the manager play him sparingly?

Albion have a decent number of wingers, actually. Grady Diangana returned after the start of the season after an injury he'd suffered in February. He's been in strong form himself. Jed Wallace, John Swift, Matt Phillips, and young Tom Fellows have all competed for spots in the starting XI, too. Phillips has been excellent, as a wingback and a left-sided winger - where Sarmiento usually operates - but he is injured until April and with Diangana set for AFCON with DR Congo, Sarmiento's availability would have become more important.

I think Carlos [Corberan] has been really careful in utilising Jeremy, knowing his previous injury issues. Having had no pre-season, he eased him into his surroundings. You must remember Sarmiento is still very young, too. The injury in September was really unfortunate, but it's something that is hopefully in the past now.

Sussex World's verdict:

On the face of it, moving to Ipswich, who sit second in the Championship, does not seem an obvious choice for first-team action. West Brom are in the play-offs but the Tractor Boys are second in the league, ergo, Sarmiento may struggle to get the regular game time Brighton wants.

Despite the Seagulls' hefty injury list, it appears the Ecuadorian will not spend the second half of the season with Roberto De Zerbi's men, but perhaps he will catch fire at Portman Road.

The Italian said last summer he wanted Sarmiento to play “30, 35 games in a row”. That may be why Brighton pulled the plug on the West Brom loan. However, one can't help but think a loan to another Championship side where minutes are guaranteed would have been a better pick for the youngster.