Hamilton Accies youngster set for loan move as boss John Rankin eyes new signings

Hamilton Accies youngster Lewis Latona is set to leave the club on loan to continue his development.

The 17-year-old youth academy product has made three first team outings for the club so far and boss John Rankin is eager to get him regular minutes in the SPFL this season away from New Douglas Park.

Midfielder Latona is highly rated and a host of clubs are keen to bring him in on loan. And Rankin has revealed the club will make a call shortly on where is best for him to further his first team experience.

He said: “Lewis Latona may go out on loan this week to try and get games. We want to get him games playing at as high a level as possible and there are a few teams asking about him, so it will just depend on what we think is best for Lewis.

“He is really good on the ball and we don’t want to take working on his technique away from him. Scottish football can be a bit hectic at times so we need to make sure we find the right loan for him that will help him progress.”

Meanwhile, Rankin says he is also pursuing new signings to support his squad amid long-term injuries within his squad. Defender Fergus Owen has already been ruled out for the season with a knee injury and fellow centre-back Dylan McGowan is out for a number of months after fracturing his foot.

On the prospect of new faces coming in, Rankin said: “We are not close to anything, but we are definitely looking. We have made contact with a couple and we are hoping we can get one or two over the line.

“It is important with the injuries we have and the areas we are light in, that we strengthen in those areas. We want to bring in players who will make us better in the long run, not just squad players.”

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