Kieran McKenna gives thoughts on Jeremy Sarmiento ahead of FA Cup trip to AFC Wimbledon

Kieran McKenna has stated he is ‘really pleased’ to have Jeremy Sarmiento through the door at Portman Road and is hoping the winger can be involved in Saturday’s FA Cup match at AFC Wimbledon (12.30pm).

The Tractor Boys completed the loan signing of the 21-year-old from Brighton & Hove Albion yesterday after the Ecuadorian international returned to the South Coast having spent the first half of the season on loan at West Brom.

“We’re really pleased to have him. He’s a player that we feel that we know pretty well. We’ve watched him for a long period of time, both for Brighton last year and for West Brom this year and we’ve spoken to him for a considerable period of time,” said McKenna.

“In terms of this weekend, we’re hoping to have him involved. Of course, you always have to be a little bit careful when players undergo a move with a lot of travelling, new pitches and a new environment.

“The psychological impact of that can also impact physically if you’re not careful so we’ll try and make good informed decisions and we’ll involve him on Saturday to the maximum possible really.

“We feel like he is a good fit here. Culturally, he’s a hard working young player and he wants to improve and we feel like he can add quite a lot to us within our style of play.

“We’re excited to have him and we hope this will be a good move for him and a good addition for us.

“He had limited minutes at the start with an injury in there as well but in December he had a really good run of games. We feel he comes to us in a good position physically and a better understanding of the league than what he would have had at the start of the season.

“That’s a bonus and that’s always one of the biggest things on your checklist for signings in January is players who are game ready and can hopefully help your group in the short term.”

Sarmiento, who represented Ecuador at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, made a total of 20 appearances for the Baggies – scoring twice – before returning to his Premier League parent club at the start of the month and will wear the number 21 shirt during his spell at Portman Road.

“He’s a really versatile attacker. He’s played on the right-hand side and wide on the right-hand side for Brighton last year and in his youth career at Benfica. He’s played as a wide left for Ecuador and a touchline wide left for West Brom and he’s played quite a bit as a number 10,” McKenna added.

“Of course that versatility is a big asset for him and a big asset for us to utilise in the best way we think possible.

“As a player, he’s technically got a really high level. A fantastic manipulator of the ball, has really good one-on-one skills and has the ability to combine and beat opponents and that’s something that we really wanted to add to the squad.

“We have a fantastic range of attributes in this squad and you could maybe say that at this time last year, with Kyle Edwards, we had some of those qualities in the squad and we don’t have as much of that this year. That was a goal in the summer window to add those qualities.

“Of course there’s areas of his game to improve and develop, that’s normal for any young player and the reason to go out on loan is to develop those qualities.

“But also, be about us trying to get him on the pitch in scenarios where he can use his best attributes whether that be in either of the wide areas or more central positions.”