Frank Nouble is to get the chance of regular first-team football with a three-month loan to Swansea City.
The promising England Under-19 striker is joining the Championship club on a temporary basis until 18 December, having shown his potential to new manager Avram Grant in friendly and reserve-team action. Swansea, who welcome Scunthorpe United on Saturday, have made a solid start to the new season, sitting in 13th place with nine points from six games.
The forward's move to South Wales will see him reunited with former Chelsea Academy chief Brendan Rodgers, who is now in charge at the Liberty Stadium.
After making his first-team breakthrough last season, Nouble has already had two spells away from the Boleyn Ground at West Bromwich Albion and Swindon Town.
Nouble, who turns 19 on Friday week, was then an ever-present as he helped England to reach the final of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in July - scoring two goals in four games.
Last week, Nouble - who was a schoolboy in Chelsea's Academy during Grant's single season in charge at Stamford Bridge in 2007/08 - scored the winner in a friendly victory at Leicester City, serving further indication of his potential.
He is not the first Hammer to go on loan to Swansea. England midfielder Frank Lampard played nine league games for the Welsh side in the 1995/96 season, scoring one goal, before cementing his place in the West Ham first team.
Nouble joins Matthew Fry in being out on loan. Centre-back Fry has broken into the Charlton Athletic first team, most recently playing in Saturday's 1-0 home win against Notts County.