12 Loan Deals That Would Make Sense in 2015 January Transfer Window
Loan deals can make a lot of sense for players who need game time or want to improve their fortunes in the final months of the season.
Perhaps they have fallen down the pecking order, are struggling to get minutes in a side full of big names or are battling back from injury or loss of form. Whatever the cause, a short-term deal can provide the perfect opportunity to get back on track.
In this slideshow we take a look at 12 players who would benefit from a loan deal for one of the reasons mentioned above. It’s not an exhaustive list, so please feel free to add your own suggestions below.
These slides are arranged from 12-1, with the player we feel would most benefit from a loan deal coming in at No. 1.
12. Stevan Jovetic, Manchester City
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Wilfried Bony's arrival at the Etihad could spell the end of Stevan Jovetic's Manchester City career, despite manager Manuel Pellegrini's insistence there is room for both strikers in his squad, as seen on ESPNFC.com.
The Montenegrin joined City in summer 2013 for £22 million, following five years at Fiorentina in which he scored 40 goals in 134 appearances (in all competitions).
Injuries played their part in keeping Jovetic on the sidelines in his first season in Manchester, a Premier League campaign in which he made just two starts and 13 league appearances in total.
This season, with Alvaro Negredo back on loan in La Liga with Valencia, Jovetic has fared better with 13 top-flight appearances and a further five games in the Champions League—a competition in which he received no minutes last term.
However, City will need to make room in their Champions League squad to accommodate the £28 million-signing Bony, and it is thought Jovetic may have to make way for the Ivory Coast international.
According to Joe Short in the Express, a return to Serie A may beckon, with Juventus said to be interested in bringing Jovetic to Turin on loan, rather than paying an "excessive fee" for a permanent deal.
11. Adrien Rabiot, Paris Saint-Germain
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Following a steady flow of gossip that linked him with a summer switch, Adrien Rabiot signed a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain in October—a deal which will keep him at Parc des Princes until 2019.
However, the 19-year-old is still behind the likes of Blaise Matuidi, Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta and Yohan Cabaye in the club's pecking order and has chalked up just 312 minutes of Ligue 1 football this season.
Last term, although involved in 25 league games for the French champions, Rabiot made only 12 starts for Laurent Blanc's side.
With plenty of competition for places and the midfielder lacking in consistent match practice, a January loan deal could be the perfect option for Rabiot, who was rumoured to be on the lookout for a new club in search of regular playing time over the summer, as seen on ESPNFC.com.
According to Ben Jefferson in the Express, "reports in France suggest that a loan deal may have been discussed during contract negotiations," with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool said to be keen.
10. Brown Ideye, West Bromwich Albion
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West Bromwich Albion broke their club transfer record when they brought Brown Ideye to the Hawthorns over the summer, for a fee in the region of £10 million, as seen on BBC Sport.
Last term, the 26-year-old made 29 appearances (in all competitions) for Dynamo Kiev but he has struggled to establish himself in the Premier League, where he has featured in only three of the Baggies' opening 13 games of the 2014/15 campaign.
After getting back into the side in early December, Brown has started a total of just four games. He has completed a full 90 minutes on three occasions this season.
According to Midlands newspaper Express and Star, the striker may be on the way out of West Brom in January. A loan deal could make a lot of sense for Brown, who needs to find his way back to the form that saw him net 45 goals in 107 games during his time in the Ukraine.
9. Mitchell Weiser, Bayern Munich
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Mitchell Weiser swapped FC Cologne for Bayern Munich in summer 2012, and who could blame the then-18-year-old for wanting to join Jupp Heynckes' successful side?
Much was expected of the teenage winger, who came with huge promise from RheinEnergieStadion. However, Weiser has struggled to break into the Bayern squad, clocking up just one minute of Bundesliga football this season and a total of 139 minutes last term.
A loan to 2. Bundesliga side FC Kaiserslautern saw Weiser get a valuable 15 games under his belt in 2013, having watched from the sidelines since putting pen to paper with Bayern—apart from 11 minutes in the DFB Pokal, in which he played as a right-back.
This winter, we have already seen Xherdan Shaqiri and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg depart on loan to Inter Milan and FC Augsburg, respectively.
If the 20-year-old were to depart Allianz Arena on loan, it would be the right decision. Weiser needs that all-important playing time to remind us what he's capable of and why he was once so highly rated.
8. Adnan Januzaj, Manchester United
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In October, Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj was being linked with a January loan move to Ajax, according to Alex Harris in the Daily Star.
Since then, the 19-year-old has played just 133 minutes of Premier League football for Louis van Gaal's side, with 11 outings in total across 2014/15.
At the same stage last term, Januzaj had clocked up 16 top-flight games, with three goals and three assists coming in a dazzling debut season, where he played a full 90 minutes against the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur and made his bow in the Champions League, where he got minutes against Shakhtar Donetsk and Bayern Munich.
On Goal.com, it's rumoured Van Gaal will sanction a January loan for the winger, who appears to be attracting further interest from FC Porto, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, if gossip reported by the Daily Star's Rhys Turrell is to be believed.
A short-term deal could be exactly what the Belgium international needs to continue his development, gain confidence and force his way back into the Old Trafford XI.
7. Roberto Soldado, Tottenham Hotspur
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It's easy to forget Roberto Soldado ended the 2012/13 season as La Liga's fifth-highest top scorer, with 24 goals notched across 35 games for Valencia.
It's been a completely different story at Tottenham Hotspur where the 29-year-old has registered just seven goals in 42 Premier League outings, or 15 in 61 appearances (in all competitions).
Clearly short on confidence and misfiring in front of goal, Soldado was linked with a loan move to Atletico Madrid over the summer, as reported by Matt Law in The Telegraph. Although recently, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has backed the striker to come good at White Hart Lane, telling Law in The Telegraph:
"In football, we need to understand sometimes for strikers it's difficult. Maybe it’s a tough period for Roberto. He needs to feel our support in that difficult moment. We need to back him and give him the chance to come back.
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However, a loan deal looks like it would be a logical step for the former Real Madrid, Getafe and Valencia man to make.
One thing is certain, Soldado desperately needs to rediscover the form that saw him worthy of a £26 million price tag just 18 months ago.
6. Munir El Haddadi, Barcelona
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One of the latest prodigious young talents to emerge from Barcelona's La Masia academy, Munir El Haddadi looked set to take La Liga by storm when he stepped onto the scene in August—marking his first-team debut with a goal against Elche at Camp Nou at the age of 18.
El Haddadi went on to appear in seven of Barca's next 10 games in La Liga, as well as playing in three consecutive Champions League ties, against APOEL Nicosia, Paris Saint-Germain and Ajax, respectively.
Since Luis Suarez returned to action, following his four-month ban from football, El Haddadi—now 19—has been back on the sidelines, playing a total of 105 minutes in the league and making no further appearances in Europe.
In the Express (from rumours originally emanating in Spain), David Wright claims the young striker is seeking a January move away from Luis Enrique's side. As he writes, "El Haddadi is keen to spend the rest of the season on loan to gain valuable first-team minutes."
We've seen the likes of Gerard Deulofeu (Everton and Sevilla), Rafinha (Celta Vigo) Denis Suarez (Sevilla) and Cristian Tello (FC Porto) go out on loan in current and recent seasons in search of first-team football. In order for El Haddadi's upward trajectory to continue, perhaps he should do the same.
5. Petr Cech, Chelsea
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Petr Cech as Chelsea's No. 2; it still doesn't sound right.
However, since Thibaut Courtois made his summer return to Stamford Bridge, the Czech international has largely been forced to watch from the sidelines.
Despite being in goal for the Blues' last two top-flight games, against Newcastle United and Swansea City, the 32-year-old has chalked up just four Premier League games this term, in addition to three games in the Champions League and four more in domestic cup competition.
There would be no shortage of suitors, were Cech to be available to sign a permanent deal or a short-term loan in the January transfer window. Rumours of a move to Liverpool, as reported by David Maddock in the Mirror, are plausible considering Simon Mignolet's shaky performances for Brendan Rodgers' side this season.
In the summer, both Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco were credited with interest in the former Rennes man, as reported by the Daily Mail's Matt Barlow.
4. Clement Chantome, Paris Saint-Germain
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In a Paris Saint-Germain side with no shortage of central midfielders, it comes as little surprise Clement Chantome has not made a single start in Ligue 1 this season.
According to French reports (h/t Jamie Anderson in the Express), the former France international—who came up through the ranks at Parc des Princes—recently said, "My future at PSG? For now I'm here and I'll give the maximum for PSG, it's still my first club but we'll see what happens in January."
Last term, Chantome went out on loan at Toulouse, where he impressed over 27 league appearances for Alain Casanova's side.
With just 347 minutes clocked up in all competitions for Laurent Blanc's PSG in 2014/15, a loan move is exactly what the 27-year-old needs to progress in his career.
3. Joel Campbell, Arsenal
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After impressing at the 2014 World Cup, Joel Campbell has found his opportunities limited at Arsenal and a January loan deal could be a sensible move for the 22-year-old to make.
The Costa Rica international has made four appearances in the Premier League this season as well as three outings in the Champions League.
A serial loanee, Campbell has been shipped out to FC Lorient, Real Betis and Olympiakos since signing for Arsene Wenger's side in 2011.
His 11 goals in the Greek Super League, coupled with a goal and an assist against Uruguay, en route to Costa Rica's journey to the World Cup quarter-finals last season, suggested Campbell might make his breakthrough into the Arsenal XI this term. However, it now looks like another loan may be the best option.
According to Sami Mokbel in the Daily Mail, Campbell may be allowed to move on loan or for a £8 million fee in January, with Real Sociedad, Inter Milan, Villarreal, Benfica, Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion all said to be interested in securing his services.
2. Jese Rodriguez, Real Madrid
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Real Madrid's Jese has only recently returned from a lengthy injury layoff, after rupturing his cruciate ligament in a Champions League tie against Schalke last season.
The wildly talented 21-year-old has been given a 19-minute run-out in La Liga this term, in addition to 30 minutes in the Champions League against Ludogorets Razgrad. He has also been brought on as a late substitute in Madrid's last three outings in the Copa del Rey, in which he scored against Segunda Division side UE Cornella on December 2.
Little by little, the Canary Islander—who came up through the youth system at the Bernabeu—will edge his way back into contention in Carlo Ancelotti's side.
However, as we know, Los Blancos have an embarrassment of riches at their disposal and any chance of Jese becoming a regular starter before the season is out seems incredibly unlikely. Last season, even before injury struck, Jese was in Ancelotti's starting XI on just four occasions in La Liga.
As the Spain under-21 international looks to continue his comeback and regain peak fitness, a loan move would make perfect sense.
1. Mohamed Salah, Chelsea
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Mohamed Salah swapped St. Jakob-Park for Stamford Bridge in January 2014 and since arriving in the Premier League, the 22-year-old has struggled to break into Jose Mourinho's starting XI.
This season, the former FC Basel man has managed just 30 minutes of top-flight football, with a further 77 minutes coming across home and away ties against Sporting Clube de Portugal in the Champions League.
A loan move looks like the ideal answer. It will give the winger opportunity to display the form he showed for Basel and Egypt in 2013/14—where he notched 10 goals and six assists for the former and three goals and three assists for the latter.
Salah also scored three times for the Pharaohs during African Cup of Nations qualifiers in 2014.
In December, the Mirror's Dave Kidd reported Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers and Stoke City were all interested in signing Salah in January on a short-term deal. As written by Kidd:
"Chelsea are keen to loan out winger Mo Salah to a Premier League club in January.
Boss Jose Mourinho has indicated he wants Salah, who has not started a League match this season, to gain first-team experience in England.
There has been interest from abroad in signing the Egyptian international on a permanent deal or on loan.
But Mourinho still believes the player, signed from Basel for £11million last January, could have a long-term future at Chelsea, so he hopes the 22-year-old can be tested out in the English game.
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Recent gossip indicates the Blues manager does not now see Salah leaving in January, amid rumoured interest from Besiktas, Inter Milan and AS Roma, according to the London Evening Standard's Tom Dutton.
All performance and contract data comes from Transfermarkt.com and ESPNFC.com.
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