Liverpool FC Loan Watch: Which on-Loan Reds Will Return to Anfield Next Season?
With all the goings-on at Liverpool over the past couple of months, some players could be forgiven for thinking that they had been forgotten about entirely.
Kenny Dalglish has transformed the on-pitch fortunes of the club in a matter of months, while off the field of play, Fenway Sports Group have continued the recent upturn in commercial success of the club.
While everybody is anticipating several transfers—both in and out—in the summer for the team to follow up the signings of January targets Andy Carroll, Luis Suarez and Conor Thomas, we should also remember that Liverpool have no less than a dozen players currently contracted to the club who are out on loan at the present moment.
Here, we take a look at those 12 and see which ones still have something to contribute to the Liverpool FC cause and which are likely to be moved on—permanently this time.
David Amoo (Hull City, Age 20, LFC Appearances: 1)
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David Amoo is a right winger and forward who signed for Liverpool in 2007 from his first club Millwall.
Very quick and strong, Amoo made his Liverpool debut at the beginning of this season in a Europa League qualifier against Rabotnicki as the Reds were lacking senior personnel after the World Cup.
However, he did not appear again for the first team and spent a spell earlier this term at MK Dons, though he hardly featured.
He then moved to Hull City on loan and recently netted the first goal of his loan spell there against QPR just last weekend, to deny the Championship leaders the chance to seal their promotion to the Premier League.
Hopes were high for Amoo for a couple of years after impressing at under 18 and Reserve level, but to be truthful, I have not seen anything from him which would suggest he could become a force for the Reds' first team. His finishing leaves something to be desired, and his crossing is inconsistent at best.
VERDICT: Another season away on loan beckons, but if a Championship club makes a transfer bid for him, he could be on his way for good.
Alberto Aquilani (Juventus, Age 26, LFC Apperances: 28)
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Liverpool's classy and elegant Italian midfielder, Alberto Aquilani, was shipped off on loan to Turin by Roy Hodgson and Christian Purslow at the beginning of the season, with the former claiming he "didn't need" this type of player and wouldn't be able to guarantee him game time, while the latter was happy to have Aquilani's large wages off the bill and make room for his own personal marquee signing, Joe Cole.
Though he initially struggled with his injuries and adaptation to the Premier League, the second half of 2009/10 was a good one for Aquilani as he began playing slightly further up the field to good effect, netting twice and providing numerous assists for the likes of Dirk Kuyt.
He has performed well in a Juventus shirt this term and has been largely free of injury since the early part of the season playing 30 times (28 starts) and scoring twice in the league.
Juventus have a clause in the loan contract stating that if they pay the agreed price (believed to be around the £14.5 million mark), then the player is free to agree terms with them and move back to Italy. However, it seems likely that they are unwilling to meet the valuation.
Recent speculation has linked AC Milan with a bid for him to steal him from Juventus, while Kenny Dalglish has also said he could return to Anfield.
VERDICT: Part of me believes Aquilani still has a part to play for Liverpool, and there is no doubting his talent, but overall I believe that one way or another, he will be permanently residing in Italy next season. Sold.
Dani Ayala (Derby County, Age 20, LFC Appearances: 5)
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Spanish youngster Dani Ayala joined Liverpool back in 2007 from Sevilla's youth programme and spent the early part of this season on loan at Hull City, where fellow Reds' reserve player David Amoo is now.
After suffering a thigh injury at the Tigers, Ayala returned to Liverpool as the medical staff were not happy that he had been forced to continue playing after suffering the injury. After he recovered completely, he left on loan for Derby County, also in the Championship, where he has been an integral figure in their defence starting 14 times and appearing once as a sub.
He made his Reds debut as a sub against Spurs in 2009 and started the league match against Stoke shortly afterwards.
Ayala is a tall and strong central defender, good in the air and a good marker. Though not the quickest, he shows good commitment and a fine positional sense.
VERDICT: Ayala certainly has the ability and quality to press for a spot in Liverpool's squad, but with Daniel Agger and Jamie Carragher around and the likelihood of a new arrival in central defence this summer, he will find opportunities limited.
Likely to get another season of loan experience before a final decision is taken on his future but is another who could leave if an offer comes in. Would likely command a fee in excess of £2 million.
Stephen Darby (Notts County, Age 22, LFC Appearances: 6)
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Local-born right back Stephen Darby made his debut in 2008 against Tottenham and has gone on to make six appearances as he bids to make a serious breakthrough in the Liverpool team.
Darby is a committed and defensively aware fullback who, by his own admission, needs to continue to improve his attacking game to make it big at the top level.
In a loan spell last season, he helped Swindon Town make the playoff finals but lost to Millwall, while this season he was named in Liverpool's initial Premier League squad as one of the home-grown players.
However, he was unable to force his way into the side despite a succession of injuries to defenders in the early part of the season, and since the emergence of Martin Kelly and most lately John Flanagan, he will now find himself way down the pecking order for the right back berth.
He did also feature for Liverpool at left back this season in the early Europa League qualifiers but is far more comfortable on the right.
VERDICT: At 22 years old and still on loan at a League One club, it is likely that Darby has found his level and will be moved on permanently this season. With Johnson, Kelly and Flanagan all ahead of him his chances of making the breakthrough would be minimal.
A good competitor but lacks the pace and adventurism to be a Premier League fullback. Sold.
Philipp Degen (VfB Stuttgart, Age 28, LFC Appearances: 13)
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Not one of Liverpool's more successful Bosman signings; Phillip Degen left Liverpool this season for Stuttgart on a year-long loan deal following two injury-hit years on Merseyside.
In his first season, Degen suffered several back and leg injuries and made just two appearances for the club. Last season, he finally made his full league debut against Fulham, but was sent off 10 minutes before full time.
With just 13 games in a Reds shirt to his name, Degen never had the hoped-for impact as a backup to the likes of Glen Johnson.
However, his fortunes have not overly improved during his loan spell in Germany, as he has made just five appearances for the Bundesliga club, playing slightly more than 300 minutes of league football.
When in form, Degen is a pacey and adventurous right back and is a good crosser of the ball. However, with just 22 league appearances for three different clubs in the past four seasons, his career appears very much on a downward spiral.
VERDICT: Unsurprisingly, Degen should be offloaded this summer for a nominal fee. It is unclear whether Degen signed a three- or four-year contract when he joined Liverpool in 2008, meaning that he may be released on a free transfer or have to spend another season out on loan until his contract at Anfield expires.
Nathan Eccleston (Charlton Athletic, Age 20, LFC Appearances: 9)
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Manchester-born forward Nathan Eccleston has come through the ranks at Liverpool after he joined the club as a youngster.
A lightning quick striker, his small stature has unfortunately seen him play the majority of his football as a wide attacker instead of through the centre, which has yet to see him display the best of his talents.
A regular scorer at under 18 and Reserve team levels, Eccleston made his Reds debut as a late substitute against Arsenal before making a second late appearance in the league against Fulham a few days later.
Playing on loan at mid-table League One outfit Charlton Athletic this season, Eccleston has scored three times from seven starts and 12 sub appearances, showing that he knows where the goal is, though he has been unable to hold down a regular starting place during his time in London.
VERDICT: At 20 years of age, Eccleston still has time to further mature both physically and in terms of his football. I feel another loan spell may aid him considerably next season, especially if the Reds bring in another forward for the first team in summer.
It would be good to see Eccleston perform at a higher level, at least in the Championship, after two loan spells in League One.
Nabil El Zhar (PAOK, Age 24, LFC Appearances: 32)
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Speedy Moroccan winger Nabil El Zhar was another player shipped off on loan at the beginning of the season by then-boss Roy Hodgson.
In what was one of his better transfer decisions, Hodgson allowed El Zhar to join Greek outfit PAOK for the entire season.
El Zhar has featured 19 times in the league for the Greek Super League side, scoring one goal.
Former boss Rafa Benitez brought the wide man to the club from St. Etienne and used him mainly as an impact substitute to some effect late on in games when his pace and trickery was employed against tired opposition defences.
However, El Zhar failed to ever nail down a regular spot in the side. His only goal in his 32 Reds games came in the League Cup against Cardiff City.
VERDICT: Again, no surprise that El Zhar should and surely will not feature in Dalglish's plans for next season. El Zhar has one year remaining on his Liverpool contract and, like Philipp Degen, will either be loaned out for another season to wind down his contract or will be allowed to leave permanently for a minimal fee.
Emiliano Insua (Galatasary, Age 22, LFC Appearances: 62)
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After Alberto Aquilani, probably the on-loan player who divides opinion the most amongst Liverpool supporters.
Emiliano Insua was allowed to leave on loan by Roy Hodgson to spend the season at Turkish outfit Galatasary, to make room for incoming left back Paul Konchesky.
As a youngster, Insua was allowed by Liverpool to improve with the Reserve team for a couple of years, making fleeting appearances at the end of each league campaign before he really stepped up in '08/'09, making 13 appearances in total.
Considering this was in competition with Fabio Aurelio and Andrea Dossena, many were pleased with Insua's input, and he was seen as the natural long-term choice for the first team.
He continued to stamp his mark on the Reds' first team and last season made 31 Premier League appearances.
An attack-minded defender, Insua alternately won praise and drew criticism for his crossing and running at defenders but also perceived poor positioning and lack of consistency.
Perhaps on this occasion, such an amount of first team football on what was still a young player, especially when the team was in a decline on and off the pitch, was not beneficial for Insua, and he was almost sold to Fiorentina before his loan to Galatasary.
However his new club has been in arguably a worse state than the one he left behind. Traditional giants Galatasary are languishing this term in the lower reaches of the league table and replaced manager Rijkaard with club legend Georghe Hagi, who openly stated his unwillingness to play loan players.
As a result, Insua has played just 14 league games for Gala this season, although he has played in three games during April after not previously featuring since January.
VERDICT: Probably the most difficult one to call. Much depends on how highly Dalglish rates Jack Robinson and how many games he thinks it wise to give him next season.
Liverpool badly need a recognised, quality senior left back and Insua could be brought back as cover for this new signing. However, if Robinson is deemed capable enough of being the backup himself, Insua could be sold in the summer with Roma and Udinese reportedly interested. Going by gut feeling, I think he will be sold.
Brad Jones (Derby County, Age 29, LFC Appearances: 2)
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Australian goalkeeper Brad Jones was a summer signing of Roy Hodgson's, brought in to provide cover and competition for regular number one Pepe Reina.
As a direct replacement for outgoing 'keeper Diego Cavalieri, Jones was a £2 million signing from Middlesborough and was largely seen as a way of boosting Liverpool's home-grown contingent; probably not the greatest reason ever for signing a goalkeeper.
He made only two appearances for the club before being loaned out to Derby County in March; his debut being the disappointing penalty shoot-out defeat to Northampton Town in the League Cup at Anfield.
Jones has made six appearances for Derby since joining on loan.
VERDICT: Jones is likely to leave Liverpool in the summer as young Hungarian stopper Peter Gulacsi has usurped him as Reina's No. 2. In all fairness, he was never likely to challenge Reina and can probably be a regular first choice 'keeper in the Championship. Sold.
Paul Konchesky (Nottingham Forest, Age 29, LFC Appearances: 18)
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Paul Konchesky, along with to a lesser extent Christian Poulsen, became the unfortunate and unwitting symbols of the ill-fated reign of Roy Hodgson.
Signed for the extortionate fee of £5 million PLUS two promising youngsters in Lauri Dalla Valle and Alex Kacaniklic, Konchesky was seen—by the management at least—as the man who would hold and help Liverpool's defence while they accustomed to the new manager's methods.
It didn't quite work out that way as Konchesky was arguably the worst of the lot and suffered as much for his lack of technical ability in the attacking third as for his poor defensive displays.
Shortly after Hodgson's departure, he was offloaded to Nottingham Forest where he will see out the remainder of the season.
He has so far played 14 times in the league for Forest, scoring once and being sent off once.
VERDICT: Easiest of the lot. Konchesky will be sold in summer. As an English fullback with plenty of Premier League experience, there will be no shortage of takers—though the Reds will expect to take a hit on the amount shelled out for him less than a year ago.
If Liverpool manage to recoup £3 million, it would probably be a surprise. Sold.
Chris Mavinga (Racing Club Genk, Age 19, LFC Appearances: 0)
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Young French defender Chris Mavinga is the only "senior" player currently out on loan who has yet to make an appearance for Liverpool's first team.
As either a left back or a centre back, Mavinga has a towering aerial presence and a quick turn of pace which made him such an asset at Reserve level.
He has only had one full season at Liverpool, having joined from Paris SG in 2009, and will hope to make his mark in the years to come.
His stint at Genk has seen him play just twice as substitute in the league this season, though he has made a further two starts in the Pro-League playoff.
VERDICT: Will still be a Liverpool player next season, though will hope for more first team action if he goes out on loan again. Turns 20 in May so next season could be a big one for him in terms of his progression.
Dani Pacheco (Norwich City, Age 20, LFC Appearances: 14)
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One of the most talked-about youngsters over recent years, Spanish attacker Dani Pacheco had hoped to make a breakthrough to the Liverpool first team this season after two years of being on the fringes of the side.
He was handed a squad number 12 for this season, Pacheco made several lively cameo appearances during the early part of the season but was given a loan spell at Championship high fliers Norwich in a bid to get him some regular game time.
After making his Reds debut in 2009 against Fiorentina, Pacheco has gone on to make a total of 14 appearances for Liverpool, though he is yet to score.
A clever player with great movement and a sure touch, Pacheco is a typically creative "second striker" who revels in the space between defence and midfield and is blessed with fantastic set-piece delivery.
On loan at Norwich, he has scored one goal from three starts and two substitute appearances.
VERDICT: On the brink of the first team for over a year, Pacheco will surely be kept and will hope for more opportunities to impress Dalglish and become a regular member of the first team squad next season.
A lot of promise is seen in Pacheco, but he needs to show it during the games he does get with Liverpool or risk being moved on to try and fulfil his potential elsewhere similarly to the likes of Krisztian Nemeth and Adam Hammill.
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