The January transfer window has, after weeks of negotiating, closed. All the clubs, especially in the Premier League, are in a hurry to find the missing piece of their team. Clubs like Chelsea are looking to utilise every second of the window to secure a deal for Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez while some clubs are looking for Premier League loan deals to fill the void. Over the years, we have witnessed some smart yet cheap loan deals in the Premier League. See the top five Premier League loan deals and why they were so effective for their clubs.
The Top Five Recent Premier League Loans
5: Jesse Lingard – Manchester United to West Ham
An academy graduate of the Red Devils, Jesse Lingard made his competitive debut for Manchester United during the 2014-15 season. Since then, the 30-year-old featured regularly for the club and often earned praise from fans, as well as his managers. After falling out of the picture, he was loaned to fellow Premier League side West Ham in January 2021. For The Hammers, Lingard claimed a spot in the first team quickly by scoring nine goals and assisting five more in 16 matches for the club. During his spell, Lingard even won the Premier League Player of the Month award.
At the end of the season, Lingard returned back to Old Trafford but soon fell out of favour. He eventually left the club on a free transfer in the summer of 2022.
4: Raul Jimenez – Benfica to Wolverhampton Wanderers
The Mexican centre-forward quickly became a fan favourite after his arrival in 2018. In his debut season, Raul Jimenez found the back of the net 17 times for Wolves across all competitions. Under head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, the Mexican was as generous as he was clinical, setting up eight more goals for his teammates. On the bank of his impressive performance at the Molineux, he secured a permanent move. Wolves shelled out £32 million, a club record for the talisman.
Since then, Jimenez has become an integral part of the Wolves side, scoring 27 goals across three seasons. Despite posing as a lethal threat infront of the goal, the Mexican has recently struggled with his own injury concerns as he is yet to score in this season’s Premier League.
3: Carlos Tevez – West Ham to Manchester United
Carlos Tevez is a man of many clubs. The Argentinian made his way to the Premier League by impressing West Ham’s scouts whilst playing for Brazil’s Corinthians. In England, the Olympic Gold medalist enjoyed brief success with West Ham alongside compatriot Javier Mascherano. However, following a transfer saga in 2007, he joined Manchester United for a two-year loan deal. During his spell, Tevez won two league titles as well as the UEFA Champions League with the Red Devils.
Despite several requests put forward by the fans, a permanent transfer did not come to pass. Eventually, Carlos Tevez signed for United’s direct rivals, Manchester City.
Read More: Manchester United’s Hunt for a Striker Continues
2: Romelu Lukaku- Chelsea to West Bromwich Albion
Romelu Lukaku has been part of a lot of high-profile transfers over the years. Having scored more than a hundred goals in the Premier League, Lukaku is arguably one of the best strikers to have ever played in the division, having first broken into the limelight during his loan stint with West Bromwich Albion during the 2012-13 season. Lukaku was directly involved in 24 goals in 35 appearances in the league. The striker also scored a hat trick against Manchester United to help his team to finish in the top half of the table.
The next season, Lukaku played a couple of matches for Chelsea but was again loaned, this time to Everton. At Goodison Park, the Belgian had another impressive season which earned him a permanent transfer to the Toffees.
Read More: Chelsea’s Latest Signing Impresses
1: Martin Odegaard – Real Madrid to Arsenal
Martin Odegaard was loaned to Arsenal in 2021 following a spectacular season with Real Sociedad. In England, the young midfielder faced difficulties in coping with the change in style and tempo of the league. However, he gradually turned the tide in his favour. He won the club’s Player of the Month award in March 2021, and things got better when he signed for Arsenal on a permanent transfer. Gradually he became part and parcel of the team. For the 2022-23 season, coach Mikel Arteta named the Norwegian as the club captain. Odegaard slowly turned into one of the best midfielders in the league and is currently captaining Arsenal to a highly anticipated Premier League title as they sit at the top of the table.
