Cup of sugar? Premier League’s loan men
From the same company that brought you ‘Still there: The Premier League’s forgotten…‘, ‘U ok hun? The Premier League’s worried‘ and Leave ’em, yeah? The Premier League’s undroppables we present the one player from each club who is ripe for a loan…
Arsenal: Calum Chambers
Why he is ripe for a loan: ‘Just when Arsenal looked to be growing into the game, Lens took the lead. Zoubir capitalised on a Calum Chambers mistake, raced into the box and squared for the lively Autret to tap home.’ And that’s his own club website reporting this week on Arsenal’s friendly draw. The £16m man is currently third-choice right-back and fourth-choice centre-half. He needs games and Watford could offer them.
Last season: He started only two Premier League matches, with young(er) Alex Iwobi eventually playing twice as many minutes.
Bournemouth: Tyrone Mings
Why he is ripe for a loan: With Charlie Daniels and Nathan Ake in the squad and Brad Smith on his way, the £8m man is unlikely to get the first-team football he needs to recover from a horrific knee injury. Ipswich fans want him back.
Last season: Played 12 (excellent) minutes. Got injured.
Burnley: Tendayi Darikwa
Why he is ripe for a loan: A right-back who cannot get into the side ahead of Aston Villa reject Matthew Lowton? It’s fair to say that Darikwa will not get a sniff in the Premier League. Recently reportedly offered to Derby as part of the Jeff Hendrick deal.
Last season: A regular until December and then well and truly usurped.
Chelsea: Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Why he is ripe for a loan: There’s a point at which being touted as the Next Big Chelsea Thing is not enough; it’s time to actually play some football. “Ruben is young with great potential,” says new boss Antonio Conte, who fancies him in an advanced No. 10 role. But ahead of Eden Hazard, Willian and Oscar? It seems unlikely. A middling Premier League club beckons.
Last season: Started a grand total of four Premier League games, putting him on a par with Kenedy. And nobody wants to be on a par with Kenedy.
Crystal Palace: Jonny Williams
Why he is ripe for a loan: Because he always is. Williams has played more international games for Wales than Premier League matches for Crystal Palace. So far the Euro 2016 semi-finalist has ‘enjoyed’ five Championship loan spells.
Last season: Played ten minutes of Premier League football between spells at Nottingham Forest and MK Done, who were relegated to League One despite his efforts.
Everton: Matthew Pennington
Why he is ripe for a loan: With John Stones likely to be sold and Phil Jagielka approaching 34, Pennington could have a bright long-term future at Everton, but right now the 21-year-old centre-half probably needs a season in the Championship.
Last season: Recalled from a loan spell at Walsall to play four times in the Premier League, claiming the MOTM award against Bournemouth and earning praise from manager Roberto Martinez in a 3-1 defeat to Leicester.
Hull City: Brian Lenihan
Why he is ripe for a loan: It took him 20 months to make his Championship debut after joining from Cork City. Even after the terrible injury to Moses Odubajo, Lenihan is unlikely to get a sniff in the Premier League as long as Ahmed Elmohamady has at least one working leg.
Last season: One game at right-back against already-relegated Bolton; they lost 1-0.
Leicester City: Tom Lawrence
Why he is ripe for a loan: Signed for £1m from Manchester United in 2014, Lawrence has played a grand total of 51 minutes for the Foxes in the Premier League. He has played more times for Euro 2016 semi-finalists Wales than Leicester in the top flight. Celtic are said to be among eight or nine clubs interested.
Last season: Loans at Blackburn and Cardiff and not a sniff at Leicester as they won the Premier League title. That still sounds mental.
Liverpool: Lazar Markovic
Why he is ripe for a loan: Liverpool currently have – deep breath – Georginio Wijnaldum, Christian Benteke, Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge, Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana, Divock Origi, Danny Ings, Luis Alberto and Mario Balotelli competing for attacking places in this Liverpool side. Something has got to give and it seems likely that Markovic, Balotelli, Alberto and Benteke will be sold/loaned out. His remarkable £20m price tag makes Markovic a loanee – possibly to Fiorentina – rather than a sale.
Last season: A loan at Fenerbahce cut short through injury.
Manchester City: Jason Denayer
Why he is ripe for a loan: He may have seven Belgian caps but he has never played for Manchester City. Will he ever? Vincent Kompany, Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi are in front of him right now, with John Stones reportedly on his way. “I want to play for City and if I can’t then I will have to find another club where I can play,” he said recently.
Last season: A loan at Galatasaray where he started at right-back but eventually claimed a centre-half place.
Manchester United: James Wilson
Why he is ripe for a loan: While 22-year-old Will Keane will be available to anybody (probably David Moyes) who can find a few quid down the back of the sofa, it is thought that Wilson may yet have a future at Manchester United. But right now he has Zlatan, Anthony Martial, Wayne Rooney and Marcus Rashord ahead of him the striker queue. A loan to Hull or similar might establish whether he is remotely Premier League class.
Last season: Eight minutes in the Premier League and then a mildly successful loan spell at Brighton.
Middlesbrough: Julien de Sart
Why he is ripe for a loan: Costing a fair few pennies in the January transfer window when he joined from Standard Liege, Aitor Karanka said of the Belgium Under-21 international: “He is young, he is talented and he is going to have really good future.” But he clearly will not play in the Premier League this season. Which Championship side wants a defensive midfielder?
Last season: Played just a handful of minutes for Boro in the Championship despite starting the season in the Europa League with Standard Liege.
Southampton: Matt Targett
Why he is ripe for a loan: Despite being an England Under-21 international, he is simply not good enough for the Premier League right now and needs the kind of regular football he will not get at Southampton while Ryan Bertrand is at the club.
Last season: Actually started a creditable 13 Premier League games, making him marginallymore useful than Maya Yoshida.
Stoke City: Jakob Haugaard
Why he is ripe for a loan: Frankly he was bloody awful (Adam Bogdan awful) when stepping in for Jack Butland last season and needs to go somewhere and prove he can actually catch a ball.
Last season: Played five games last season; conceded nine goals.
Sunderland: Duncan Watmore
Why he is ripe for a loan: Having played a full season for Altrincham in 2012/13, Watmore has started only a handful of games for Sunderland and Hibs (on loan) in the last three campaigns. With David Moyes sure to bring in striker reinforcements, Watmore might benefit from 30-odd games in the Championship.
Last season: Scored three goals in 23 Premier League games for Sunderland. One north-east writer asked why he should not be picked for England ahead of Marcus Rashford. Which is a shame.
Swansea: Marvin Emnes
Why he is ripe for a loan: He played 66 minutes for Swansea in the Premier League last season. 66 minutes. Even with Bafetimbi Gomis going and Alberto Paloschi gone, Emnes is unlikely to play even 66 minutes next season. Leeds?
Last season: 66 minutes. He didn’t score.
Tottenham: Nabil Bentaleb
Why he is ripe for a loan: Tottenham have signed Victor Wanyama so – at best – Tim Sherwood’s favourite footballer is seventh-choice central midfielder. Remember when he said he was good enough to play for France? We’re not sure he’s good enough to play for Benfica on loan either, but they seem keen.
Last season: Fewer Premier League minutes than Clinton N’Jie (surely another potential loanee) last season, despite starting the season in central midfield with Eric Dier ahead of Dele Alli.
Watford: Steven Berghuis
Why he is ripe for a loan: He signed for £4.6m, he has two Dutch caps, and yet he is apparently surplus to requirements at Watford, where Ben Watson is a regular. You didn’t know he was there, did you? Thankfully for him, Feyenoord remembered and may sign him on loan.
Last season: No Premier League starts – which is fewer than Adlene Guedioura. There is something wrong with this picture.
West Brom: Jonathan Leko
Why he is ripe for a loan: Not a massive centre-half. Not Darren Fletcher. Not a massive striker. Tony Pulis is confused so will send him out on loan to get the sh*t kicked out of him in the Championship.
Last season: A very lively breakthrough – featuring three starts – which saw the 17-year-old raise a few smiles in an otherwise deathly dull season.
West Ham: Reece Oxford
Why he is ripe for a loan: He is just 17 but he looks ready for proper football. He would still be a risk in the top flight but a season under Rafa Benitez at Newcastle sounds absolutely perfect. More perfect than joining Manchester City for massive money and then getting sent on loan to Celtic, anyway.
Last season: At just 16 he looked brilliant against Arsenal in August (“The boy has got everything. Everything,” said Slaven Bilic) and then went on to start another two Premier League games.
Sarah Winterburn