25 Smartest Loan Deals from the 2014 Summer Transfer Window
October 14, 201425 Smartest Loan Deals from the 2014 Summer Transfer Window
- How shrewd the loan deal is.
- The loanee's quality.
- The performances of the loanee this season.
Welcome to Bleacher Report's 25 smartest loan deals of the 2014 summer transfer window.
The loan transfers will be subjectively ranked via three points:
Honourable Mentions
Explaining Notable Omissions
Radamel Falcao | Monaco → Manchester United.
United executive vice chairman Ed Woodward is putting the onus on manager Louis van Gaal to provide some semblance of balance to the squad.
Adding Colombian centre-forward Falcao, 28, is a brilliant CV move for Woodward (remember how disastrous his first transfer window was?), a dream for avid FIFA 15 fans who support United, but another quandary for Van Gaal.
What Woodward should have done was sign a world-class central midfielder on loan.
Is Falcao an elite player? When fit, yes.
In three of his four Premier League games, he has either scored or provided an assist.
That said, a €7.6/£6 million loan fee and €334,694/£265,000 a week is EXCESSIVE when United do not have problems in attack.
Yann M'Vila | Rubin Kazan → Inter Milan.
Is French defensive midfielder M'Vila, 24, playing with an injury?
He is so languid and at times looks as if he is playing in slow motion.
What happened to his long passing? During the 2011-12 season, he averaged 7.7 long passes per game for Rennes.
That has dipped to 1.7 for Inter.
If he is fully-fit (he is not playing like it), then he is not putting 100 percent effort in, which is criminal for a midfielder.
It is unfathomable how M'Vila, one of the brightest prospects of his generation, has essentially sabotaged his own career.
Alvaro Negredo | Manchester City → Valencia.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini had no problems letting Spanish centre-forward Negredo, 29, leave on loan.
"We could not use Alvaro, who was injured, so he was the player who was not going to be on the [UEFA Champions League] list," Pellegrini said, per Simon Bajkowski at the Manchester Evening News. "[In addition] Alvaro wanted to go, that's why I allowed him to go."
Even when Negredo is ready for first team football, he is going to be backing up Spanish centre-forward Paco Alcacer, 21, one of the best players in Europe right now.
Paco has scored four times and created four goals this season.
Spanish right-forward Rodrigo, 23, has superstar potential.
However, his loan should be phrased as, per Bleacher Report: "A more accurate sentence would be: Rodrigo is on loan from Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim."
The same applies to Portuguese central attacking midfielder Gomes, 21, a technically brilliant player with an eye for goal.
Both are "loans" on paper.
But in reality, they are permanent Valencia players provided Lim's protracted takeover of the club does not collapse.
Kyriakos Papadopoulos | Schalke → Bayer Leverkusen.
Sure, it's a notable loan deal, but Greek centre-back Papadopoulos, 22, cannot stay fit.
Instead of being a star like French centre-back Raphael Varane, 21, Papadopoulos is now reduced to making up the numbers at Leverkusen.
Serge Aurier | Toulouse → Paris Saint-Germain.
Ivorian right-back/right wing-back/centre-back Aurier, 21, has been below-par given the extraordinarily high standards he set at Toulouse.
He can play multiple positions, possesses upper-echelon athleticism, is a ball hawk and is outstanding going forward.
But he has not scored or created a goal in 315 minutes of play and his mistake against his former club Toulouse was inexcusable.
Form aside, this is not a real loan.
PSG would have bought Aurier outright, if not for UEFA, per Jonathan Johnson at Bleacher Report: "PSG have identified a way to navigate their UEFA Financial Fair Play sanctions, by utilising loan deals but agreeing to buy the player outright at the end of that loan."
25. Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez
- Chicharito is a brand, sharing the Mexican cover of FIFA 15 with Barcelona deep-lying forward Lionel Messi.
- Perez is the chairman and CEO of ACS, a construction group that is increasing its presence in Mexico, per EFE (h/t Fox News Latino):
Mexican centre-forward Chicharito, 26, is following in the footsteps of compatriot Hugo Sanchez, who scored 208 goals for Real.
Signing Chicharito on loan is an ingenious marketing move from Real president Florentino Perez.
The CEO of Mexican state-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos announced a total of $5.5 billion in investment in various industrial projects that he said are expected to create some 17,000 direct jobs.
[...]
Those contracts amount to a combined $2.8 billion, or more than half of the announced investment outlay, and were signed with Ica Fluor Daniel, Tecnicas Reunidas, Samsung Engineering, Foster Wheeler USA Corporation, and a consortium made up of ACS, Dragados and Cobra.
It is not a one-off, since ACS' move into Colombia also coincided with Perez signing Colombian FIFA World Cup Golden Boot recipient James Rodriguez, per Mundo Deportivo (h/t Dermot Corrigan at ESPN FC).
From a footballing perspective, Chicharito reprises his super sub role, but how effective will he be?
He is not enamoured with that role.
"Believe me, I am tired of a lot of people seeing me that way, as a super sub," Chicharito said, per Tom Marshall at Goal. "I'm a player that has made a difference as a starter."
Aside from an impressive cameo in Real's 8-2 win over Deportivo La Coruna, Chicharito has been here and there when subbed on.
He may be financially secure, but how happy is he?
If he was an undisputed starter for a mid-tier club, he has the capability of reaching the 30 goal barrier.
24. Cristian Tello
Spanish right-forward Cristian Tello, 23, will continue to be an intriguing prospect for major European clubs because of his blazing speed.
If he can consistently convert scoring chances and/or become a dependable playmaker, he has the talent to transition into an elite footballer.
But he is wasteful, he dribbles blind and, aside from outpacing opposing defenders, he does not have a plan B.
He is raw, and that is why Porto are taking him on loan.
23. Frank Lampard
English central attacking midfielder Frank Lampard, 36, can play until he is 40 years old.
Without Theo Walcott's searing pace, Neymar's trickery, or Adebayo Akinfenwa-like strength, Lampard is still scoring goals at top-flight level, even though he will be playing out his career for New York City, a sister club of Manchester City.
His equaliser against his former club Chelsea in City's 1-1 draw will be a pivotal moment of the season should the Blues falter down the stretch.
Why isn't Lampard ranked higher? This is not a knock on a living legend because he has exceeded expectations.
The loan move is short-sighted from Manchester City and contradicts the "development" in the Elite Development Squad.
By giving Lampard playing time, it says management do not believe EDS players—such as Seko Fofana and Sinan Bytyqi—can be trusted with substitute minutes.
That seems so unreasonable given Manchester City have stocked up their Professional Development League squad with some of the most highly-rated prospects in the world.
21. Denis Cheryshev
The shot selection of Russian left-winger Denis Cheryshev, 23, is dire and he is only shooting 31.6 percent on target.
While he is trigger-happy, his two assists in Villarreal's 4-2 win over Rayo Vallecano is a sign he is going to make better decisions in the attacking half.
He is technically outstanding, works hard without the ball and has the quality to remain a regular fixture at a club playing in one of Europe's elite leagues.
20. Panagiotis Tachtsidis
Greek central midfielder Panagiotis Tachtsidis, 23, continues to flash potential for greatness.
At 6'3" and 190 pounds, Tachtsidis is physically imposing.
In addition, he can get past opposing players, he is a creative passer and provides a box-to-box presence.
He is attempting to live up to his reputation after bursting onto the scene as a child prodigy.
19. Alex Song
The career of Cameroonian central midfielder Alex Song, 27, declined after he moved from Arsenal to Barcelona.
He had completed a career best season with 11 assists and 100 tackles for Arsenal.
In hindsight, he probably wishes he could take back those two seasons at Barca as he has regressed as a footballer, like Alexander Hleb.
Instead of accepting less work for easy money, Song is working hard on loan at West Ham.
"My Mum always says 'You have to be happy with what you've got, and I am very happy here'," Song said, per West Ham's official website. "Everybody has shown me a lot of love, I feel very welcomed here."
18. Cristian Ansaldi
Argentinian left-back Cristian Ansaldi, 28, provides more protection than Guilherme Siqueira, who is more geared towards attacking.
Ansaldi is 11-14 in tackles-tackles attempted from his three La Liga games.
While predecessor Filipe Luis warms the bench at Chelsea, Ansaldi is staking his claim to be Atleti's primary left-back.
17. Victor Moses
According to Manchester United's €37.9/£30 million-valued left-back Luke Shaw, the toughest player he has faced is English left attacking midfielder Victor Moses, 23, who is unwanted by Chelsea.
The awkward moment when Moses has more assists (three) than David Silva (two), Raheem Sterling (two), Eden Hazard (one), Juan Mata (one) and Mesut Ozil (one) in the Premier League this season.
Stoke have an in-form Moses because he is playing for a new contract.
16. Fede Cartabia
Argentinian right attacking midfielder Fede Cartabia, 21, is electric and zips past opposing players with ease.
He may not have a future at Valencia because they are going all in on Rodrigo Moreno, but Cartabia is proving he is a top-notch player.
He currently leads La Liga in dribbles per game (4.3).
15. Gerard Deulofeu
Spanish right attacking midfielder Gerard Deulofeu, 20, is making strides.
There was no red carpet rolled out for him into the starting XI, so he has had to adjust his playing style.
A brace of assists in a 2-0 win over Feyenoord and a 4-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna shows he is willing to make the right play, rather than the individualistic one.
He needs to keep this up, otherwise he will be on the outside looking in again.
14. Toby Alderweireld
Belgian centre-back/right-back Toby Alderweireld, 25, found himself in a difficult situation. He was on the books of Atleti, a team that went on to win the La Liga title.
Though he played a small part, only featuring in 12 league games last season.
Given the struggles of former Southampton centre-back Dejan Lovren at Liverpool, the Saints made a smart decision to cash in on the Croatian and temporarily replace him with Alderweireld.
Over three Premier League games, Alderweireld has maintained a 100 percent tackle success rate.
13. Denis Suarez
Spanish central attacking midfielder Denis Suarez, 20, is a natural in possession.
He leads Sevilla in key passes per game (pass leading to scoring chance 1.7) and is tied with Gerard Deulofeu for most assists (two) for his side in La Liga.
Barca are impressed with how smoothly Suarez has transitioned to Spain's top-flight, per Tomas Andreu at Sport: "It has always been whispered at the club that, if his progression went as it could, Suarez could even become an eventual replacement for Andres Iniesta."
12. Dani Osvaldo
Italian centre-forward Dani Osvaldo, 28, demonstrated his true ability when he tore apart Sassuolo during Inter's 7-0 win.
He scored twice and created two assists. He is a dual threat when he is focused and not out of control.
Yes, he has scored four goals in six Serie A games, but it is a matter of when, not if, he self-destructs.
11. Roberto Pereyra
Argentinian central midfielder Roberto Pereyra, 23, is gradually growing into making more influential plays.
He has the technical prowess to evade challenges and can make the defence-splitting pass. What he needs to improve is his demeanour on the field.
He needs to demand the ball and play with more conviction like team-mate Paul Pogba.
10. Divock Origi
Belgian centre-forward Divock Origi, 19, is vindicating Liverpool management's decision to jump on him when his transfer stock was not inflated.
When you watch him play and compare it to Liverpool centre-forward Mario Balotelli, there are noticeable differences.
Balotelli wanders around the field aimlessly, whereas Origi is efficient and is on course to have a big season at Lille.
| League Only | Divock Origi | Mario Balotelli |
| Goals/Games | 3/7 | 0/5 |
| Goals Per Game | 0.43 | 0 |
| Shots Per Goal | 3 | 0 |
| Shooting Accuracy % | 55.6 | 30.4 |
9. Leo Baptistao
Brazilian centre-forward Leo Baptistao, 22, grew up playing football with Barcelona left-forward Neymar.
Once on a level playing field with Neymar, Leo is now lagging behind his friend, who is aiming to become a historically great footballer.
But Leo's talent is comparable to Neymar.
Leo is such a difficult player to defend, can take over games and has world-class potential. Yet, he froze whenever he played for Atleti and had a forlorn loan spell at Real Betis (one goal from 17 league games).
Back in his comfort zone on loan at Rayo, he has scored braces against Athletic Bilbao and Levante, which suggests he can rebuild his career.
Remember, Diego Costa took years before he repaid Atleti's faith.
8. Tiago Ilori
Portuguese centre-back Tiago Ilori, 21, faced a tough task of displacing either Nicolas Pallois or Lamine Sane.
Though, Sane's knee issues gifted Ilori a starting position.
Ilori has looked like a veteran when he has played, but a thigh problem cut short his game against Reims. He has speed, he is excellent in possession and has a higher upside than current Liverpool centre-back Dejan Lovren.
7. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa
Perhaps French centre-back Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, 25, was Titus Bramble-like in training.
Aside from that, it is bizarre how Yanga-Mbiwa was treated with disdain by Newcastle manager Alan Pardew.
It is inconceivable how an elite centre-back like Yanga-Mbiwa was constantly behind Michael Williamson.
Now on loan at Roma, Yanga-Mbiwa is on course to show Pardew he was wrong.
6. Tin Jedvaj
Croatian centre-back/right-back Tin Jedvaj, 18, looks more comfortable attacking than defending.
He switches off at the back, is not a tight marker and his positional discipline is nearly non-existent. He prefers to charge out and win back the ball. Though, when he fails to do so, he leaves Leverkusen exposed.
From an attacking perspective, he is a natural, whether it is shooting on goal, or making incisive runs.
It is a testament to his potential that he is a regular starter at just 18 years of age.
5. Jonas Hofmann
German right attacking midfielder Jonas Hofmann, 22, moves well off the ball, has high football IQ and is an opportunistic footballer.
Hofmann has already become a starter at Mainz and will be an important part of the club going forward.
Dortmund are in the power position since he has a contract with the club until 2018, so he can be sold for a profit, or will be ready to slot back into Jurgen Klopp's starting XI.
4. Alphonse Areola
French goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, 21, could become one of the best penalty savers of his generation.
He was clutch in the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup final and pulled off a wonderful diving save to deny Nantes left/right-back Chaker Alhadhur's penalty in Bastia's 0-0 draw.
PSG could have their very own Petr Cech-Thibaut Courtois goalkeeping debate when Areola returns.
3. Domenico Berardi
The million euro question is if Italian left-forward Domenico Berardi, 20, can replicate his performances for Sassuolo in a more pressurised environment.
Juventus believe he is the next big thing, and once he gets going, he is nearly impossible to stop.
2. Javier Manquillo
Spanish right-back Javier Manquillo, 20, has displaced £120,000-a-week full-back Glen Johnson. While the Englishman's commitment has waned over the years, Manquillo is the opposite.
He ups the ante, plays with intensity, tackles hard and is desperate to make it at Liverpool after being a backup to Juanfran at Atleti.
The signing of Jesus Gamez at Atleti suggests Liverpool may end up keeping Manquillo.
1. Stipe Perica
Croatian centre-forward Stipe Perica, 19, has a maniacal streak on the field and a will to win that matches what Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho wants.
Has Perica gone overboard sometimes? Yes, so did Diego Costa when he was establishing himself.
Perica is still a teenager and he will learn from his mistakes, because sitting out games due to suspension teaches him a valuable lesson: be competitive, but don't be an idiot.
He is a freakish talent. His ball control is exquisite, he is agile and at 6'4", he has enormous physical upside.
Though, one of his best attributes is putting pressure on opposing defenders and forcing them into rushed passes.
He is a prototypical Mourinho player.
Statistics via WhoScored