Most valuable XI currently on loan
With the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking the finances of football clubs, loan deals have been the flavour of the last two transfer windows.
More and more clubs have preferred to send out or acquire players on loan, with an option to buy, in order to better manage their cash-flows during these uncertain times.
Most valuable on-loan XI this season
With many on-loan players impressing at their new destinations, their parent clubs could look to capitalise on the same and make their transfers permanent.
On that note, let's have a look at the most valuable XI currently out on loan. A 4-1-3-2 formation has been considered for this hypothetical team.
Goalkeeper - Florian Muller (€4 million)
After making his professional debut for Mainz in 2017, Florian Muller moved to Bundesliga club Freiburg this summer on a season-long loan.
The 23-year-old is already impressing at his new surroundings, keeping four clean sheets in 22 games to help Freiburg to ninth place in the Bundesliga table.
Muller had said on his arrival at Freiburg:
“Sometimes things happen really quickly in football and, despite the short time, I think that a year in Freiburg is a great idea. I’m looking forward to meeting my new teammates and the challenges ahead here at Freiburg.”
Centre-back - Marash Kumbulla (€20 million)
After making his professional debut for Hellas Verona in Serie B in 2018-19, Marash Kumbulla moved to Serie A giants AS Roma at the start of this season.
The 21-year-old Albanian centre-back hit the ground running at his new club, scoring the winner at BSC Young Boys on his European debut.
His performances have attracted the attention of clubs from Italy and abroad, but reigning Serie A champions Juventus have emerged as the frontrunners for his signature.
Making his move to the Bianconeri an even more plausible proposition, Marash Kumbulla had once said about idolising Juventus legend Giorgio Chiellini:
“As a young lad, I had a poster of Chiellini in my bedroom. I’ve always admired his determination and desire to improve. He’s a real warrior on the field."
Centre-back - Danilo Pereira (€24 million)
Although centre-back is not his preferred or usual position, Danilo Pereira slots into this hypothetical XI at the heart of defence.
After making an unexpected loan move from Porto to PSG in the summer, Pereira played all six Champions League group-stage games as a centre-back, owing to injuries to first-team regulars, before sustaining an injury himself.
He has also appeared in 13 Ligue 1 games this season. However, with PSG having a plethora of midfield options at their disposal, Pereira is unlikely to stay at the club beyond the end of his loan spell.
Left-back - Malang Sarr (€16 million)
Originally a centre-back by trade, Malang Sarr has also played a few games as a left-back, a position he will don in our hypothetical XI.
After making his professional debut with Nice, Sarr was bought by Premier League giants Chelsea in the summer. However, the player was immediately loaned out to Porto for the rest of the season.
Sarr is delighted to join Porto, saying in this regard:
“I am very enthusiastic (about moving to FC Porto). It was an opportunity I was looking for, and that is why I am thankful and happy to be here. I feel ready to begin helping the team achieve their objectives.”
The 22-year-old has made 16 appearances in all competitions for the Portuguese club, scoring his lone goal against Pacos Fereira in the Allianz Cup.
The on-loan defender produced a particularly fabulous performance against a star-studded Manchester City in the Champions League, helping his side earn a clean sheet against the likes of Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and Ferran Torres.
Right-back - Alessandro Florenzi (€15 million)
Alessandro Florenzi arrived at PSG on a season-long loan deal from AS Roma and has already impressed at his new club.
In 26 appearances in all competitions, the Italian right-back has conjured two goals and an assist. He has helped PSG stay in touch with league leaders Lille and make a deep run in the Champions League after a 4-1 win at Barcelona in the first leg of their Round of 16 fixture.
Florenzi had said on his arrival at the French club:
“I am very emotional, I am here with a huge desire to achieve great things, I will try to help the team to do as well as possible. It’s the most important move of my career. The collective objectives will be to help the team to win as often as possible, match after match. And my personal objectives, are to show the coach on a daily basis that I can earn a place for myself in the team.”
With the 29-year-old walking the talk, PSG could make Florenzi's loan move a permanent one at the end of the season.