10 most effective loan signings in recent history
Major European clubs are splashing the cash in the market and competing with each other to reach new levels of expenditure in a single season. With 5 days to go till the end of this transfer window, now is a good time to remember that some shrewdly made loan deals can also turn out to have a big impact, while not coming close to being as heavy on the wallet. Loan deals have been used to bring magical players who save a club from relegation, or some who were brought for short loans as cover for injured players, but turned out to be such perfect fits that they have stayed on for many years. Many have found the form of their life while playing on a loan break at another club, such as Loic Remy for Newcastle United last season.Fans hold deep affection for a hero who has come on a loan deal, holding him as a sort of travelling knight bestowing favours. One of the most enduring images of the 2004-05 season was of West Bromwich Albion fans holding aloft loanee Kieran Richardson, at the end of ‘The Great Escape’ relegation battle which the club miraculously survived, with help from a goal by this man who never managed to fit into Manchester United’s scheme of things, before or after.Thierry Henry was brought back to his old club at 35 on a 2 month loan deal, in what was a fulfillment of wildest Arsenal imaginations. He scored the matchwinner in a FA Cup 1-0 victory against Leeds United on debut, and scored a stoppage time matchwinner in a 2-1 victory over Sunderland in his final match, thus providing a perfect farewell for the club legend.These are some of the most high-profile and successful loan deals made by major European clubs in the recent past.
#10 David Beckham (LA Galaxy to AC Milan)
Beckham had a very public two month loan move to AC Milan in 2009 at 33 years of age, and many within and without the club had serious reservations about the deal because it stank of a marketing gimmick. The two months were to coincide with the off season in the MLS, and since Beckham still harboured hopes of further involvement in the English national team set-up, it was a logical move for him to attempt to make a mark in a more competitive league.
Beckham often looked to be lacking in match fitness and rarely played the whole 90 minutes of a match. However, he regularly provided accurate crosses and corners from the right flank, and his understated performances were utilized by the Rossoneri, who therefore expressed a desire to extend the loan to the end of the season in July. A unique ‘timeshare’ deal was agreed between the Milan club and Beckham’s American club, leaving many LA fans disgruntled with the superstar. There were ‘Part-time Player’ placards raised in the stands on his return to America.
Beckham’s time in the Italian sun did not go completely without rewards though. He scored 2 goals and gave numerous assists, thus paving way for a return to the club on another loan deal the next season. His international plans did not come closer to fruition though – a torn Achilees tendon suffered in a 2010 Serie A match led to a five-month layoff and he was thus not available for the World Cup in South Africa.