The List | Top XI Loan Signings
The List | Top XI Loan Signings
A Lukaku inspired list of brilliant borrowed business.
Chelsea fans more than anyone are looking at Romelu Lukaku at the moment, the on loan Everton man is bang in form and must be painful for Blues fans to watch and has to have them debating whether they've loaned out the right striker.
Having watched Chelsea's other three forwards this season as well as Lukaku it looks as if they should have loaned out any of Eto'o, Torres or Ba instead and Mourinho must be pondering whether he should have put all his eggs in one big Belgian basket. With the Lukaku situation in mind, we decided to compile a list of our top XI loanees...
Romelu Lukaku : Chelsea to Everton - Obvious place to start, given he inspired the whole list. Looking sharp, quick and like he can score a boat load of goals, every Everton fan out there is thrilled with the deal. Chelsea may benefit in the long run - but for now, it's not ideal. As Lukaku scores more and more, and Chelsea forwards stall, Jose is looking like he dropped a bit of clanger, not that he'd ever admit it.
Romelu Lukaku (again) : Chelsea to West Brom - There's a theme here. Lukaku spent last season on loan at West Brom and bagged 17 goals, two more than the 15 he had assigned himself. The powerful striker has talent there is no doubting that. Many thought that after the spell with the Baggies, he would break through into the Chelsea first team. Evidently not. West Brom are missing him and it seems a case of Chelsea and the Baggies loss is Everton s gain.
Thibaut Courtois : Chelsea to Atletico Madrid - Into his third season with Atletico Madrid, Courtois is showing exactly why he will be Petr Cech s successor. Commanding in the air, willing to come for crosses and a brilliant shot stopper, the Belgium International keeper has been a key part of the success Alteti have had in recent seasons. Barcelona are now interested in the keeper - but Chelsea see him as their future. 
Gareth Barry : Man City to Everton - Yes he may not be a world beater, but Barry is good at what he does and has plenty left in his tank. Numerous fans wondered what Barry was even doing at City but when you take him out of that side and put him in a lesser team you realise what City saw in him in the first place. Everton have again pulled off a really lucrative loan deal with the midfielder.
Henrik Larsson : Helsinborg to Man United - Larsson was seeing out his playing days in his homeland when United needed a striker and the former Barca man answered Fergie's call. Larsson may have been in the twilight of his career but managed to score three goals in 13 games - but more than that won a place in the hearts of United fans with his overall work ethic and effect on the team.
Ivan Campo : Real Madrid to Bolton - Real Madrid to Bolton could be a hard move for a footballer to take, but the loan move for Campo was a hit for Bolton. The defender managed to shore up the back four and was a huge presence in keeping Bolton up in the 2002/2003 season. He even enjoyed the Premier League so much he decided to stay on a permanent basis and signed with Bolton, eventually leaving in 2008.
Robbie Keane : Tottenham to Celtic - Every club seems to be Robbie s boyhood club, but no matter how he felt about Celtic, managing to score 16 goals in 19 games whilst on loan is pretty good stuff. The forward was deemed surplus to requirements at Spurs and found a place in the SPL side. Keane was named the Player of the Year, despite only being there from January of that year. This man scores goals, simple as that.
Kieran Richardson : Manchester United to West Brom - A key part in the Baggies great escape, the midfielder showed why United fancied him as a youngster. The move kick started Richardson's career in the Prem and he looked a class above at West Brom, flourishing under Bryan Robson s tutelage. In 12 appearances, he netted 3 goals including an all important effort on the last day of a season where they were bottom at Christmas. 
Kevin Campbell : Trabsponzor to Everton - Everton are good at this loan lark aren't they? The Toffees were battling against relegation in 1999 and were in dire need of a turn of fortunes, and that arrived in the form of Kevin Campbell from Trabzonspor. His impact on the side was immediate, scoring 9 in 8 games, making him Everton's top scorer that season and saving them from the drop. Campbell also become the first ever on-loan player to win a Premier League player of the month award.
Jimmy Glass : Swindon to Carlisle - Jimmy Glass might look out of place in this list, but he deserves a slot more than anyone else for his heroics. The goalkeeper was on loan from Swindon to rock bottom Carlisle in the English 4th tier with his loan club needing to win their final game of the season to stay in the football league. Carlisle were drawing 1-1 with just ten seconds left, Glass was given the nod to go up for the corner and with the last kick of the game Glass volleyed home to keep Carlisle in the league sparking a massive pitch invasion. Beautiful stuff. Well worth a watch on YouTube. 
Fernando Morientes : Real Madrid to Monaco - From Jimmy Glass to Fernando Morientes. At the beginning of the 2003/04 season Fernando Morientes was loaned out from Real Madrid to Monaco where he smashed in 10 goals in 28 appearances in the league. Not a bad return, but it was in the Champions League that Morientes made headlines, finishing as the competition's top scorer with nine goals as he lead Monaco to the Champions League final where they eventually lost to Porto.
Who do you tip as the best ever loan signing? Have we missed any off?
