Why clubs want players like Lingard, not Arthur, in January

Spare a thought for Jesse Lingard. The former Manchester United midfielder is still without a club more than six months after leaving Nottingham Forest as a free agent, and his efforts to entice a new team to sign him – posting energetic training videos in the gym – were brutally mocked by another former United star, Paul Scholes, in a searing comment on Instagram this week.

But even if Lingard can't seem to catch any respite at the moment, the 31-year-old can at least claim to be that rarest of things: a loan signing who actually had a positive impact during a temporary move to a club. As the January transfer window approaches its halfway point, with many clubs still looking to secure a deal that could transform their season, the prospect of completing a loan deal as successful as Lingard – rather than one as desperate as 'Arthur Melo (Liverpool) or Wout Weghorst (Man United) is the dream scenario of many managers and football directors.

– Stream on ESPN+: Spanish Super Cup, Carabao Cup, more (United States)

During his six-month loan from Man United to West Ham in the second half of the 2020-21 season, Lingard scored nine goals and registered five assists in just 16 Premier League appearances for David Moyes' side. That form even earned him an England recall, two years after his last appearance for Gareth Southgate's team, and he narrowly missed out on a place in his country's Euro 2020 squad that summer.

Lingard hasn't fared well since returning to Old Trafford ahead of the 2021-22 season – one wonders what might have happened if he had made a permanent move to West Ham after that loan – but he remains an example rare loan. a deal that works for both player and club.

The harsh reality of the majority of loan signings is that they feel like the footballing equivalent of waiting until December 24 to buy Christmas presents. There's still plenty available, but all the good stuff is gone and what's left hasn't sold for some reason. Loan signings are panic deals that clubs usually make in the final hours of the window, when initial plans have fallen through and it becomes a desperate race to appease a manager by simply signing anyone. to get a new face in the team.

Manchester United have repeatedly fallen into the trap of last-minute loan signings in recent years, with none of them being a success. Radamel Falcao spent a full season on loan at United from Monaco, trying and failing to return to his best form after a serious knee injury in 2014-15. Former Watford striker Odion Ighalo was another last-minute deal in 2020, on loan from Shanghai Shenhua, following United's failure to sign Erling Haaland from FC Salzburg.

Last January, manager Erik ten Hag turned to Dutch striker Weghorst and Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer in the January loan market to strengthen his squad. Both lasted six months before being sent back to their parent clubs, having done little to improve the quality of the team.

“No club has decided to loan players at the start of a transfer window,” a Premier League club scout told ESPN. “There are always targets, and the preference is to get the deals done in the summer, but loans come when teams have injury problems or results force managers to knock on the door for reinforcements.

“If you have to do loans, you know what you are going to get: players who are not playing, or who have become a problem because clubs have to reduce their wage bill or the player has fallen out with the coach . . There aren't many perfect options!”

play

Will Sancho be operational in Dortmund?

Stewart Robson wonders if Jadon Sancho will be ready to play immediately for Borussia Dortmund.

Liverpool signed Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo from Juventus at the start of last season due to an injury crisis at Anfield, but the 27-year-old has logged just 193 minutes in all competitions due to a series of his own injury problems. Everton were eager to send Donny van de Beek back to United after seven unimpressive appearances on loan in 2022, while Weston McKennie did little to save Leeds from relegation during his six-month loan spell at Juventus last last season.

Saúl Ñíguez (Atletico Madrid to Chelsea), Denis Suárez (Barcelona to Arsenal), Alexandre Pato (Corinthians to Chelsea) and Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus to Chelsea) all took turns on loan, their reputations diminished at the end of their brief spells in the Premier League. Arnaut Danjuma (Villarreal at Everton) is following the same path this season.

The problem with loan signings is that the player and the club usually see themselves as a means to an end. For the club, the player bridges a gap until a permanent signing can be agreed, as the player is initially happy to move away from his parent club, before realizing he is at the trial in his new team and that he will be faced with the same uncertainty six months later. .

Martin Odegaard completed his successful loan move from Real Madrid to Arsenal in January 2021, since sealing a £30 million move and becoming team captain. West Ham and Tomás Soucek have also been a success story since the Czech midfielder initially arrived on loan from Slavia Prague in 2020. Tottenham will also have no complaints about Dejan Kulusevski since he turned on loan from Juventus on a permanent contract last summer, but more often Regardless, the loan signing is proving to be a dud, with clubs paying the price for trying to right their footballing failures. recruitment.

So if your team hits the loan market during this window, you hope the impact is more Jesse Lingard than Arthur Melo.