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Loan deals can often turn out to be an ingenious move in an inflated transfer market and, more recently, in a pandemic economy. Loan deals can often give clubs a much-needed boost and can also serve as a means to test out a player before committing to a long contract.
A prime example of a successful loan move was Fernando Morientes’ acquisition by AS Monaco on a loan deal from Real Madrid. He would play a starring role in Monaco’s run to the Champions League finals and would come up trumps against his parent club that season.
Morientes would find the back of the net in both legs against Real Madrid in the 2003-04 Champions League quarter-finals. He would also go on to win the Champions League Golden Boot for his stellar performances during his year-long loan spell in France.
On that note, let’s take a look at the five players who produced memorable performances against their parent clubs when on loan.
#5 Jan Vertonghen | vs. Ajax Amsterdam
The Belgian international came through Ajax’s famed youth academy but spent half a season with Eredivisie strugglers, RKC Waalwijk.
Jan Vertonghen joined Waalwijk in the winter transfer window of the 2006-07 campaign with a relegation battle on his hands. Despite impressive performances from the centre-half, Waalwijk finished second from the bottom come the end of the season.
However, all was not lost for Vertonghen. In a league fixture against his parent club, Ajax, the now-34-year old stunned the Dutch champions by finding the back of the net in a memorable 2-2 draw.
His goal would have significant consequences at the end of the league season, as Ajax missed out on the Eredivisie title on goal difference. Ajax maintained a goal difference of +49, while eventual champions PSV had a goal difference of +50.
Vertonghen’s goal, with just four matches remaining in the season, is perhaps what separated Ajax from the 2006-07 Eredivisie title.
#4 Patrick Roberts | vs. Manchester City
Just 6 months after his €7.20 million move from Fulham, Patrick Roberts was sent out on loan to the Scottish League.
The 24-year old still finds himself on the books of Manchester City - perhaps due to his stunning performance against his parent club when he donned the colors of Celtic. After his move to Scotland in the 2016 winter transfer window, Roberts squared off against Manchester City in the group stages of the Champions League that same year.
The Englishman silenced the Etihad crowd when he scored a goal just 4 minutes into the fixture. Roberts showed no sign of respect for his parent club ether, with elaborate celebrations following his strike.
Celtic would hold the current English champions to a 1-1 draw in what secured a crucial point in the club’s Champions League aspirations.
Since his move to the Etihad in 2015, Patrick Roberts has found himself on loan spells with five different clubs. He recently returned to the club after a brief loan spell at Derby County under the tutelage of Wayne Rooney.
#3 Philippe Coutinho | vs. Barcelona
In the 2018 winter transfer window, Barcelona signed Philippe Coutinho on a club-record €135 million transfer from Liverpool. There were huge expectations from the Brazilian.
Unfortunately for the Blaugrana faithful, his best performances came against his own parent club. Philippe Coutinho never managed to live up to the lofty price tag at Camp Nou and was sent out on a year-long loan spell to Bayern Munich. As fate would have it, Barcelona were drawn against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the 2019-20 Champions League campaign.
The now-29-year old started from the bench but would add to Barcelona’s misery when he came on in the final 15 minutes of the match. Coutinho dazzled his way to a brace in Barcelona’s 8-2 drubbing at the hands of the German champions.
While Coutinho’s contributions were not as essential as the others on our list, it remains one of the most memorable performances by a loanee in a crucial tie against his parent club.
#2 Kingsley Coman | vs. Juventus
The Bayern Munich winger showcased one of the most special performances in Champions League football in recent years when he faced off against his parent club, Juventus.
Before Bayern Munich signed Kingsley Coman on a permanent deal in 2017, he had to undergo a two-year audition with the German champions. The Frenchman was on the fringes of a thriving Juventus outfit and was deemed surplus to needs. Bayern signed Coman on a two-year loan deal in 2015, and he would go on to impress during his time at the club.
Bayern Munich came up against Juventus in the 2015-16 Champions League Round of 16 stage. The two sides went into the second leg with a 2-2 scoreline, and Juventus looked in cruise control with a 2-0 scoreline in the 60th minute.
Coman replaced Xabi Alonso at the hour mark and added a dash of creativity and flair that Bayern were in desperate need of. The now-25-year old assisted Thomas Muller’s equalizer in added time and would go on to score a 110th-minute winner in extra time to complete a stunning comeback.
#1 Thibaut Courtois | vs. Chelsea
Atletico Madrid caused an uproar when they fielded Chelsea loanee Thibaut Courtois in goal for a crucial Champions League semi-final encounter against his parent club.
Leading up to the 2013-14 semi-finals clash of the Champions League, Chelsea reportedly demanded a £5m fee from Atletico to allow Courtois to play against them. UEFA would overrule such a demand from the Blues, and Courtois was named in the starting XI against his parent club.
The Belgian shot-stopper put on a stunning display at Stamford Bridge to deny the Blues time and again in Atletico Madrid’s 3-1 victory. Courtois played an indispensable role in Atletico’s run to the 2013-14 Champions League finals.
The current Real Madrid goalie also played a starring role in the club’s La Liga title glory that same season, notching up 20 clean sheets in the 2013-14 league season.
