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Loan spells are a great way for players to get playing time that they wouldn't otherwise at their parent clubs. But they don't work out all the time.
Loan deals are a great way for teams to bring in players that they wouldn't be able to afford to sign on a permanent basis. Parent clubs largely send their youngsters out on loan so that they can gain valuable playing time at a smaller club that perhaps do not have as many high-profile players as they do.
This season like any other, we have seen plenty of players getting sent out on loans. Quite a few high-profile players have also been on loan spells during the 2020-21 season.
Here today, we take a look at five players whose loan spells haven't worked out.
5 players who have endured torrid loan spells in 2020/21
#5 Douglas Costa to Bayern Munich
Douglas Costa had been deemed surplus to requirements at Juventus by Andrea Pirlo. The 30-year-old ended up joining continental champions Bayern Munich on loan till the end of the season. Costa's return to Bayern Munich hasn't been nearly as impactful as anyone would have thought it would be.
He has started just six games across all competitions and has come off the bench on six occasions. However, he has not exactly flourished as an impact substitute either having scored just one goal and provided a single assist from across 17 appearances.
#4 Dani Ceballos to Arsenal
Dani Ceballos is in his second season on loan at Arsenal and his having a difficult season has more to do with the dire state that the Gunners find themselves in. Ceballos has actually been decent for Arsenal and has made 16 appearances so far for the Emirates outfit in the Premier League this term.
However, he just has one assist and has not exactly been the creative presence in midfield that Arsenal were so desperately hoping he would become.
Questions are now being asked of Ceballos' compatibility with Arteta's philosophy and it remains to be seen whether Arsenal will want to sign him on a permanent basis when his loan spell ends in the summer. On that note, it's difficult to see Real Madrid welcoming him back as well.
Unless Arsenal want to sign him on a permanent basis, Ceballos will need to find a new club next season.
#3 Michy Batshuayi to Crystal Palace
The 27-year-old Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi is someone who has showed a lot of promise in the past but has continually failed to deliver on it. He has impressed in parts for Chelsea but he has never really looked like a dependable no.9 who can be relied on for the entirety of a season.
Batshuayi was farmed out to fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace at the start of the season. This is Batshuayi's second spell on loan at Crystal Palace. Roy Hodgson has been desperate to find a striker who can share the responsibility of scoring goals with Wilfried Zaha but Batshuayi has not cut it.
Michy Batshuayi has started just four Premier League games this season and has come off the bench seven times. He is yet to even break his duck and has just one assist to his name. The way things are going, he is almost certain to be sold in the summer by Chelsea.
#2 Takefusa Kubo to Villarreal
Real Madrid youngster Takefusa Kubo's loan move to Villarreal did not work for any of the parties involved. Kubo started just two games for Villarreal in La Liga and failed to do anything of note for Unai Emery's men. He was mainly used as a substitute and came off the bench on 11 occasions.
However, he showed his quality in the Europa League, scoring once and assisting three goals from across five appearances. However, Villarreal decided to cut short his loan spell and sent him back to Real Madrid earlier this month.
He has since moved to Getafe and Real Madrid and the player himself will be hoping that the latter half of his season will be quite a departure from the first.
#1 Gareth Bale to Tottenham Hotspur
Quite characteristically, Gareth Bale started his loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur injured. His much-awaited return to North London and to the club where he first became a superstar is now spiralling into embarrassing lows as the Welshman struggles to make any sort of impact for Jose Mourinho's side.
Demoted to the role of a starter in the Europa League, Bale has just one goal from six appearances. The 31-year-old has played just four games in the Premier League so far this season and has started only one of those. He has a single goal to show for it.
Though there were apprehensions initially about how his return would work out, there was a sense of optimism about his joining Tottenham. However, it has been quite a torrid loan spell on all counts and one that Spurs would have liked to undo if they could go back in time.
