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In a year ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, loan deals have been the flavour of the season. Premier League clubs as well as others in the continent have favoured loan deals instead of direct player purchases to better balance their books as cash has been in short supply.
It's been a surreal Premier League season, with most top clubs looking off the pace. The congested schedule has meant that many clubs, which have been stretched to their limits, could need urgent replenishments in the January transfer window.
However, the upcoming window could also see players who have been deemed surplus to requirements or ones who have not managed enough game-time departing clubs. With January usually being an awkward time for clubs to conduct 'business', loan deals could be the way out for these players.
5 Premier League players who could leave on loan in January
Two major tournaments - the European Championships and the Copa America - are scheduled next summer.
With an eye on the two marquee events, the upcoming transfer window could see fringe players in Premier League clubs jumping ship to another club where they could get regular game-time.
On that note, let us have a look at five such Premier League players, in no particular order, who could leave on loan in January.
#5 Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur)
After flourishing under previous Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino, a combination of injuries and subsequent loss of form has seen Dele Alli spectacularly slide down the pecking order at Spurs.
The player was all set to leave the Premier League club in the summer. However, interest from several clubs, one of them reportedly being Real Madrid, did not result in a move for the player, and Alli stayed put at Spurs.
The 24-year-old attacking midfielder has scored just once in six appearances (two of them being in the Premier League) in all competitions this season.
He is not an automatic starter under Jose Mourinho and has mostly squandered the few opportunities he has received this season. The likes of the returning Gareth Bale, Tanguy Ndombele, Steven Bergwijn, Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela are all ahead of Alli at the moment. That makes him unlikely to break into the Spurs first team any time soon.
Talks about the player's decline appear exaggerated as Dele Alli recently scored his 50th Premier League goal for Spurs. However, he does need a fresh start at a different club as he has age on his side.
Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid were linked with loan deals for the player in the summer but it remains to be seen if any of them could renew their interest in the player in January.
With regular first-team football, Alli could rediscover his mojo and also hope to break into Gareth Southgate's England squad for the European Championships.
#4 William Saliba (Arsenal)
After being signed up by Arsenal last summer, the then-18-year-old William Saliba was sent back out on loan to St. Etienne, where he managed only 12 appearances during a truncated Ligue 1 season owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back at Arsenal after the end of his loan spell this summer, the centre-back has apparently not adapted to his new surroundings to the extent that the club's manager Mikel Arteta would have liked.
Arsenal have had injury issues in their defence this season but Saliba is far from a fixture at the club. In fact, the player is yet to appear for the club and could be away on another loan spell to gain some first-team experience.
Arteta said in this regard:
“I explained that he needed that transition year when we decided to buy him and send him on loan to Saint-Etienne, for many reasons that didn’t happen, he didn’t have that transition year, and he needs to go through that. At the moment, with the amount of central defenders that we have in the team, we had to leave him out of the squad, which is painful, because we have some injuries, and we could have used him, but it’s part of this profession."
A loan move to his former club St. Etienne in January appears to be the most plausible outcome for William Saliba.
#3 Dean Henderson
After a fine loan spell with Sheffield United, for whom he kept an impressive 13 clean sheets in the Premier League last season, Dean Henderson was back at his parent club Manchester United in the summer.
With the stuttering form of the club's number one David de Gea, the 23-year-old Henderson was expected to provide stiff competition or perhaps even relegate the veteran Spaniard to the bench. However, none of that happened, and Henderson has warmed the bench in the Premier League this season.
In his three appearances for the Premier League giants in 2020-21, Henderson has kept two clean sheets as he has played second fiddle to De Gea in the bigger competitions.
Henderson recently made his England debut against Ireland. To gain more game minutes ahead of the European Championships next summer, Henderson could depart Manchester United on loan in January, with Scottish giants Celtic emerging as a likely destination for the player.
If the move does happen, it could suit all parties. Henderson would be guaranteed first-team football at Celtic; the Scottish club would get the services of a world-class goalkeeper, and United would ensure that the player gains more game-time without losing him in the long term.
#2 Kepa Arrizabalaga
After Chelsea smashed the transfer record for a goalkeeper to land the services of Kepa Arrizabalaga in the summer of 2018, the Spanish custodian has failed to rise up to the occasion and justify his enormous price tag.
During the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, Kepa Arrizabalaga played 69 Premier League games, keeping only 22 clean sheets and conceding a whopping 86 goals.
Although he was not culpable for all those goals, the player's poor technique, lack of command in his penalty area and loss of confidence have led to glaring mistakes, and the Chelsea backline looks very brittle and vulnerable when he is at goal.
The arrival of the excellent Edouard Mendy this season has immediately led to the club experiencing a new-found defensive solidity that was absent in the presence of Arrizabalaga.
In fact, in the three Premier League appearances that the Spaniard has managed this season, he has conceded six goals and has kept no clean sheets. In contrast, Mendy has kept four clean sheets in five Premier League games since his arrival at the club.
Although he was tipped to leave the club in the summer, a move did not materialise, and the player stayed put. The loss of faith in the player's abilities was such that Chelsea even registered the long-retired Petr Cech in their squad.
Arrizabalaga has now been linked with a loan move back to Spain in January, and it is said that he could take a pay cut to resurrect his career and confidence at another club.
#1 Daniel James
After arriving from Swansea City last summer, Daniel James had a fabulous breakthrough season at Manchester United, scoring three goals and assisting six in 33 Premier League games last season.
However, James has struggled for form this year, especially after the Premier League restart following the COVID-19 outbreak and in the new season as well.
With Mason Greenwood and Juan Mata striding ahead of the 23-year-old Welsh winger in Manchester United's pecking order, James managed only three Premier League appearances this season.
The player has been linked with a loan move to Everton in January, and Leeds United are also reported to be interested in a loan deal for the Welshman.
It remains to be seen if James opts to stay back at Old Trafford to fight for his place or moves to another club on loan to rediscover his form from last season.
