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Sending a promising player out on loan is always a bit of a gamble for any parent club. The point of a loan move is to help a player get minutes under his belt that he wouldn't otherwise get if he decided to kick on at his original one.
As such, it's always wonderful news for a team when one of the players they've shipped out temporarily is doing great during his loan spell. It's not just youngsters who are loaned out as several experienced players are also currently on loan at various clubs.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best players who are currently on loan.
#5 James Garner (Nottingham Forest) - on loan from Manchester United
James Garner is currently spending his second successive season on loan at Nottingham Forest. He proved himself to be a promising young player with a lot of potential last season. He has only gone and taken it up a notch this term to establish himself as one of the most formidable box-to-box midfielders in the Championship.
Garner's form has been crucial in placing Nottingham Forest in the mix for promotion to the English top-flight. The 21-year-old also produced a string of sensational performances against the likes of Arsenal, Leicester City and Liverpool in the FA Cup.
He has scored three goals and has provided six assists in 36 appearances across all competitions for Steve Cooper's side this term. They are currently ninth in the Championship but a playoff berth is well within their reach.
The 21-year-old should be given a chance in Manchester United's starting lineup, especially since they're crying out for a good central midfielder right now.
#4 Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa) - on loan from Barcelona
Philippe Coutinho might go down in history as Barcelona's biggest transfer flop but he is one of Aston Villa's most inspired loan signings in recent times. The Brazilian international struggled for game time in the first half of the season at Barcelona. But his move to Villa has been a bit of a masterstroke.
Coutinho delivered on his first outing for Steven Gerrard's side, scoring a goal and providing an assist to inspire them to a late comeback draw against Manchester United. He has since gone on to deliver quite a few match-winning performances.
In 10 appearances across all competitions for Aston Villa since joining them in January, Coutinho has scored four goals and provided three assists.
#3 Pedro Porro (Sporting Lisbon) - on loan from Manchester City
Manchester City's talent pool runs deep. Right wing-back Pedro Porro is currently serving a two-year loan deal at Sporting Lisbon and the signs have been extremely promising. He was quite decent in the 2020-21 season, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 37 appearances across all competitions for Sporting.
The Portuguese international is excellent at delivering crosses from the right flank and is pretty astute at navigating tight spaces thanks to his excellent dribbling skills. Porro has been a creative force for Sporting down the right side and with Kyle Walker walking into his 30s, he could have a real future at Manchester City.
He has scored four goals and provided seven assists in 28 appearances across all competitions for Sporting so far this season.
#2 Giovanni Simeone (Hellas Verona) - on loan from Cagliari
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone's son Giovanni Simeone is growing into a formidable striker. He has been on loan at Hellas Verona since the start of the season. Although he has done decently for his former clubs, Simeone has never looked this confident during any of his previous loan spells.
Not only is he a marksman with an eye for goal, but he is also a tireless worker who is committed to pressing high up the pitch and excels at winning the ball back. The Argentine international is physically dominant and is athletic presence in the final third as well.
Simeone also became the first player to score multiple hat-tricks in Serie A this season. The 26-year-old has scored 15 goals and provided four assists in 29 appearances across all competitions for Hellas Verona so far this term. He is easily one of the best performing on-loan players this season.
#1 Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace) - on loan from Chelsea
Conor Gallagher has taken the Premier League by storm this season. Crystal Palace, who have been tepid and uninspiring in the final third and over-reliant on Wilfried Zaha all these years, are now brimming with talented players.
Gallagher is chief among them and he has played a huge role in making them one of the most exciting mid-table sides in the English top-flight. He has walked into the Eagles midfield and has become arguably their most important player over the course of the season.
Gallagher is a tenacious midfielder whose attacking quality is simply undeniable. The 22-year-old is almost certain to be integrated into Chelsea's starting lineup next season.
In 30 appearances across all competitions for Patrick Vieira's men so far this season, Gallagher has scored eight goals and provided five assists. He also recently picked up a man-of-the-match award in his first ever start for the England national team against Switzerland.
