The 12 Best Loanees in the Championship

Whether they arrive on loan from Premier League teams or work their way up through the academy, England’s best talents continue to cut their teeth and mature in the Championship. It’s the ideal stepping stone between the relative comfort of academy football and the harsh reality of the physical, demanding Premier League. 21 of the 23 players in the England squad that reached the World Cup semi-finals have played in the EFL Football League at some point in their career. Harry Kane, Jesse Lingard and Jordan Pickford were starters in that England team, and all have benefited from several loans to the lower leagues in the past. The standard of loanees that arrive in the Championship keeps going higher and higher, and this season is no exception. Here are the 12 best players currently on loan at Championship clubs.

Harry Wilson

Current Club: Derby County

Parent Club: Liverpool

Harry Wilson is arguably Wales’ biggest prospect at the moment, high praise when you consider the fact that he’s playing alongside Ethan Ampadu, Ben Woodburn and David Brooks. Under rookie manager Frank Lampard, Harry Wilson has improved on his form from last season’s Hull City loan, becoming an essential player for the Rams, a team who, despite losing their top scorer, look even better than last season. Wilson picked up 7 goals and 4 assists for Hull last season, and he’s well on track to beating that record this time round, having totaled 4 goals and 2 assists before December has even begun.  His sensational, swerving free kick against Manchester United in the EFL Cup went viral and grabbed the country’s attention. Wilson’s speed, skill and set pieces have seen him draw comparisons to fellow Welshman Gareth Bale, and with a bit of luck and work, he could be the long-term successor to a 29-year-old, injury-prone Bale for the Dragons.

Harvey Barnes

Current Club: West Bromwich Albion

Parent Club: Leicester City

He failed to make a lasting impact in his last Championship loan spell, but this time around, Harvey Barnes has been one of the standout performers in the Championship. The nippy winger is versatile and can play anywhere behind the striker, having switched from second striker, winger and 10 this season. Between his last two loan spells, he was named MK Dons’ Young Player of the Year, yet failed to break into the Barnsley first team, and he was recalled by Leicester in January. This season, though, he has cemented himself as one of English football’s brightest talents under Darren Moore’s tutelage. He’s played 20 times, having been directly involved in 11 goals, and playing a massive role in West Brom’s promotion push. He has been so impressive that rumours have circulated about Leicester recalling him once again in January, as an added creative boost. However, he’s enjoying his football at the moment, and the best move for his career would be to continue his development at The Hawthorns, and help the Baggies, who have scored more than any other team in the league, return to the top flight.

Mason Mount

Current Club: Derby County

Parent Club: Chelsea

Mount is one of 29 Chelsea players currently out on loan but the majority of them, Mount has a future at Stamford Bridge, a big one at that. He isn’t just an asset for Chelsea to make a profit from, he is one of the most promising players in English football. There’s almost a sense that, if Mount fails to break into the first team, and fails to be given the opportunities to do so, there will be a fan uprising amongst the Blues, one that would force Chelsea to completely reconsider its youth policy.

After a successful first season in senior football with Vitesse Arnhem, Mount’s next loan move was to Derby County. The attacking midfielder has adapted quickly to life at Pride Park, helping the Rams rise to 6th in the league and upset Manchester United in the Carabao Cup. Mount has recorded 5 goals and 1 assist, and has even been rewarded with a call up to the England’s senior team. The 19-year-old was chosen over a number of experienced veterans; it’s proof from Gareth Southgate himself that, despite having never played in the Premier League, he’s capable of not only playing in it, but excelling in it.

Jack Harrison

Current Club: Leeds United

Parent Club: Manchester City

He only just turned 22 last week, but Jack Harrison has risen to prominence in an unorthodox way. He moved to the United States as a schoolboy, as his mother believed that there was too much competition in England for him to break through, and she was right, as the move helped kick start his career. In 2015, he was selected as the Gatorade National Player of the Year for high school soccer, and in 2016, he was selected as the #1 draft pick by the Chicago Fire in the MLS SuperDraft, before being immediately traded to New York City F.C. He set the MLS on fire during his time with New York, scoring 14 goals and recording 10 assists in 61 games. His red-hot form earned him a move to to New York’s more attractive sister club, Manchester City, but he was instantly shipped out to Middlesbrough on loan. His time in the North-East didn’t go to plan, as he only played 49 minutes for Boro, failing to beat out the likes of Stewart Downing and Adama Traoré for a starting spot. This time, however, Harrison landed himself a loan spell at Leeds United. The tricky winger has been promising for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, scoring one goal and doing fairly well, whether as a starter or off the bench. Between Ezgjan Alioski and Jack Clarke, Harrison doesn’t have the toughest competition for left wing, a relative weak spot for Leeds, and he should strive to stake out a starting spot before the season ends. If Leeds are to ascend to the Premier League, they’ll need him firing on all fronts.

Axel Tuanzebe

Current Club: Aston Villa

Parent Club: Manchester United

Many United fans were disappointed and enraged when Tuanzebe was sent to Villa Park for the season, preferring him to stay in the first team rather than the likes of Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo. He’s composed on the ball and aggressive at the back. In addition, his physical components belie his age, and he has everything it takes to be an elite center back. While Steve Bruce shoehorned him at right back, in order to play Mile Jedinak at center back, new manager Dean Smith has moved Tuanzebe to his natural position, at center back, and moved Jedinak to the bench. He’s been a key part of Smith’s revolution, becoming a consistent performer and one of the first names on the team sheet. 

In just a matter of weeks, Villa have gone from drifting close to the relegation zone to challenging for a playoffs spot, and Tuanzebe has played a massive role in this turnaround, forming a quality partnership with James Chester. With his parent club still facing a center back crisis, they could do worse than considering their homegrown defender as a possible solution.

Tosin Adarabioyo

Current Club: West Bromwich Albion

Parent Club: Manchester City

Similar to Tuanzebe, Adarabioyo is a muscular, aerially dominant centre back, and like Tuanzebe during the first few weeks of the season, he’s currently filling in at right back. He joined City at age five, and after working his way up through the youth tiers, Adarabioyo found himself starved of first team opportunities, behind five senior center backs, and he for the first time in his career, he left City. So far, he has settled in brilliantly at The Hawthorns, slotting into West Brom’s backline, helping them push up to 5th in the league. Thanks to his speed, agility and excellent reading of the game, Adarabioyo has performed well at both center back and right back, and while he has made the occasional mistake, he’s quickly won the trust of manager Darren Moore.

Yannick Bolasie

Current Club: Aston Villa

Parent Club: Everton

Unlike the others on this list, Bolasie did not go out on loan to kickstart a fledgling career, but to revive a dying one. His time at Everton was stained with injuries, and with the arrivals of Richarlison and Bernard this summer, as well as the loan return of Ademola Lookman, it was clear as day that his time at Goodison Park was over. Nonetheless, Bolasie is still a brilliant player, and it speaks to his character that he had the humility to drop down to the lower division to seek out playing time. The Congolese winger is direct, aggressive, skillful, and has a brilliant final ball to boot, and he has more than enough talent to beat out Albert Adomah or Jonathan Kodija for a starting spot. If he stays injury free and rediscovers his form from his time at Crystal Palace, he’ll have no problem returning to a Premier League club in the summer.

Jordan Hugill

Current Club: Middlesbrough

Parent Club: West Ham

Like Jamie Vardy, Hugill climbed his way up the Football League, scoring goals for Tranmere, Gateshead, Hartlepool and Port Vale. After completing a £10 million deadline day move to West Ham in January, Hugill failed to make an impact for David Moyes’ Hammers, playing just 22 minutes before returning to the Championship in August. Despite his struggle in the top flight, he is still a proven goalscorer in the Championship, scoring 30 goals in 114 appearances for Preston North End.

Perhaps his move to to the Premier League came prematurely, as the old-fashioned target man still needs to iron out a few areas in his game before he can challenge Marko Arnautović for a starting spot. Nonetheless, after sitting on the sidelines for half a season, Hugill is gradually gaining his form back, having netted three goals in 13 matches thus far. The 26-year-old has come along way from working as a barman, and if he can lead Tony Pulis’ Boro to the top flight, don’t be surprised to see people hyping him as the next Vardy.

Tammy Abraham

Current Club: Aston Villa

Parent Club: Chelsea

After a frustrating debut season in the Premier League on loan at Swansea, Abraham has had to drop back down to the Championship with Aston Villa. His physical attributes help him to shrug off defenders and win headers, with cunning movement to twist his way around defenders. The Chelsea youth product burst onto the scene during his time at Bristol City, scoring 26 goals in 48 appearances, but he failed to replicate that goalscoring form in the Premier League. He’s started the season brightly for Villa, with six goals in 11 games, he’s only going to get better. Abraham is playing regularly in one of the best teams in the league, and if he keeps it up, it won’t be long before he earns another call-up to the Three Lions.

Fikayo Tomori

Current Club: Derby County

Parent Club: Chelsea

All eyes are currently on Mason Mount and Harry Wilson at Derby County, but their teammates form shouldn’t go unnoticed either. Tomori is just another example of the modern center backs that are popping up from England’s academies; tall, athletic, strong, and incredibly composed with the ball at his feet. Tomori has racked up plenty of triumph at both club and international level, winning back-to-back titles in the UEFA Youth League and FA Youth Cup in Chelsea, and winning the U-20 World Cup with England. While he has suffered a horrendous string of performances for Derby in the past, he has recently improved, playing consistently in a quality defence. While many youngsters’ confidence can crumble because of poor spells like this, Tomori has only improved, a testament to the 20-year-old’s mentality.

After a string of loan spells, Tomori is finally cutting his teeth at the senior level. Expect a three-way war between Canada, Nigeria, and England for his international allegiance very soon.

Muhamed Bešić

Current Club: Middlesbrough

Parent Club: Everton

The tough-tackling Bosnian midfielder has been brilliant for Boro since dropping down from the Premier League. He was used sparingly at Goodison Park after his move from Hungary, only making two Premier League appearances in his last season. Apart from a brief period of regular first team action under Roberto Martínez, Bešić’s spell in Merseyside was plagued with injuries, and after falling out of favor, he moved to the Riverside Stadium in search of first team football in January, and he got exactly what he came for. In half a season, the Hungarian became a vital piece for Pulis’ side, who were eliminated in the promotion-playoffs. Pulis decided to call him back for a second loan stint this season, and despite playing the majority of his games as a defensive midfielder, Bešić has managed to score twice and get two assists. As well as being an attacking threat, he is solid defensively, protecting the best defence in the league who have only conceded 10 goals in 19 matches.

Dean Henderson

Current Club: Sheffield United

Parent Club: Manchester United

Henderson has risen up the English football pyramid and is now reaping the rewards. Loan spells at Grimsby and Shrewsbury introduced him to senior football, and after earning a move to Sheffield United, he’s played a massive role in their promotion fight. He has also fought off Southampton’s Angus Gunn to claim the No.1 jersey in the England U23 team, and while the likes of Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope and Jack Butland are ahead of him currently, Henderson has the potential to earn a call-up to England’s senior team sooner than later. 

With David De Gea’s future looking increasingly unlikely each day, United fans can rest assured: they’ve got a homegrown keeper on the payroll who’s ready to challenge for the #1 spot for the next decade.

By: Thomas Owen

Photo: Reuters