Admittedly, I already miss Jesse Lingard. Despite his poor form in recent years, Jesse remains a favorite of mine. Maybe it’s because of his FA Cup winner or when he danced all over the Emirates. Still, his performances faded, needed the loan to West Ham to finally get chances on the pitch again. Like Jesse, most of the players on loan from Manchester United this season were desperate for game time. Now a half a season in, we get to check-in and see how our loanees are doing away from Old Trafford.
Improving Players
One of the best players from United’s academy on loan this season is Di’Shon Bernard. The twenty-year-old joined Salford City in the fall and already impressed in his performances. In 14 matches, Bernard scored 2 goals and managed 2 assists -as a center-back! Defensively he has been sharp as well. He currently is leading Salford to a promotion push.
Another Red Devil in form whilst away from the club is Diogo Dalot. The Portuguese full-back fits well into AC Milan’s system. He found himself playing on both the right and left sides of the pitch and despite only featuring in 40% of Serie A games this season, he continues to improve. Dalot received valuable time in the Europa League, where he played every minute of the competition thus far and netted a goal and 2 assist in the process.
Lastly in the improving players section, James Garner. The CDM started the season at Watford, only to leave in January. Just a day later, Garner sealed a move to a different Championship side, Nottingham Forest. In his first match for Nottingham, he played the full 90 and secured the win. In total, Garner involved himself in 21 EFL Championship games this season and made great strides in his progression as a footballer.
Losing Value
Unlike the players above, sometimes a loan can actually hurt a career. Joel Pereira joined Huddersfield Town in August, but since then he made only a single appearance. In his lone performance, he watched 4 goals soar by him. Pereira needs a change of scenery, because it looks like his time at Huddersfield ended before it even started.
Another player struggling to perform on loan is Andreas Pereira. He left United and joined Lazio. While his situation is not perfect, he at least is getting game time. Andreas featured in 20 games this season, with a goal and two assists to show from it. The concerning part of Pereira’s progression that he should be well fit for Italian football. However in matches this season, Andreas just looks a bit out of place. Hopefully, he can get more comfortable and begin to enjoy his football more while at Lazio.
Holding Potential
These two academy members did not overachieve on loan for the first half of the season but still kept consistent form. Aliou Traoré currently plays for the second-tier French side, SM Caen. There he made 18 appearances. However, he failed to manage a goal or assist in any of those games. The good news is that he is gaining valuable experience and abroad. Overall, not much came from the first half of his loan spell, but we really didn’t predict anything to.
Another player on loan that is trying to find his footing is Tahith Chong. The Dutchman currently plays for Club Brugge but spent the first half of the season with Werder Bremen. This season he involved himself in 16 games, scoring 2 goals and 1 assist. Now, he faces an opportunity with Club Brugge where he hopefully will find greater success.
Too Early to Tell
Unlike the players above, the following did not go on loan until the January transfer window. It’s far too early to tell how their seasons will go loan since they only just started. These players are Jesse Lingard (joined West Ham and scored a brace in his debut), Teden Mengi (joined Derby County, managed by Wayne Rooney), Facundo Pellistri (joined Alves), and Ethan Laird (joined MK Dons).
Written by CJ Szaz.
Glory Glory Man United.
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