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6 loanees set for uncomfortable returns to parent clubs this summer

Ben Stewart •

As the 2022-23 season draws to a close, players who spent the season out on loan will be preparing to go back to their parent clubs.

Loan moves are usually for the benefit of the player and club to develop them in different surroundings. However, sometimes the loan market can be used to quickly get an unsettled star away from the team.

We’ve picked out six names who spent this season out on loan that might be in for an awkward return to their parent club this summer.

Dean Henderson

After a ballsy interview in pre-season, some Manchester United fans were left with a sour taste when Henderson left on loan for Nottingham Forest.

“I didn’t really want the manager to come in and see me in training because I knew that he’d probably want to keep me so I tried to do it all before I left for the season,” Henderson told talkSPORT at the beginning of the season.

“I was almost gone before the manager [Erik ten Hag] came through the door. I have not spoken to him since.”

Reports have claimed that Henderson and Ten Hag hardly spoke throughout his loan spell as that relationship seems to be on thin ice. In that case, it might be a bit of an awkward return to Old Trafford this summer.

Romelu Lukaku

After declaring his love for Inter in a controversial interview, Lukaku got his wish and moved back to Italy for the season. Injuries hampered his campaign, but he still chipped in with 10 league goals and six assists throughout the season.

Plenty has changed since Lukaku last played for Chelsea, but there will probably still be a sense of awkwardness upon his return. He could end up leaving on a permanent basis with interest from the Saudi League and Serie A drumming up.

Joao Cancelo

Things clearly broke down behind the scenes for Cancelo to spend the second half of the season on loan with Bayern Munich. Reports of a fallout with Pep Guardiola are rife and the club are looking to offload the full-back this summer.

A report from Football Insider has claimed that he has already been told his Manchester City career is over, so that should be a fun reunion.

While the rest of the City squad is out partying, Cancelo is looking for his next club. Arsenal remain interested along with a host of clubs from Europe.

Samuel Umtiti

The French defender has rediscovered some form while on loan with Lecce, but his return to Barcelona could be frosty. Umtiti hasn’t been happy regarding his treatment at the club and Barcelona are trying to get him out the door on a permanent basis.

“It felt like four years of being imprisoned at Barcelona, not just on a sporting level, but in my everyday life too,” Umtiti told Canal+.

“I was really in a bad way, I preferred to stay out of everyone’s way. At the start I felt good and performed at a high level, but then I started to feel some diffidence towards me and realised then that nobody believed in me anymore.”

We hope he finds that love at his next club.

Dele Alli

Where did it all go wrong? After a disastrous loan spell with Besiktas which was cut short, Alli is now back in the hands of Everton.

The 27-year-old doesn’t strike us as a Sean Dyche type and there have been reports that Everton could terminate his contract to save themselves the hassle.

Nicolas Pepe

Things are on the up at Arsenal, but the same can’t be said for their club-record signing. While Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have thrived in Pepe’s absence, there doesn’t seem to be much of a future for the Ivorian winger.

Reports have claimed that Pepe doesn’t have a place in Arteta’s plans for the future and the club will look to ship him out as soon as possible. That should be a fun reunion then.

READ MORE: Where are they now? The 29 Chelsea players sent on loan to Vitesse

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name Liverpool’s 30 most expensive transfers of all-time?

Dele Alli Dean Henderson Nicolas Pepe Romelu Lukaku Quick Reads