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Romelu Lukaku of AS Roma looks on

7 Premier League loanees currently thriving in Europe ft. Chelsea, Man Utd stars…

Ben Stewart •

Players from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are among the Premier League loanees who have been thriving while out on loan in Europe in 2023-24.

The system is a great way for top sides to send out their youngsters to gain some valuable first-team football or to get some of their unwanted stars off the books for the year.

We’ve had a closer look at each Premier League side and have picked out seven stars who have been thriving while out on loan in Europe this season.

Romelu Lukaku

Mauricio Pochettino made it clear from that start that Lukaku wasn’t in his long-term plans at Chelsea and the Belgian forward didn’t seem keen on sticking around either. Roma managed to win the race for his signature and snap him up on a season-long loan.

For all of Lukaku’s faults, he certainly still knows how to find the back of the net in Italy. The 30-year-old has scored seven goals in his first eight matches for Roma which is more than double what any Chelsea player has managed so far.

“Romelu needs to feel loved and wanted,” Jose Mourinho told reporters. “When he came here, he could sense the team needed a player like him. He likes to win – that’s in his nature. I think he’s really happy.”

Alvaro Fernandez

Erik ten Hag made the bold call to send Fernandez out on loan, despite fellow left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia being out injured. The Spanish defender impressed on loan with Preston North End last season and he’s already receiving plaudits from Granada fans this time.

Fernandez is at his best when he’s given licence to bomb forward, but his defensive game has also come on leaps and bounds over the last 12 months. The 20-year-old certainly caught the eye in Granada’s recent 2-2 draw with Barcelona.

Kieran Tierney

The Arsenal star joined Real Sociedad on loan for the season and the full-back immediately showcased his quality. Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil described Tierney’s debut as “exquisite” after an eye-catching start.

The 26-year-old also produced a man-of-the-match display against Valencia as he assisted the only goal of the game. However, injuries have unfortunately followed Tierney throughout his career and he is now set for a spell on the sidelines.

“Kieran has suffered a major muscle tear,” Alguacil told reporters. “It’s a shame. It’s a significant injury, but it’s not an extraordinary one. What I always say, each player is different and so is the recovery time.

“Time will tell when he will return, but it was a classic muscle tear that will take him time to recover from. But he will recover and we hope as soon as possible.”

Kepa Arrizabalaga

After Thibaut Courtois picked up a nasty-looking ACL injury, Real Madrid quickly signed up Kepa on a season-long loan. While his time at Chelsea was less than remarkable, he’s done a steady job in La Liga so far.

Despite a few nervy moments, Kepa has largely done a good job for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. The 29-year-old has kept four clean sheets in seven league matches and he has prevented 1.2 goals based on the xG he has faced so far. All in all, that’s not too shabby.

Yan Couto

Couto is yet to make a senior appearance for Man City, but the youngster has impressed during his last few loan spells. The Brazilian full-back spent last season on loan with Girona and he linked up with the Spanish outfit once again this summer.

In his first eight appearances of the season, Couto has already produced three goal contributions and has largely impressed while in Spain. Pep Guardiola will no doubt be keeping a close eye on his development this year.

Joao Cancelo

We all know by now that Guardiola doesn’t take any prisoners and as soon as you get on his wrong side, you find yourself out of the club. After a spell on loan with Bayern Munich last season, Cancelo joined up with Barcelona this time around.

At his best, Cancelo is one of the best full-backs in the world and he’s been showcasing that quality in La Liga this year. The 29-year-old has already produced three man-of-the-match performances and has produced three goal contributions in his first six league matches.

“Cancelo comes from a coach (Pep Guardiola) who for me is the best and he interprets everything very well,” Xavi told reporters. “We have spoken to him and he has understood.

“With Joao Felix we watched a video with him yesterday. They both give variants that make the team better. Physically, they are strong. They raise the quality of the team, which in general has been very good.”

Troy Parrott

After a series of loan spells out in the EFL, Tottenham decided to send Parrott out to Eredivisie club Excelsior to continue his development.

In just 71 minutes of football so far, Parrott is already off the mark with two goals for his new club. All five of his appearances for Excelsior have come from the bench, but with a scoring record like that it surely won’t be long until he is pushing for a starting spot.

READ NEXT: 8 Premier League loanees currently thriving in the EFL: Williams, Patino, Hutchinson…

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