All the very latest football news and gossip across Europe!

Here is a round up of all the latest football news/gossip across Europe today, which includes the likes of: Christian Benteke, West Ham, David de Gea, Real Madrid, Rafael Benitez, Juventus, Dimitri Payet, AC Milan, Mario Balotelli, Everton, Jose Mourinho, Aston Villa, Yaya Toure, Leicester, Roberto Di Matteo, Ajax, Dani Alves, Watford, John Terry and Swansea City to name but a few!


Real Madrid will look to sign West Ham and France midfielder Dimitri Payet, 29, but not until after Euro 2016 - Le 10 Sport (French sports publication)

West Ham will turn their attention to signing Liverpool striker Christian Benteke, 25, after having a club record £31m bid rejected for Lyon's 24 year-old French international striker Alexandre Lacazette - The Sun

The Turkish press is today echoing interest in Jose Mourinho joining Fenerbahce and the Turkish club are preparing an offer in the region of 15 million euros annually for the Portuguese born boss - AS.com

Arsenal have submitted a £51m offer to Juventus in an attempt to sign 23-year-old forward Alvaro Morata during the summer transfer window - Corriere dello Sport (Italian national sports newspaper based in Rome)

Real Madrid have until 15 June to trigger 25-year-old Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea's £39m release clause - Dairio AS (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

Romelu Lukaku's father thinks his son will leave Everton for around £65m before Euro 2016 gets under way - Daily Express

Former Borussia Monchengladbach coach Lucien Favre is in the hunt for the Everton job after holding talks with Goodison officials, but Saints boss Ronald Koeman and Dutchman Frank de Boer still top the shortlist - The Sun

A Far East consortium are believed to be close to agreeing a deal to buy Aston Villa and that would make Roberto Di Matteo the favourite to pip Nigel Pearson to the manager's post - Daily Express

Watford have held talks with former Inter Milan boss Walter Mazzarri and the club could appoint their new head coach by the end of this week - Gazetta dello Sport (Italian sports newspaper)

Yaya Toure's agent has claimed talks are being held with Inter Milan over a summer move. Speculation about the Manchester City midfielder's future has been an ongoing theme and it appears he could reunite with former City boss Roberto Mancini at San Siro - skysports.com

Rafael Benitez has agreed to stay on as manager at Newcastle United and will be given full control over transfers as he plans for next season in the Championship - Daily Mail

Claudio Ranieri wants to bring £15m-rated Ajax striker Arkadiusz Milik to Leicester. The 22-year-old has scored 47 times in 76 appearances for his club - Daily Mirror

Swansea City boss Francesco Guidolin has urged the Club not to cash in on £10m-rated striker Andre Ayew - The Sun

Swansea have Junior Hoilett top of their wanted list this summer with the 25-year-old winger's contract expiring at QPR - Daily Mirror

Dani Alves will stay in Barcelona for at least another season - skysports.com

Liverpool and Italy forward Mario Balotelli, 25, who is currently on loan at AC Milan, is wanted by Spanish side Espanyol - Fichajes, via Daily Star

John Terry has signed a new one-year deal with Chelsea. The club have said decision has been taken following consultation between Terry, incoming manager Antonio Conte, the owner and the board - skysports.com

Arsenal are keen on Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney and Leicester's Ben Chilwell. However the Gunners have yet to make any offers and are expected to offer around £6m for both of them - Daily Mail

French-Senegalese forward M'Baye Niang, 21, currently on a contract with AC Milan until June 2019, has become a main target for both Liverpool and Tottenham. Niang, is also interesting Borussia Dortmund and Stoke City as well - gianlucadimarzio.com

Incoming Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola wants to hijack neighbours United's move for the Schalke's attacking midfielder Leroy Sané. The German international is also on the radar of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain as well - Daily Star

Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez has signed a new long-term deal with the Spanish club. There had been speculation that Manchester United were interested in the midfielder, but he has committed his future to Atletico - skysports.com

Real Madrid star Isco wants to stay at Santiago Bernabeu next season, as he told the club's official website: "I'm happy with what I've achieved but excited by the future. There is no better place to win titles than at Real Madrid. My aim is to work day by day because I'm an ambitious player and I've still got a lot to demonstrate" - Realmadrid.com

AS Roma's attempt to sign Guinean-Italian midfielder Amadou Diawara, 18 could be hijacked by Juventus, as a possible replacement for Paul Pogba. Also of interest to several other European clubs, the player is currently on a deal with Bologna until June 2020 - transfermarketweb.com

Cardiff City have confirmed Paul Trollope as their new manager - skysports.com

FC Crotone recently promoted to Serie A, will face a huge job to convince manager Ivan Juric to stick around following interest from Leeds United - Daily Express

Bristol City have signed Wrexham youngster Johnny Smith for an undisclosed fee - skysports.com

Defender Nathan Smith has signed a one-year deal with Yeovil Town - skysports.com

All the very latest football news and gossip across Europe!

Here is a round up of all the latest football news/gossip across Europe today, which includes the likes of: Roberto Martinez, Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea, Juventus, Tottenham, Marcus Rashford, Jorge Mendes, Barcelona, Crystal Palace, Ramiro Funes Mori, Divock Origi, Gus Poyet and Michael Owen to name but a few!


Chelsea are planning a £90m summer move for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku and defender John Stones. Chelsea had three bids for Stones rejected last year, going up to £37m, but are looking to bid £40m this summer - Daily Star

Newcastle United midfielder Moussa Sissoko is attracting the interest of AC Milan, with reports suggesting the Frenchman will leave St James’ Park should Newcastle be relegated - Tuttomercatoweb.com (Italian news outlet)

Mats Hummels' father and advisor, Hermann Hummels, has labelled Manchester City as "an interesting option" for the Borussia Dortmund and German international defender, with his contract at the Signal Iduna Park due to expire in the summer of 2017 - SID (German news agency based in Cologne)

Roberto Martinez needs to win the FA Cup to stand any chance of keeping his job as Everton manager - Daily Mirror

Mauricio Pochettino is due a £500,000 bonus if Tottenham overhaul Leicester to win the Premier League title - The Sun

Crystal Palace are considering a move for Barcelona midfielder Alex Song, who is on loan at West Ham but not in Slaven Bilic's plans - The Sun and skysports.com

Marcus Rashford will wait until he has appointed an agent before discussing a new contract at Manchester United. The 18-year-old has reportedly had his business handled by his mother and brothers up to now. His current contract runs until the summer of 2017 - Daily Mail

Jorge Mendes, the agent of Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo and former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, wants to represent Manchester United's 18-year-old forward Marcus Rashford - The Times

Chelsea are closing on a £35m deal for Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan - Daily Express

Manchester United have made an enquiry for Bordeaux midfielder Adam Ounas. The 19-year-old has played 25 games for the French side this season, scoring six goals.
But AS Monaco are also reportedly interested in the France U20 international - Le10Sport (French daily tabloid)

French international offensive midfielder and winger Hatem Ben Arfa is likely to leave Nice as a free agent this summer with a number of clubs interested in the 29 year-old, most recently AC Milan. The Italian club are determined to win his signature ahead of all other interested parties which include Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool. Meanwhile, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain are monitoring the situation of the former Newcastle and Olympique Marseille player - RMC Sport (French news outlet)

Southampton are still trying to convince midfielder Victor Wanyama to sign a new contract. The Kenyan's contact runs out in the summer of 2017, and Tottenham have been heavily linked in the British press - Daily Echo

West Ham full-back Aaron Cresswell is being tracked by Liverpool and Chelsea. The 26 year-old currently on a deal with London side until June 2020, is valued in the region of 9 million pounds - Daily Express

Liverpool's Belgium forward Divock Origi, 21, will be out for between four and six weeks with the ankle injury he suffered during Wednesday's win over Everton - RTBF (Belguim broadcasting company)

Everton defender and Argentine international Ramiro Funes Mori has had death threats over his Merseyside derby foul on Divock Origi, despite saying sorry - The Sun

Liverpool and England forward Daniel Sturridge, 26, wants to remain at Anfield and has set his sights on scoring 100 league goals for the Reds - Daily Mail

Aston Villa want to sell defender Joleon Lescott, 33, as part of a post-relegation clearout - Daily Mail

Tottenham are in talks over the use of Wembley Stadium for European games next season while White Hart Lane is renovated - The Times

Juventus are weighing up the chance to try signing Lazio's Italian international goalkeeper Federico Marchetti, 33 as a substitute to Gianluigi Buffon for next season. The player is currently on a deal with the Serie A club until June 2018 - transfermarketweb.com

Liverpool's decision to appoint Michael Owen as a club ambassador has gone down badly with some fans still angry over his time at Manchester United - Daily Mail

Real Sociedad have just submitted an 8 million euros offer to Besiktas for the 23 year-old Turkish international midfielder Oguzhan Özyakup, one of current season's main Süper Lig protagonists. There has also been interest from Inter and West Ham for the Dutch-born player who is currently on a deal with the Istanbul side until June 2018 - transfermarketweb.com

Barcelona, are moving towards signing 21 year-old Uruguayan international centre-back José Gimenez, The player is currently on a deal with Atletico Madrid until June 2018, and has a 65 million euros release clause in his contract - El Mundo Deportivo (Spanish nationwide daily sports newspaper)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is interested in Nottingham Forest midfielder Oliver Burke. The 19-year-old winger has been on fine form for the Championship club, but agreed a four-and-a-half year deal in February - The Sun

German international winger and forward André Schürrle might return to England next season, with Tottenham an interested party. Currently on a deal with Wolfsburg until June 2019, the former Bayer Leverkusen player might push for a move, although the Bundesliga giants are aware they won't get back anything like the 32 million euros invested in him - transfermarketweb.com

Former Sunderland manager Gus Poyet could return to English football with Nottingham Forest when he leaves AEK Athens at the end of the season - Daily Telegraph

Harry Cornick has put pen to paper on a new contract with Bournemouth until June 2018. The 21-years-old has just came back from loan at Yeovil Town and thanks to his good performances he deserved a new deal with the Cherries - transfermarketweb.com

Matthew Pennington has been recalled from his loan spell at Walsall as Everton battle with a defensive availability crisis - skysports.com

Reading manager Brian McDermott, 55, does not fear being sacked by the club a second time. The Royals are 15th in the Championship - Reading Chronicle

Leeds United boss Steve Evans, 53, has played down speculation linking him with the Celtic job - Yorkshire Post

Adam Thompson has signed a new contract with Southend, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2017 - skysports.com

Statistically, the EA Sports best performing players in the English Premier League so far this season!

The EA SPORTS PPI (Player Performance Index) is the only official player rating index of the Barclays Premier League which measures a player's all round contribution to the success of his team using six key indices:

The intention is to remove any opinion bias and only work with proven statistical measurements which become more accurate as the season progresses.

Season 2015/16 - Last update: 08/03/16

For those of you currently playing 'Fantasy Premier League Football' you may want to take note!


Goalkeepers:

1. Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester) 356 EA Sports PPI  
2. Petr Cech (Arsenal) 340
3. Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) 321
4. Jack Butland (Stoke City) 319 (right)
5. Adrian (West Ham) 294
6. Heurelho Gomes (Watford) 289
7. Joe Hart (Man City) 284
8. Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea) 270
9. David de Gea (Man Utd) 267
10. Simon Mignolet (Liverpool) 267


Defenders:

1. Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham) 468
2. Scott Dann (Crystal Palace) 412
3. Charlie Daniels (Bournemouth) 404
4. Eric Dier (Tottenham) 403
5. Wes Morgan (Leicester) 400 (right)
6. Ashley Williams (Swansea) 395
7. Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal) 380
8. Aaron Cresswell (West Ham) 379
9. Nacho Monreal (Arsenal) 370
10. Robert Huth (Leicester) 364


Midfielders:

1. Riyad Mahrez (Leicester) 779
2. Mesut Özil (Arsenal) 625
3. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham) 587
4. Ross Barkley (Everton) 567
5. Dimitri Payet (West Ham) 534
6. Dele Alli (Tottenham) 508
7. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) 484
8. Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle) 477
9. Yaya Toure (Man City) 454
10. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea) 441


Forwards:

1. Harry Kane (Tottenham) 755
2. Jamie Vardy (Leicester) 743
3. Romelu Lukaku (Everton) 639
4. Odion Ighalo (Watford) 620
5. Sergio Agüero (Man City) 522
6. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) 485
7. Diego Costa (Chelsea) 441
8. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) 419 (right)
9. Troy Deeney (Watford) 415
10. Marko Arnautovic (Stoke) 408


The Six Key Indices:

1. Winning Performance

Players receive points for time on the pitch in a successful team. Players will receive more points if they play the full 90 minutes in a winning team. This index shares league points won by a team between the players according to the minutes they are on the pitch. Only time on the pitch and points scored are taken into account in this first index.

2. Player's Performance per match

Players receive points for positive influences on a winning performance (shots on target, tackles, clearances, saves etc). Players have points taken away from their score for negative actions such as shots off target and receiving yellow and/or red cards.

3. Appearances

Players receive points for minutes on the pitch. The number of points won by ALL teams in the Barclays Premier League are divided among the players according to the number of minutes they have played. This does not take into account the result of a match, it awards points purely for playing time.

4. Goals scored

Players are awarded points for scoring goals. These points are only given to the goalscorer.

5. Assists

Players are awarded points for assists. These points are only awarded to players that make the assist.
Assists are awarded to the player from the goal scoring team who makes the last touch before the goal is scored.
If after this touch, an opposing player touches the ball outside the penalty area altering the intended destination of the ball, then no assist is given, except if this intervention directly results in an own goal.
In the event of a penalty or free-kick, the player earning the penalty or free-kick gets an assist if a goal is directly scored, but not if he takes it himself, in which case no assist is given.

6. Clean sheets

Allocates points for clean sheets to the whole team. The proportionate split of the points is weighted according to the player's position. Therefore a goalkeeper will be awarded a greater proportion of the points for keeping a clean sheet than a striker. The points are also awarded proportionately to the time spent on the pitch.


N.B. The overall EA SPORTS PPI is a correlation between all of the above indices. The Index only includes actions that can be measured objectively and does not reward one action more than another (e.g. a pass by a midfielder will not gain more points than a tackle made by a defender). Subjective factors relating to individual players' skill levels or evidence of a specific flair, such as a particularly spectacular pass or goal, are not included within the index.

The Best Ever Loan Deals in Football History!

With the January transfer window just two weeks away it is a time for Clubs to take the opportunity to sign new players and release others as they bid to a fulfil the dream of a successful season or in some cases to help save their season!

Loan signings are rife in football these days, but who are some of the best short-term captures of all time?

Romelu Lukaku – Chelsea to West Brom (2012-13) and Chelsea to Everton (2013-14)

The Belgium striker was loaned out to West Bromwich Albion in August 2012 and scored his first league goal eight days later, coming on as a substitute in the 77th minute in a 3–0 win against Liverpool. He scored 17 goals in 38 appearances, in all competitions, and was a major reason for The Baggies excellent Premier League campaign.

Despite being loaned out by the club, Lukaku outscored all of his Chelsea teammates in the Premier League that season, finishing as the sixth-highest goal scorer of the 2012–13 campaign.

Lukaku returned to Chelsea, but on the final day of the 2013 Summer transfer window Chelsea loaned him out again, this time to Everton on a season-long loan. The striker made his debut for the Toffees away to West Ham United on 21 September 2013, scoring the winning goal in a 3–2 victory for Everton.

His final (on loan) goal for the club came on the last day of the 2013-14 season in a 2–0 win over Hull City. Lukaku found the net 15 times in 31 league games to help Everton to fifth place with a club record of 72 Premier League points.

On 30 July 2014, Everton announced that Lukaku had signed a five-year permanent deal with the club, for a record fee of £28 million.


Jimmy Glass - Swindon Town to Carlisle United (1999)

Jimmy Glass joined Carlisle from Swindon towards the end of the 1998/99 season, after a goalkeeper crisis struck the club, with the Surrey born stopper going on to play just three league games while on loan with the Cumbrian club.

His moment of fame came on 8 May 1999, in the final match of the 1998–99 season against Plymouth Argyle, which Carlisle needed to win to avoid relegation to the Conference. With the score 1–1 and with just seconds remaining, Carlisle won a corner. Glass came up from his own penalty area and promptly scored a dramatic last gasp volleyed winner.

Carlisle got the win they needed and Scarborough were relegated to the Football Conference instead after a 1–1 draw with Peterborough. Scarborough's match had already finished before Glass scored, and their fans had already been celebrating on the pitch at the McCain Stadium.

However, despite that vital last-minute strike to keep the Cumbrian side in the Football League and making Glass a Carlisle legend overnight, he never played again for the club.

Beyond the Carlisle goal, Glass's most notable time with any club was three seasons playing for Bournemouth from 1996–1998. Bournemouth was the only Football League club for whom Glass was a regular member of the first team and he retired from football in 2001 aged 27.

Thibaut Courtois - Chelsea to Atletico Madrid (2011-2014)

Within weeks of joining Chelsea in July 2011 Courtois was loaned out to Atlético Madrid, where he went on to make 154 appearances in all competitions and won four major trophies during his spell there in what was a remarkable journey from a young prospect to now arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

It’s safe to say Courtois' three-year spell with Atlético ranks as one of the best loan signings in recent time.

La Liga (2013-14), Copa del Rey (2012-13), Europa League (2011-12) and UEFA Super Cup (2012) crowns were all won during his time in the Spanish capital and it could well have ended in even greater success had Atlético held on against rivals Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Final last season.

Ironically his UEFA Super Cup win in 2012 with Atlético was against his parent club Chelsea as the Madrid based outfit defeated The Blues 4–1 in the Final held in Monaco.


Daniel Sturridge - Chelsea to Bolton Wanderers (2011)

Sturridge moved to Bolton on a six-month loan deal in January 2011, after struggling to win a starting berth up front at Stamford Bridge. He made his debut two days later, making an immediate impact by coming off the bench to score an injury-time winner on his debut against Wolves, the first of four goals in his first four games for the club, the others coming against Tottenham, Everton and Newcastle.

The on-loan Chelsea forward continued to make an impact at Bolton and finished his loan spell with eight goals in 12 Premier League appearances at the club.


Jermain Defoe – West Ham to Bournemouth (2000-2001)

London born Jermain Defoe was a member of the West Ham United under-19 team that won the Premier Academy League title in 1999–00, and went on to make his first-team debut for The Hammers in a League Cup game against Walsall in September 2000, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win.

However the West Ham United manager at the time, Harry Redknapp decided to send 18-year-old Defoe out on loan to then second division club AFC Bournemouth, to gain some regular first-team football.

During his time on the south coast the striker scored in 10 consecutive league games, as well as finding the net on both his FA Cup and Football League Trophy debuts for The Cherries.

In total, Defoe bagged an impressive 18 goals in just 27 games for Bournemouth before heading back to Upton Park at the end of the campaign.


Robbie Keane – Tottenham to Celtic (2010)

Despite failing to win a trophy during his time at Parkhead, lifelong Celtic fan Keane certainly enjoyed his stay at the club.

The Republic of Ireland’s all-time top goalscorer and most capped international had a superb spell at the Scottish giants in 2010.

On 1 February 2010, Keane signed for Celtic in a loan deal until the end of the 2009–10 season, having fallen out of favour at White Hart Lane. He made his debut on 2 February at Rugby Park against Kilmarnock. Robbie Keane scored 16 goals in just 19 games for the club and, despite the fact he only played between February and May, he was awarded the club’s Player of the Year award for the 2009-10 season.


Ronnie Rosenthal - Standard Liege to Liverpool (1990)

Israel born Ronnie Rosenthal arrived at Anfield from Standard Liège on 22 March 1990 in a deal until the end of that season, with Liverpool trailing Aston Villa in the title race at the time.

However, it did not take the relatively unknown forward long to make a mark in England, with Rosenthal scoring a hat-trick on his full debut three weeks later, in a 4-0 win against Charlton Athletic at Selhurst Park.

And the Israel international’s 7 goals in the final 8 league matches of the season, displacing Peter Beardsley as Ian Rush's strike partner in the process, were crucial in Kenny Dalglish’s side going on to win that season’s First Division Championship, still the club’s last top-flight crown.

On 29 June 1990 Rosenthal was signed permanently by Liverpool for a fee of £1.1m making him the first foreign player bought by an English club for more than £1million.


Henrik Larsson - Helsingborg IF to Manchester United (2007)

The Sweden and Celtic legend was 35 when he made the shock loan move to Old Trafford back in 2007. With Sir Alex Ferguson short on strikers, he signed Larsson on 1 January until 12 March 2007 during the Swedish League's off season. He scored three goals in his 13 appearances, including one on his debut in the FA Cup against Aston Villa.

Although that may not sound like a particularly impressive goal return, it was his overall professionalism and team ethic that had an effect on the side. United went on to win their first Premier League title in four years, and Larsson played his part. He had not played the required quota of 10 league games to qualify for a Premier League winners medal, but he was granted special dispensation by the Premier League after the club requested an extra medal for the striker.

Larsson is currently the manager of his former Allsvenskan club Helsingborgs IF.


Kevin Campbell - Trabzonspor to Everton (1999)

Everton, who were battling against relegation from the Premier League, signed Campbell on loan in March 1999 from Turkish side Trabzonspor. His impact on the side was immediate as he scored 9 goals in 8 games, making him Everton's top goalscorer that season as Walter Smith’s side avoided the drop.

Campbell became the first-ever loanee in Premier League history to be awarded the Player of the Month award after scoring six times in five matches in April 1999.

Campbell's move to Everton was made permanent in the summer of 1999 for a fee of £3million


Andrés D'Alessandro - Vfl Wolfsburg to Portsmouth (2006)

In January 2006, Vfl Wolfsburg's €9 million club record signing Andres D'Alessandro shocked everyone when he joined Premier League relegation candidates Portsmouth, on loan for the remainder of the season.

In what would be a major coup by Pompey manager at the time, Harry Redknapp, the Argentine playmaker was heavily influential in the club's survival that season.

Once deemed the 'New Maradona,' D'Alessandro scored three goals in his time at Fratton Park and Pompey finished the season four points clear of relegation, having been 19th in the league at the time of D'Alessadnro's arrival. Redknapp tried to sign him permanently in the summer, but the Argentine moved to Real Zaragoza in Spain, before returning home to South America.

In 2010, D'Alessandro led Internacional of Brazil to their second Libertadores Championship, and was elected the best player in South America for that year. In the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup, he also helped Internacional to a third-place finish, and was awarded the Bronze Ball as the tournament's third best player. The 34 year-old is still plying his trade with Internacional.



* Other players that made a big impact during their loan spells.

Mikel Arteta - Real Sociedad to Everton (January 2005)

Fernando Morientes – Real Madrid to AS Monaco (2003-04)

Jurgen Klinsmann - Sampdoria to Tottenham Hotspur (January 1998)

Edgar Davids – Juventus to Barcelona – (2004)

Christophe Dugarry - Bordeaux to Birmingham City (January 2003)

Kyle Walker Tottenham to QPR (August 2010) and Tottenham to Aston Villa (January 2011)

Iván Campo – Real Madrid to Bolton Wanderers (2002-03)

Kieran Richardson - Manchester United to West Brom (January 2005)

Patrick Bamford - Chelsea to MK Dons (2012-14) and Chelsea to Middlesbrough (2014-15)

The Greatest Loan Deals in Premier League History

Loan signings are rife in football these days!

A loan deal can be a fantastic temporary solution to a club's problems - bringing in that special player for a season or even half a season, in an effort to help a Club realise its trophy ambitions, save a club from relegation, or simply to replace an injured player.

Over the years there have been some important loan signings in the Premier League.


Here are in my eyes some of the best loan signings in recent memory!


Jermain Defoe - West Ham to Bournemouth (2000/01)

West Ham United manager at the time, Harry Redknapp, sent 18-year-old Beckton-born Jermain Defoe to then Second Division club AFC Bournemouth to gain some regular first-team football at the start of the century. He scored an impressive 18 goals in 29 games, including a record-equalling ten goals in successive games to equal John Aldridge’s and Clarrie Jordan’s post-war record, as well as finding the net on both his FA Cup and Football League Trophy debuts for the Cherries.

These exploits propelled the youngster into the public eye, and many thought he could be the next Michael Owen. While he did not quite reach those dizzy heights, Defoe, now 32, has enjoyed a terrific career with West Ham, Portsmouth, Tottenham, Toronto FC, current club Sunderland and England, scoring over 200 goals to date.


Romelu Lukaku – Chelsea to West Brom (2012/13) and Chelsea to Everton (2013/14)

The Belgium international was loaned out to West Brom on 10 August 2012 on a season-long loan deal, and the 19 year-old striker proved to be a terrific coup for The Baggies. He scored 17 goals in 38 appearances, in all competitions, and was a major reason for West Brom’s excellent Premier League campaign.

Despite being loaned out by the club, Lukaku outscored all of his Chelsea teammates in the Premier League that season, being the sixth-highest goal scorer of the 2012–13 season with 17 goals.

On the final day of the summer 2013 transfer window, he joined Everton on a season-long loan. The striker made his debut for the Toffees away to West Ham on 21 September 2013, scoring the winning goal in a 3–2 victory for Everton. Lukaku went on to find the net 15 times in 31 league games to help Everton to fifth place with a club record of 72 Premier League points.

On 30 July 2014, Everton announced that Lukaku had signed a five-year deal with the club, for a record fee of £28 million.


Kevin Campbell - Tranzbonspor to Everton (1999)

Campbell arrived at Goodison Park in March 1999 from Turkish side Tranzbonspor, with Everton languishing in the relegation zone.

Campbell made an instant impact at Goodison Park, in his two month spell with the Merseyside club he became the club’s top scorer that season with nine goals in only eight games as Walter Smith’s side avoided the drop.

Campbell also became the first-ever loanee in Premier League history to be awarded the 'Player of the Month' award after scoring six times in five matches in April 1999.

Campbell's move to Everton was made permanent in the summer of 1999 for a fee of £3million. Campbell went on to play for six more seasons in Merseyside, but nothing emulates his loan spell with the club in 1999.


Henrik Larsson - Helsingborg IF to Manchester United (2007)

Having re-joined his hometown club Helsingborg IF, following a successful spell at Barcelona, the Sweden and Celtic legend was 35 when he made the shock move to Old Trafford. Larsson was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson on loan from 1 January until 12 March 2007, coinciding with the Swedish League's off season.

The former Celtic frontman scored for the Red Devils on his debut against Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round, before his strike against Lille in the Champions League last-16 propelled United toward the semi-finals of Europe’s premier club competition.

In total, the Swede made 13 appearances, scoring three goals, as United finished the season with their first Premier League crown for four years.

The legendary striker then declined Ferguson's offer of an extended deal, in order to return to his native Sweden.


Daniel Sturridge - Chelsea to Bolton Wanderers (2011)

Sturridge moved to Bolton on a six-month loan deal on 31 January 2011 after struggling to win a starting berth up front at Stamford Bridge under boss Carlo Ancelotti.

The striker made an immediate impact by coming off the bench to score an injury-time winner on his debut against Wolves, the first of four goals in his first four games for the club. He followed this with another goal in the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur the following weekend, in which he made his first start, before scoring his third goal in three games in a 2–0 victory over Everton. When Sturridge scored the equaliser against Newcastle in his fourth game, he became only the sixth player to score in his first four games for a club in Premier League history.

Sturridge continued to make an impact at Bolton and finished his loan spell with an impressive eight strikes to his name in just 12 Premier League matches.

On his return to Chelsea he was to be met by a new Chelsea manager - André Villas-Boas.


Christophe Dugarry - Bordeaux to Birmingham City (2003)

The World Cup-winning Frenchman is thought of as a true Birmingham legend after his spell at the club over a decade ago. Much like Eric Cantona, Christophe Dugarry had an arrogance and aura about him which he backed up on the pitch.

Dugarry, the former AC Milan and Barcelona striker signed for Birmingham on a six-month loan deal from French Ligue 1 side Bordeaux in January 2003.

He scored four goals in five league games and managed to help propel Steve Bruce’s team away from the bottom three and towards a final position of 13th in the table, following promotion the previous season.
Dugarry signed permanently in 2003/04. He saw out only the first season of his contract before leaving the club by mutual consent, citing family reasons, but he will always be held in high regard at St Andrews.


Jurgen Klinsmann - Sampdoria to Tottenham Hotspur (1998)

The German striker was already a hero at White Hart Lane after a memorable spell during the 1994/95 season. His return on a six month loan deal from Serie A side Sampdoria in December 1997 was greeted with great joy by the Tottenham faithful, with their club languishing in the relegation zone at the time.

Jurgen Klinsmann scored nine goals in his 15 Premier League appearances, including four away at Wimbledon in a crucial 6-2 victory.

The North London side survived - Spurs finishing the season in 14th place, four points above the drop zone and Klinsmann was rightfully lauded for his impact on the side.

Klinsmann ended up playing the last top-level match of his illustrious career on the final day of that campaign, with the German inevitably netting in a 1-1 draw at home to Southampton.


Ivan Campo - Real Madrid to Bolton Wanderers (2002/03)

The Spaniard was a regular for a while at Real Madrid, so when Bolton manager Sam Allardyce acquired his services back in August 2002 it was a real coup for the Premier League strugglers.

The defender was a key man in helping The Trotters survive on the final day of the season. He enjoyed the loan spell so much that he signed on a permanent basis in the summer of 2003, staying until 2008.

The Spanish centre-back was converted into a holding midfielder and Bolton reached the League Cup final in 2004 and the club finished eighth in the league, at the time the highest finish in their Premiership history.

In 2005, Bolton finished sixth in the league, thus earning qualification for the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history.

Campo scored a 43-yard screamer on the opening day of the 2006/07 season against Spurs, thus endearing him further to the the Bolton faithful! Campo fitted in well with Bolton's style of play, but also topped the charts for most red and yellow cards received of any player in the Premier League in 2006–07.

Campo was so popular and such a success during his time at the Reebok Stadium that he gained cult hero status in the process.


Ronnie Rosenthal - Standard Liege to Liverpool (1990)

Rocket Ronny had been on trial at first division Luton Town where he scored two goals in three games but they couldn't broker a deal with Standard Liege. Liverpool asked Liege if they could have a look and after only one reserve appearance he was signed on loan in March 1990 until the end of the season.

At the time of Rosenthal's arrival at Anfield Liverpool trailing Aston Villa in the title race.
However, it did not take the relatively unknown forward long to make a mark in England, with Rosenthal scoring a 'perfect hat-trick' on his full debut in a 4-0 win at Charlton Athletic on 11 April 1990.

The Israel international's seven goals in only eight league fixtures were crucial in Kenny Dalglish’s side going on to win that season's 1989/90 First Division Championship (The inception of the English Premier League was in 1992).

On 29 June 1990 Rosenthal was signed permanently by Liverpool for a fee of £1.1m making him the first foreign player bought by an English club for more than £1m. However he never went on to make the same impact at the club, as when he had first joined on loan, mainly making appearances from the bench.

Rosenthal played 97 times for the Reds, scoring 22 goals. Rosenthal moved to Tottenham Hotspur in January 1994, for a fee of £250,000.