Andrey Santos, Ben Doak & the eight best Premier League loanees of the 2024-25 season so far

Nuno Tavares hasn’t kicked a ball for Arsenal since 2022, and his career reached a new low point last season as he was restricted to just 12 appearances across all competitions on loan at Nottingham Forest. Still, the Portuguese full-back managed to fall on his feet, as Lazio swooped for his services in the summer.

The Italian side have an obligation to buy Tavares outright if he meets certain sporting conditions during his loan spell, and so far, he’s done everything within his power to secure the permanent move. In just nine Serie A appearances, Tavares has laid on eight assists, one more than Bukayo Saka has managed for Arsenal this term.

The 24-year-old’s superb performances have helped Lazio emerge as early contenders for the Scudetto. Marco Baroni’s side can rely on Tavares to give them an extra attacking outlet on the left flank, and he’s also significantly improved his defensive game, culminating in a first call-up to the senior Portugal squad.

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  Callum Doyle (Manchester City)

  At just 21 years of age, Callum Doyle has already made over 70 Championship appearances, having previously enjoyed successful loan spells at Sunderland, Coventry and Leicester. The Manchester City defender is still waiting for his first senior outing with the Premier League champions, but Pep Guardiola won’t be able to ignore him for much longer given how well he is performing at Norwich.

  Doyle is a versatile, ball-playing defender who loves to drive forward. He’s strong, reads the game well and always keeps calm under pressure, which is why he has drawn comparisons with John Stones.

  Norwich are struggling in mid-table at the moment, but Doyle has been a real bright spot. He’s played almost every minute for Johannes Hoff Thorup’s side this season, and has also racked up six-goal involvements. If he can keep it up through to May, Doyle will deserve his long-awaited shot at the big-time in Manchester.
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  Ben Doak (Liverpool)

  Once dubbed ‘The Scottish Messi’, Ben Doak has generated insane levels of hype ever since his graduation from Celtic’s academy as a 16-year-old in 2021. Liverpool bought into his potential the following year, but in a cruel twist of fate, he missed most of the 2023-24 campaign due to a serious knee injury.

  Doak eventually returned to full training after recovering from surgery in June, and Liverpool then decided to loan him out to Middlesbrough. That has proven to be a masterstroke, with the pacey forward registering four goal contributions in just eight Championship starts to date. In fact, Doak has impressed so much that Liverpool boss Arne Slot has even joked about potentially recalling him early.

  Having only just turned 19, Doak is displaying a maturity and skill level well beyond his years, while giving Middlesbrough fans real value for money with his electrifying runs down the right wing.

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  Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton)

  Facundo Buonanotte made his senior debut for reigning world champions Argentina in June last year aged just 18, and went on to appear in 36 games across all competitions for Brighton in 2023-24. It was something of a surprise, then, when the Seagulls loaned Buonanotte to newly-promoted Leicester City in August, but the deal was accompanied by a new contract that ties the teenager to the Amex Stadium until 2028.

  It may have been a risk, but Brighton wanted to accelerate Buonanotte’s development at a club where he is guaranteed to start almost every game, and it’s already paying off. The former Rosario Central midfielder has scored three goals, including a brilliant solo winner against Bournemouth, and laid on another two assists in his first 10 Premier League outings for the Foxes.

  Buonanotte has provided a touch of class going forward that could be the difference between Leicester staying up or going down. He’s a risk-taker with an elegant left foot who carries the ball with confidence and opens up defences with his passing range. If the Argentine ace carries on like this, Brighton could be fielding offers from top clubs across Europe for his services next summer.

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  Andrey Santos (Chelsea)

  Andrey Santos hasn’t had the dream start to life at Chelsea most fans were hoping for following his £18 million ($22.8m) move from Vasco da Gama in January 2023. He impressed during the Blues’ pre-season tour of the United States later that year and shone for Brazil at the Under-20 World Cup, but his progress stalled after he joined Nottingham Forest on loan.

  Forest only gave Santos seven minutes of Premier League action in the first half of the 2023-24 campaign, much to the frustration of Chelsea, who recalled him in January before arranging for the Brazilian to spend the rest of the season at their sister club, Strasbourg. The Ligue 1 side then pushed to re-sign Santos on a season-long loan, and he’s taken his game to new heights since returning to Meinau Stadium in August.

  The 20-year-old has scored five goals in 10 appearances for Strasbourg, including a stunning brace in a 3-1 win against Nantes. Santos is beginning to unlock his full potential, bossing games from midfield while providing a genuine threat in the penalty area, which has prompted Enzo Maresca to suggest he could form part of his plans at Chelsea in the near future.

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  Alex Moreno (Aston Villa)

  Alex Moreno had little choice but leave Aston Villa in the summer. He played second fiddle to Lucas Digne in the second half of the 2023-24 campaign amid struggles with a hamstring issue, and after Ian Maatsen’s arrival from Borussia Dortmund, the Spaniard would have been facing an uphill battle to get back into Unai Emery’s team.

  The likes of Besiktas, Galatasaray, Nice, Villarreal and his former club Real Betis all expressed interest in Moreno, but he opted to stay in the Premier League when Nottingham Forest came calling. The 31-year-old has since shown he belongs at this level, playing a vital role in Forest’s surprise rise to fifth in the table, one point ahead of Villa.

  Moreno is a tenacious tackler who thrives in one-on-one situations, and he boasts superhuman powers of recovery. The experienced left-back is also an asset going forward with his speed and crossing ability, which Forest have made the most of. It remains to be seen if Moreno can stay injury free, but Emery may already be regretting letting him go.

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  Hamed Traore (Bournemouth)

  Hamed Traore made an encouraging start to life at Bournemouth after joining the club on loan from Sassuolo in January 2023. The Ivorian stood out with his creativity and energy in the middle of the park, which convinced the Cherries to sign him outright that summer. Unfortunately, he couldn’t sustain it.

  Traore fell completely out of favour after Andoni Iraola was appointed, and was then hospitalised with malaria last November. A January loan to Napoli did not inspire a turnaround in fortunes, either, as he made just five Serie A starts before returning to the Vitality Stadium in the summer.

  Iraola still had no place for Traore, so he was loaned out again in August, this time to Auxerre, who had just been promoted back to Ligue 1. Auxerre were expected to be fighting a relegation battle this term, but they’re actually in sight of the European places after 11 games, and that’s largely thanks to Traore.

  The 24-year-old has netted five goals for the club already, rediscovering the form that saw him touted as a future superstar in his early years in Italy. It’s still early, but Bournemouth might be tempted to give Traore another chance should he continue to deliver the goods at the Stade Abbe-Deschamps.

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  Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (Crystal Palace)

  Championship clubs queued up to sign Jesurun Rak-Sakyi during the last transfer window, with Sheffield United eventually winning the race for the Crystal Palace starlet. A serious hamstring injury ruined Rak-Sakyi’s 2023-24 season just as he looked on the cusp of a breakthrough, but he has been able to rebuild his confidence and rhythm since moving to Bramall Lane on loan.

  Rak-Sakyi has dazzled on the right wing for the Blades, tying defenders in knots with his speed and dizzying footwork. Luton, especially, won’t be looking forward to facing him again at Kenilworth Road in February, as Rak-Sakyi scored two outstanding solo goals to sink the Hatters on his 22nd birthday in South Yorkshire, earning a standing ovation from the home crowd in the process.

  Sheffield United are pushing for the Championship title again this season, and Rak-Sakyi can give them the X-factor to get over the line. He still lacks consistency when it comes to end product, but there is no doubt that Palace have a special player on their hands.