By OkayGoal 
We’re told to never fall in love with a loan player, but it can be pretty hard when a temporary transfer performs like this lot have.
From emerging youngsters to forgotten figures in search of minutes, several stars have had a new lease of life after loan moves in 2024/25.
We’ve picked out five of the best loan transfers in European football this season.
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray)
Galatasaray have reaped the rewards of a stunning opportunistic coup last summer. After Victor Osimhen failed to negotiate a permanent transfer from Napoli before the closure of the transfer windows in Europe and Saudi Arabia, Galatasaray swooped in.
The later deadline for the Turkish Süper Lig allowed Galatasaray to sign Osimhen in arguably the most high-profile transfer in the league’s history.
What a finish by Osimhen 🔥pic.twitter.com/b8LR9efsDO
— Galatasaray EN (@Galatasaray) April 2, 2025
Osimhen has lived up to that billing, scoring 28 goals in 32 games for Galatasaray and embracing his time in Istanbul. His future looks likely to be elsewhere next season but Osimhen will want to end his time in Turkey with trophies.
A double to down Fenerbahce this month booked a place in the Turkish Cup semi-finals, while the champions boast a three-point lead in the title race. Osimhen, the league’s leading scorer, is making the difference.
Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa)
Unai Emery entered the January transfer window in search of reinforcements, as the Spaniard sought to address Aston Villa’s dip in results. In came Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford on loan, two talents who had lost their way at European giants.
Each have bought into Emery’s demands and impressed in Claret and Blue. Asensio has scored eight times in just 12 appearances since his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, while Rashford has looked significantly sharper than he did at Manchester United earlier in the campaign.
Imagine telling Aston Villa fans a few years ago that they would be:
📈 In the Champions League quarter-finals
🏆 On their way to Wembley
⚽ Watching Rashford and Asensio score Premier League goals for themThey’re in dream land 🤩 pic.twitter.com/MsMqvtycCF
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 2, 2025
The latter earned a recall to the England squad in March and has been directly involved in seven goals in just 714 minutes of action. The injection of attacking impetus could yet lead to trophy success and Champions League qualification.
Andrey Santos
Part of Chelsea’s loan army of emerging talent, Andrey Santos signed for sister club Strasbourg ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. The Brazilian has failed to find his feet in England and struggled on loan at Nottingham Forest last season, before being recalled and sent to Strasbourg in January 2024.
The French side pushed to re-sign Santos for a full campaign and he has been a revelation in Ligue 1. Santos has scored nine goals in 28 league appearances for a Strasbourg side pushing for a place in Europe. His remarkable goal record from midfield and prolific ball-winning has attracted interest from top clubs across the continent. He could be in line for a big move this summer if Chelsea decide he does not feature in their first-team plans.
Nuno Tavares
It’s easy to forget that Nuno Tavares is still an Arsenal player. The left-back hasn’t kicked a ball for the Gunners since 2022, with recent seasons spent on loan at Nottingham Forest, Marseille and Lazio with mixed results.
However, the latter move has undoubtedly been a success. Tavares has eight assists in Serie A, a joint-league-leading total alongside Romelu Lukaku. Incredibly, those eight assists came in his first nine appearances with injuries having impacted his second half of the campaign. His performances earned Tavares a Portugal debut in November, where he came on as a substitute against Poland in the Nations League.
It didn’t quite work out for Tavares at Arsenal, but he’s come on leaps and bounds this season. No full-back in Serie A has averaged more successful take-ons per game, while he ranks in the top five percent for crosses into the penalty area, progressive carries, total carrying distance and ball recoveries.
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