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Loan signings are considered important because not only do they offer a way for clubs to dip their feet into the transfer market without much economic investment but also help address short-term needs.
Loan transfers tend to benefit all parties concerned. In many cases, a young or out-of-favour player is loaned out for either playing time or experience, while the club taking him on-board plugs gaps in the team. On that note, let's look at the top loan deals in the Bundesliga this transfer window.
5. Adrien Fein
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Big clubs often loan out their youngsters to newly promoted clubs. This is a good thing for all three parties. For the big parent clubs the positive is that these youngsters gain the necessary experience and it becomes clearer whether they are built for the top level. For the newly promoted clubs, it is an addition of quality that they may not possess otherwise. For the player, it provides adequate gametime against the top players. Adrien Fein's loan move from Bayern Munich to Greuther Fürth is one on those lines. The young midfielder, who has been compared to Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos will get a decent platform to show his qualities to those at Bayern and the watching world as well.
4. Timo Baumgartl
Baumgartl was a highly rated young center back during his previous stint in the Bundesliga for Stuttgart. He was a leader in defense despite his young age, often being the only bright spot in an otherwise leaky Stuttgart backline. Understandably a lot of clubs were interested in him but he ended up moving to PSV Eindhoven. There however he failed to nail down a starting berth in the Netherlands and has returned on loan to the Bundesliga, this time to Union Berlin. For Union, this is a much-needed addition in terms of quality as well as depth for their foray into Europe.
3. Dodi Lukebakio
Dodi Lukebakio has been a bright spot in Hertha Berlin's team for some time now. Hertha has spent significant money and built a decent squad but has since regularly underwhelmed. Lukebakio was one of the few consistent players managing 10 goals contributions in the Bundesliga last season. Now he will get the chance to showcase his talents for a better team and in European competitions. For Wolfsburg, he will be an excellent backup in forward areas, with a profile that is very different to their existing ones in Ridle Baku and Brekalo among others.
2. Chris Richards
This one is very similar to the loan of Adrien Fein mentioned above. Richards has been touted highly at Bayern and USMNT circles for quite some time now and last season on loan at Hoffenheim, he showed everyone that he was worth the talk. Capable of playing multiple roles in defense, Naglesmann considered keeping him around at Bayern but ultimately the club decided that consistent minutes would be better for his development. His passing numbers as well as pressures and tackles per 90 are elite and it remains to be seen whether he can do it on a consistent basis.
1. Jens Petter Hauge
Jens Petter Hauge was the star of the miraculous Bodo Glimt team that won the Norwegian league last season. AC Milan saw his promise and bought the attacking midfielder in January. It was more of a signing based on future potential rather than current ability but Hauge still did well in whatever chances he received. He is an exciting dribbler who gets into good goalscoring positions even as a wide attacker and this is a skillset that his new club Eintracht Frankfurt could do with.
He has an expected goal ratio per 90 of 0.62 which puts him in the 98th percentile of attacking midfielders/wingers. With the transfer of their top scorer Andre Silva to RB Leipzig, Hauge's loan deal coming good will be crucial to Frankfurt's success.
