Harry Watkinson
Analysing Man United's 2021-22 loanees
Manchester United had eight players out on loan during the 2021-22 season and it’s fair to say the majority of them struggled away from their parent club.
Erik Ten Hag will likely be looking at these players in preseason to weigh up whether to keep hold of them this summer, as he aims to rebuild the United team.
We’ve broken down the stats of all eight of the loanees to see which ones have a chance at being in the Dutchman’s future plans.
Anthony Martial (Sevilla FC)
It seems Martial has completely fallen out of favour at Manchester United despite signing for a whopping £54m in 2015.
After his 2021-22 season at Sevilla, the Frenchman’s value has fallen by 50% according to Transfermarkt, after scoring just one goal in 12 games.
Reportedly, the 26-year-old is available on a cut-price transfer this summer with the Red Devils looking to get him off the books and that is indicative of his wasted potential.
Described as a “Ferrari” in 2013 by Owen Hargreaves, he has performed more like an Austin Allegro recently.
Played: 12
Assists: 1
Goals: 1
Shots per game: 1.8
Average match rating: 6.75
Amad Diallo (Rangers)
Amad Diallo had a lot of hype surrounding him when he scored a debut goal against AC Milan in the Europa League in 2021, but after a loan spell at Rangers the 19-year-old seems to have been brought a bit more down to earth.
He scored three goals in 13 games, which isn’t too bad for a youngster, but will it be enough to break into Erik Ten Hag’s plans for next season?
Diallo is quick, very skillful, on his day a good finisher and he’s already said publicly he’s keen to prove himself at Man United – so definitely don’t write his Red Devils career off just yet.
Played: 13
Assists: 0
Goals: 3
Shots per game: 1.4
Average match rating: 6.32
James Garner (Nottingham Forest)
One of the big success stories in this list, James Garner has enjoyed a solid 2021-22 with Nottingham Forest, playing a crucial role in their push for promotion with four man of the match performances across the campaign.
He also chipped in with 10 assists and four goals, statistically the best season of his career so far – but rather than a goal scorer he is more of a defensive midfielder, who loves a tackle and also reads the game very well.
Could he be United’s next Roy Keane? He is definitely one loanee who has more of a chance in featuring in Ten Hag’s team next season. Garner is attracting interest from lots of other Premier League clubs including Everton and Nottingham Forest but the 21-year-old has already stated he wishes to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford.
Played: 49
Assists: 10
Goals: 4
Pass success rate: 80.7%
Average match rating: 7.07
Tahith Chong (Birmingham City)
22-year-old winger Tahith Chong is another United loanee with lots of potential and he had a decent campaign with Birmingham City.
In 19 matches he got three assists and one goal, with a 6.52 average match rating. In some matches he did live up to the hype, with one particularly impressive performance against Bristol City when he scored his first Championship goal.
However, for a player with 16 Manchester United appearances already under his belt during Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s time at the helm, you’d expect him to stand out more in the Championship. In fairness though, his season was cut short due to a groin injury.
Whether Ten Hag gives him an opportunity to impress next season remains to be seen, but Birmingham City would love to have the youngster back at St. Andrew’s for another loan spell.
Played: 19
Assists: 3
Goals: 1
Shots per game: 1.5
Pass success rate: 78.1%
Average match rating: 6.52
Facundo Pellistri (Alaves)
Another player who was touted to have bags of potential when he joined United, winger Facundo Pellistri had a disappointing season with Alaves, without a single goal contribution in his 21 matches with the Spanish club.
He also had the lowest average match rating of any player in this list with jut 6.18, suggesting he might not yet be ready for top flight football. Saying that, he wasn’t the only Alaves player that struggled as they stumbled to a lacklustre 16th place La Liga finish – just four points away from relegation.
But Pellistri is a pacey player with quick feet and he doesn’t shy away from a tackle. He definitely has time to improve being just 20 years old, but it will likely be another loan move away from Old Trafford for the Uruguayan next season.
Played: 21
Assists: 0
Goals: 0
Pass success rate: 77%
Shots per game: 0.3
Average match rating: 6.18
Axel Tuanzebe (Napoli)
Perhaps the most pointless loan move on this list, Axel Tuanzebe has gone from breaking into the Manchester United first team at the beginning of 2021-22 to playing just two matches since January… he really would have been better off staying at Old Trafford.
He did make a shocking first impression though, with his debut and only full 90 minutes being a 5-2 loss to Fiorentina. Not a great start for a centre-back. Although his team did have two men sent off in the game.
He did also miss a month of action after a back injury, so it doesn’t seem very fair to judge him on his time at Napoli.
His injury record is beginning to become somewhat of a worry though – after being injured for 372 days since 2018 with various ailments.
Played: 2
Clean sheets: 1
Minutes played: 100’
Goals conceded: 5
Days injured: 39
Brandon Williams (Norwich City)
The only player United loaned out to a fellow Premier League club, Brandon Williams had a decent season, although Norwich did finish dead last in the Premier League table.
Of the Canaries’ six clean sheets this season, Williams featured in five of them and was considered one of the few players in the side to be defensively solid. 39% of Norwich’s attacks also started down his left-hand side, but he only managed one assist.
United have said that they’re willing to sell the left-back for ‘the right price’ this summer, with Southampton, Newcastle and Crystal Palace all interested, so that suggests he’s not at the level required for Ten Hag.
Played: 29
Clean sheets: 5
Pass success rate: 82.2%
Assists: 1
Average match rating: 6.52
Donny Van de Beek (Everton)
The final loanee in this article and perhaps the only one guaranteed to be in Erik Ten Hag’s plans, Donny Van de Beek must be thrilled to be reunited with his former manager.
He showed signs of what he can do for Everton, with some excellent performances against Leeds United and Manchester City in particular, with others below par. He very rarely gave the ball away, too, with an 84.7% pass success rate.
Donny got his only goal for the Toffees in a 5-1 thrashing against Arsenal at the Emirates on the last day of the season. But injuries once again were an issue for the Dutchman, missing eight matches with a thigh injury.
It will be interesting to see if he can recapture the fantastic form that he had at Ajax for United in the coming campaign.
Played: 7
Assists: 0
Goals: 1
Pass success rate: 84.7%
Average match rating: 6.47
