When a player gets sent out on loan, it\u2019s usually for one of two reasons: their parent club wants them to gain more experience elsewhere so they can come back stronger, or wants to get rid of them but can\u2019t find a buyer.<\/p>\n
In either case, it\u2019s in the best interests of the club allowing the player to leave on loan for them to get as much gametime as possible, either to equip them with crucial first-team experience or to boost their profile in view of a permanent transfer away in a later window.<\/p>\n
But that sufficient level of gametime doesn\u2019t always come and, put bluntly, some loan spells can end up being a waste of time.<\/p>\n
Here, we\u2019ve taken a look at five loan spells that haven\u2019t got off to good start this season, which might need to be backed out of (where possible).<\/p>\n
Harvey Elliott (Liverpool to Aston Villa)<\/p>\n
Elliott\u2019s move to Aston Villa is scheduled to become permanent once he reaches a certain number of appearances \u2013 understood to be 10.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s currently on five appearances since his move, but has been an unused substitute for their past three matches, raising questions over how committed to him Unai Emery is.<\/p>\n
Although he was largely a rotation player at Liverpool, Elliott was almost better off back at Anfield. And given that he grew up as a Liverpool fan, his current situation must hurt.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am incredibly ambitious and feel that at this stage of my career it\u2019s important to be in an environment where I\u2019m able to have the opportunity to play and progress as much as possible,\u201d Elliott explained in an Instagram post after leaving Liverpool on loan.<\/p>\n
At this rate, it doesn\u2019t look like Villa Park is the environment he was looking for.<\/p>\n
If Villa don\u2019t want to see their obligation to buy Elliott activated, they may have to see if they can send him back to Liverpool.<\/p>\n
That said, Elliott made a couple of appearances for Liverpool earlier this season, so he wouldn\u2019t be allowed to go anywhere else this season and would be returning to a stacked Reds squad, when his parent club were viewing him as someone to help counter-balance their big spending.<\/p>\n
FULL STORY<\/strong>:\u00a0It\u2019s unanimous \u2013 Liverpool star REGRETS summer move and deal could be cancelled<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Jadon Sancho (Manchester United to Aston Villa)<\/p>\n Discarded by Chelsea after they backed out of an obligation to buy him from Manchester United, Sancho took his time to commit to his next step this summer.<\/p>\n Eventually, he joined Villa, hoping it would spark a similar kind of career revival to what Marcus Rashford had experienced over the second half of the previous season.<\/p>\n But Sancho has struggled to make an impact for Villa yet, only managing eight minutes of action in the Premier League.<\/p>\n United\u2019s chances of recouping money for Sancho were already dwindling when they sent him to Villa for the last year of his contract \u2013 unless they utilise their option to extend his stay by a year \u2013 and things only seem to be heading in one direction.<\/p>\n Reporter Graeme Bailey told United In Focus this week: \u201cThere is concern at United about Sancho\u2019s situation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that they were hoping a return to form would signal a return to Old Trafford, far from it, but the chances of getting any money back for a player that cost over \u00a370million are looking as slim as they ever have.<\/p>\n \u201cIn ideal world Sancho would have featured constantly and impressed and United would have a decision to make about whether to take up his option and possibly sell him, or even sell him in January.<\/p>\n \u201cSancho could clearly return to form and the hope within United is that he does so they might have a decision to make.<\/p>\n \u201cThey will continue to monitor the situation but hopes are not high.\u201d<\/p>\n Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton to Chelsea)<\/p>\n Buonanotte\u2019s switch from Brighton to Chelsea seemed questionable at the time and there\u2019s been little to change that opinion since.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a great opportunity for Facundo to play regular Premier League and Champions League football this season and further his development,\u201d said Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler at the time, seemingly speaking from a parallel universe where Chelsea are the lower-ranking club, and adding: \u201cFacundo has great potential and we see his long-term future with us here, and we will be monitoring his progress with Chelsea this season.\u201d<\/p>\n The attacking midfielder has since only played once in the Premier League for Chelsea. He was also left out of their initial Champions League squad before being added.<\/p>\n Still only 20, the former Leicester loanee has time ahead to strive towards a high level, but the Chelsea move feels like a misstep at this moment in time.<\/p>\n Claudio Echeverri (Manchester City to Bayer Leverkusen)<\/p>\n Echeverri attracted some serious interest in the summer, with Manchester City refusing to send him to Roma, who wanted an option to buy attached to a loan deal.<\/p>\n The Italian side didn\u2019t want to take Echeverri without having a chance of keeping him, so in stepped Bayer Leverkusen, who were willing to welcome the playmaker on a straight loan.<\/p>\n All three clubs might have regrets over how they handled the situation. Roma didn\u2019t sign an alternative, Leverkusen are barely using him and City may be concerned about the environment he\u2019s struggling to develop in.<\/p>\n Not much time had passed at all after Echeverri\u2019s move before Leverkusen sacked Erik ten Hag as their manager.<\/p>\n Yet to start a Bundesliga game, the 19-year-old was taken off at half time of his only start in the Champions League so far against PSG this week.<\/p>\n Kostas Tsimikas (Liverpool to Roma)<\/p>\n