Goes to VfB in 3 years
© Imago
Recently posted transfer market user “Theoelro” on the short message platform X A contribution about Alexander Nübel. “This is so mentally ill, which in the end will only have played over 120 games for us in the end,” it said above a screenshot of the performance data of the 28-year-old for VfB Stuttgart, for which the keeper is now in his third season as a loan from FC Bayern Munich. For Nübel, 80 games have been with the Swabians so far, due to the European League participation, the 120 without injuries should actually fall. Reason enough to pursue the question of how often something like this in professional football is generally, but in particular at the highest level in Europe.
The answer: Maybe more often than one would assume – at least from the authors’ point of view. A query in the transfer market database showed that 90 players whose performance data are listed completed at least 100 games during a single loan. With the 120 mentioned, Nübel would just miss the top 30, but with only two missions there would be more.
The German with the most rental games so far is also a goalkeeper: Leo Weinkauf (29), who was 115 times for MSV Duisburg between 2019 and 2022, but was actually under contract with Hannover 96. Nübel himself first has to set his own record: he was only awarded to the AS Monaco for two years, but due to the Ligue 1 and European Cup participants playing with 20 teams at the time, he came to 97 games.
It is striking that many Brazilian players are represented in the ranking: the offensive midfielder Robinho (37), not to be confused with the former real striker, played, for example, from Palmeiras, loan 176 times for EC Cruzeo between April 2016 and December 2019. But Robinho does not come close to the Mexican Sechser Michael García: that was five years from his youth club CF América awarded to Necaxa and played 179 times there.
The best -known name of the list should be Thibaut Courtois, whom FC Chelsea committed in 2011 from the KRC Genk and immediately awarded Atlético Madrid. There, the Belgian, one of the best keepers of the past 15 years, made its international breakthrough, guarded the goal 154 times, won the championship, the trophy and the Europa League. Former Brazilian international Alex was also awarded longer by Chelsea and ran 123 times between 2004 and 2007 for PSV Eindhoven. The US soccer icon Landon Donovan switched to Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 1999. There the attacker could not prevail as a professional and was awarded to San Jose Earthquakes between March 2001 and December 2004, for which he was supposed to contribute 42 goals and 28 assists in 104 games. In 2003 and 2004 he became a US soccer player of the year, also won the MLS Cup twice.
