Development of loan players in professional football

This study analyses the development of loan players in the German Bundesliga from 2010/2011 to 2021/2022, motivated by the increasing importance of player loans in professional football and upcoming FIFA rule changes to reduce loans. The study analyses 378 loan transfers and compares them with 6,162 non-loan players. The focus is on the three main protagonist: the loaned player, the lending club and the loaning club. It is found that loan players do not receive more playing minutes than average Bundesliga players and that there is no recognisable increase in market value for the loaning club, which does not improve the negotiating position when selling players. In our data, the loaning club also does not benefit significantly from the sporting performances of the loaned players.