Loan Army Highlights: Kiwior, Vieira, and Women's Game Progress
The loan army scattered across Europe and beyond in 2025/26, and plenty of them came back with more than just air miles. Titles, cup wins, international breakthroughs, survival scraps – it was a season that hardened prospects and revived careers.
Kiwior the champion, Vieira the creator
No loan paid off quite like Jakub Kiwior’s at Porto. The defender didn’t just slot in; he stayed in. Twenty-six league appearances in a Primeira Liga-winning campaign, a permanent fixture in a backline that ended up with a championship medal and a place for him in the division’s Team of the Season. That’s not a cameo. That’s a cornerstone.
He added eight outings in the UEFA Europa League and five more in the Taca de Portugal, all while continuing his work with Poland at international level. Porto have seen enough – he joins them permanently in July.
Fabio Vieira, back in familiar Bundesliga chaos with Hamburg, quietly stitched together a productive season. Seven goals, six assists, 31 games in all competitions – numbers that matter for a side pushing to punch above its weight. One of those strikes came under real glare: the opener from the spot against Bayern Munich in January. Pressure, penalty, execution.
Back in England, Reiss Nelson needed a spark and found it immediately. On his Brentford debut, he produced a goal and an assist in a 5-0 Carabao Cup demolition of Grimsby Town in October. He ended with 14 appearances for the Bees, 10 of them in the Premier League, a reminder that there is still a player there when rhythm and confidence return.
Nwaneri’s step up, Zinchenko’s new chapter
Over in France, Ethan Nwaneri nudged closer to the level many expect him to reach. Eleven appearances for Marseille, two goals, one assist – modest on paper, but the context matters. His first goal arrived on his Ligue 1 debut, a 3-1 home win against Lens, the sort of stage where a teenager either shrinks or announces himself. Nwaneri chose the latter.
That progress earned recognition at the highest level. He was named in an England senior squad for the first time, taking his place on the bench for their 1-0 win over New Zealand. A small step, but a significant line on the CV.
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s season split in two. The first half came at Nottingham Forest, where he became the first Ukrainian to play for the club. He featured five times in the Premier League, three in the Europa League, plus one appearance each in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Then came the move: a permanent switch to Ajax, a fresh start for a player who thrives when given responsibility and the ball.
In Germany, Karl Hein found minutes hard to come by. He played two early-season matches in the Bundesliga, both against Bayern Munich while at St. Pauli, before spending most of the campaign on the bench and missing the run-in with a thumb injury. The club games stalled, but the armband didn’t. Hein continued to captain Estonia, most recently leading them to a 1-0 friendly win over Faroe Islands.
Women’s game: goals, setbacks and silverware
On the women’s side, Rosa Kafaji settled into life at Brighton & Hove Albion with 24 appearances in all competitions and two goals. It was a season of steady involvement rather than fireworks, but regular football at WSL level is no small platform.
Michelle Agyemang’s year began promisingly on loan at Brighton as well. One goal in five Barclays Women’s Super League matches hinted at a role to grow into, only for an ACL injury to cut the spell short and halt her momentum just as she was finding her feet.
Jenna Nighswonger’s time at Aston Villa brought eight WSL appearances and one assist, a useful introduction to English football’s demands.
Drop down a tier and the story changes tempo. Jessie Gale spent the season on the move and in the goals. First at Portsmouth, then at Bristol City, she struck nine times and added two assists in 27 games across all competitions. Different shirts, same outcome: she kept scoring.
Vivienne Lia’s campaign took her from Nottingham Forest to a trophy lift in Sweden. She played 12 times for Forest before joining Hammarby IF on loan, where she helped them win the Svenska Cupen against BK Hacken. Ten games followed for the Swedish side, capped by one goal and a cup winner’s medal.
Laila Harbert split her year between continents. She started in the NWSL with Portland Thorns, making five appearances, then crossed back to England in January to join Everton on loan. She featured once in the WSL, against Chelsea, a brief glimpse of what might come with more opportunities.
Madison Earl’s season brought both milestones and movement. At Ipswich Town she played eight times, scored her first goal for The Tractor Girls in an FA Cup third-round win over AFC Portchester and supplied two assists. That performance earned her the Player of the Round award. In January she headed north to Glasgow City in SWPL 1 and made her debut in a 4-0 victory over Partick Thistle in March.
Naomi Williams started three Subway Women’s League Cup games for Bristol City, while Cecily Wellesley-Smith’s year spanned two countries. She began on loan at Leicester City, debuting in the League Cup against Ipswich Town, then moved to Sweden for the second half of the season. There, she powered in her first goal for FC Rosengard in a 3-0 win over Vaxjo DFF, closing their Svenska Cupen campaign with a victory. She ended with two goals in 11 matches.
Academy loanees: survival fights and late drama
In the men’s academy ranks, Ismeal Kabia’s season at Shrewsbury Town looked like a coming-of-age campaign. Forty-three appearances in all competitions, three goals, two assists, and a key role in helping them avoid relegation from League Two. He wasn’t just involved; he was trusted, regularly completing 90 minutes and becoming one of the first names on the team sheet.
His goals were anything but routine. A stunning late equaliser against Sutton United in the FA Cup, then a long-range screamer in the 96th minute to snatch a 2-2 draw with Fleetwood Town. Big moments, late drama, real character.
Charles Sagoe Jr used his spell at Kalmar FF in Sweden to sharpen his end product. Across the Allsvenskan and Svenska Cupen he scored two goals and delivered five assists in 12 appearances, a direct hand in seven goals that underlined his attacking threat.
In League Two, Maldini Kacurri made 18 appearances for Morecambe, scoring once and providing one assist from defence while often playing the full 90 minutes. His performances did not go unnoticed: he twice won Morecambe’s Player of the Month award before sealing a permanent move to Grimsby Town.
In Denmark, Lucas Nygaard’s season with Brabrand IF was about staying up. He played 12 times in the Danish second division as they finished fourth in Group B, then faced a tense series of relegation play-off fixtures. When the pressure rose, he responded, keeping two clean sheets during the decisive stretch as Brabrand ultimately avoided the drop by seven points.
Louie Copley’s loan at Crawley Town brought nine League Two appearances and one assist, a solid introduction to senior football. Harrison Dudziak collected five games in midfield for Braintree Town in the National League across December and January, another youngster tasting the grind of men’s football.
William Sweet rounded off the list at Dagenham & Redbridge in the National League South. Ten appearances, one goal – a decisive strike in a 1-0 away win at Chesham United. A single moment, three points, and a reminder of why these loans matter: somewhere along the way, a prospect stops being just a name on a teamsheet and starts deciding matches.
