Jakub Kiwior Leads Title Charge in Loan Success
Jakub Kiwior, title winner and standard-setter. Across Europe and through the English pyramid, it was a loan season that meant business for the club’s men, women and academy prospects.
Kiwior leads a title charge
No loan paid off quite like Jakub Kiwior’s switch to Porto. Dropped straight into the heart of a defence chasing silverware, he became a mainstay, racking up 26 league appearances as Porto powered to the Primeira Liga title. His reward: a place in the division’s Team of the Season and a permanent move to follow in July.
Kiwior’s workload didn’t stop at domestic duty. He added eight Europa League outings and five more in the Taca de Portugal, all while maintaining his role with Poland at international level. A loan spell that started as an audition ended as a long-term commitment.
Vieira’s spark in Hamburg, Nelson’s homecoming
In Germany, Fabio Vieira rediscovered rhythm and responsibility at Hamburg. Across 31 games in all competitions, he produced seven goals and six assists, knitting together attacks and stepping up in big moments. One of those came in January, when he calmly struck from the penalty spot to open the scoring against Bayern Munich.
Back in England, Reiss Nelson needed little time to make an impact at Brentford. On his debut, he delivered a goal and an assist in a ruthless 5-0 Carabao Cup demolition of Grimsby Town in October. Across the campaign he featured 14 times for the Bees in all competitions, with 10 of those coming in the Premier League, as he fought to reassert himself at top-flight level.
Nwaneri’s Marseille rise and Zinchenko’s new chapter
Across the Channel, Ethan Nwaneri used his Marseille spell to underline his potential. Eleven appearances, two goals and one assist told part of the story. The other part came on his Ligue 1 debut, when he scored in a 3-1 home win over Lens. That trajectory carried him all the way to an England senior call-up, taking a seat on the bench for their 1-0 victory against New Zealand.
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s season took a different path. He opened the campaign with Nottingham Forest, becoming the first Ukrainian to represent the club. He squeezed in five Premier League games, three in the Europa League, and one each in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup before sealing a permanent move to Ajax midway through the season, drawing a line under his brief but notable Forest chapter.
In the Bundesliga, Karl Hein’s year never quite caught fire. He played twice early on against Bayern Munich while at St. Pauli, then watched most of the season from the bench before a thumb injury ended his campaign. For Estonia, though, he remained a constant, captaining his country and helping them to a 1-0 friendly win over the Faroe Islands.
Women’s game: graft, goals and silverware
On the south coast, Rosa Kafaji quietly put together a solid year at Brighton & Hove Albion. She featured 24 times in all competitions, chipping in with two goals and adding depth to the Seagulls’ attacking options.
Michelle Agyemang also began the season at Brighton, looking to build momentum in the Barclays Women’s Super League. She found the net once in five league games before an ACL injury cut her loan short, turning a promising stint into a frustrating what-if.
Jenna Nighswonger’s time at Aston Villa brought eight WSL appearances and one assist, a steady contribution in a side juggling ambition and consistency.
Drop down a tier and the numbers sharpen. Jessie Gale split her season between Portsmouth and Bristol City and never lost her eye for goal. Across both clubs she racked up nine goals and two assists in 27 matches in all competitions, proving she could adapt and still deliver.
Vivienne Lia’s year spanned two countries and ended with a trophy. She first made 12 appearances for Nottingham Forest across all competitions before heading to Sweden to join Hammarby IF on loan. There, she helped the club lift the Svenska Cupen with victory over BK Hacken, then added one goal in 10 games as Hammarby pushed on from that cup success.
Laila Harbert’s campaign also featured two stops. She started in the United States with Portland Thorns, making five NWSL appearances, then returned to England in January for a loan at Everton. She featured once in the WSL, thrown into action against Chelsea.
Madison Earl’s season brought milestones and movement. She turned out eight times for Ipswich Town, scoring her first goal for the Tractor Girls in an FA Cup third-round win over AFC Portchester. Two assists in that tie earned her the Player of the Round award. In January she moved north to Glasgow City in the SWPL 1, debuting in a 4-0 win over Partick Thistle in March.
Naomi Williams carved out minutes at Bristol City, starting three Subway Women’s League Cup fixtures and adding competitive edge in the middle of the park. Cecily Wellesley-Smith, meanwhile, opened her year on loan at Leicester City, making her debut in the League Cup against Ipswich Town before shifting to Sweden for the second half of the season. With FC Rosengard she found her scoring touch, heading in her first goal in a 3-0 win over Vaxjo DFF to close out the Svenska Cupen campaign on a high. By the end, she had two goals from 11 matches, a defender with a growing presence at both ends.
Academy loanees learn the hard way
The men’s academy contingent were scattered across the lower leagues, where reputations are built the long way.
Ismeal Kabia became a fixture at Shrewsbury Town. He played 43 times in all competitions, scored three goals and provided two assists as Shrewsbury dragged themselves clear of relegation danger in League Two. The manner of his goals stood out: a late equaliser against Sutton United in the FA Cup and a thunderous long-range strike in the 96th minute to snatch a 2-2 draw with Fleetwood Town. Week after week, he was one of the first names on the teamsheet, trusted to go the distance.
In Sweden, Charles Sagoe Jr found space and end product with Kalmar FF. Across the Allsvenskan and Svenska Cupen he delivered two goals and five assists in 12 appearances, a sharp return that hinted at a player growing into senior responsibility.
Back in League Two, Maldini Kacurri made his mark at Morecambe. The defender played 18 times, chipped in with one goal and one assist and regularly completed 90 minutes before earning a permanent move to Grimsby Town. His impact was recognised with two Morecambe Player of the Month awards, a rare feat for a loanee.
In Denmark, goalkeeper Lucas Nygaard took on the pressure of a relegation fight with Brabrand IF. He made 12 appearances in the Danish second division as the club finished fourth in Group B and then navigated a tense series of relegation play-offs. Brabrand survived by seven points, with Nygaard keeping two clean sheets when it mattered most.
Louie Copley’s time at Crawley Town brought nine League Two appearances and one assist, steady minutes in a squad pushing through a demanding schedule. Harrison Dudziak added five games for Braintree Town in the National League, picking up valuable experience in the cut-and-thrust of non-league football across December and January.
William Sweet rounded off the list at Dagenham & Redbridge in the National League South. Ten appearances, one goal, but what a goal: the winner in a 1-0 victory away to Chesham United, a decisive contribution in a tight division.
From title parades in Porto to survival scraps in the lower leagues, the club’s loanees have lived almost every shade of a season. The question now is simple: who comes back ready to turn those lessons into a permanent place in the first team?
