Loan Tracker #2: September

September brought along the first international break of the season, in which five of the players on this list were called up for both senior and youth duty. There was still plenty of club action throughout the month, with the continuation of some star performances, but also the surprise but long-welcomed emergence of others. Read on to find out how each player and their clubs fared over September, and who will get their hands on the star player of the month title...

The Gold Category

Martin Ødegaard - (Real Sociedad, La Liga)

Appearances: 4

Goals: 1

Assists: 2

Martin’s month started back in Norway, when he won the “skill of the day” title for an aesthetic, silky sequence during the comfortable 2-0 win over Malta. His good performance at the Ullevaal carried through into a big ‘derby’ fixture against neighbours Sweden. He recorded an assist as Norway went 1-0 up, momentarily lifting them into the qualifying positions alongside Spain. Forsberg answered back in the second half, and both sides looked content with the draw in the end as it finished 1-1. For Norway I’m not sure why this was the case, as it now leaves them with a lot to do to qualify for the European Championships next year. Back in Spain, the task for Martin only got harder, as unbeaten table toppers Atlético Madrid came to town for the inauguration of the reconstructed Reale Arena. This was the best club side Martin had ever faced in official competition, so he would need to bring his very best efforts to try and match the opponents. Surprisingly, even for me, he did just that... He scored the first goal, and his in-swinging cross led to the second during a man of the match performance as Real Sociedad recorded a historic 2-0 win. It ended up becoming my favourite Ødegaard performance to date.

A trip to Espanyol was up next, and yet more magic was on the cards as the Norwegian split open the Catalan’s with his expert level passing range. One outside of the boot pass through to Portu which led to the second goal was nothing short of world class. That game ended 3-1 to Sociedad, but the next game would send social media into the biggest Martin-meltdown since back in his schooldays. Sociedad battered Deportivo Alavés 3-0, and Martin produced an assist sent straight from the gods. He nutmegged Pina before constructing a pass so perfect with his delicate left foot, that it broke down two resilient lines at once and put the ball on a plate for Oyarzabal to intelligently drag home. This match, like the two before was just filled to the brim with elegant and skilful manoeuvres that the opposition could not contain. The final fixture of the month would offer a fresh challenge, as Sevilla were looking to bounce back towards the top after a poor spell. Sociedad themselves would go top with a positive result, and went one up when the impressive Oyarzabal scored yet again after a good pick-out by Januzaj. Ødegaard would have a more muted game this time out as Sevilla took a 3-1 lead, but did look very dangerous at times, and recorded another assist for Portu to make the final minutes competitive and make the final score 3-2. Not only does Martin Ødegaard takes away September’s star player title after coming close last month too, but La Liga awarded him with the league player of the month award as well. May this exasperating form long continue.

Sergio Reguilón - (Sevilla, La Liga)

Appearances: 3

Goals: 0

Assists: 0

August’s player of the month had a quieter time in September, but he still played in three full games. A stable effort in a 1-0 win over Alavés led to him starting against Real Madrid themselves at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan. Sevilla fought hard for a result, but a second half Karim Benzema goal was enough to turn the tide. He was rested for the defeat to Eibar, but returned to face Martin Ødegaard’s Real Sociedad. He also was benched for the two Europa League games, presumably for precautionary reasons or for further resting opportunities. Despite being at fault for the first goal after getting pickpocket by Januzaj, Reguilón put in a strong showing as Sevilla looked by far the better side over 90 minutes. A 3-2 was enough to end the month in the top six. For Sergio, October has started even brighter - but we’ll cover more of that next time.

Takefusa Kubo - (Mallorca, La Liga)

Appearances: 5

Goals: 0

Assists: 1

Takefusa Kubo was another player on senior international duty at the start of the month, as he featured for Japan in 2-0 wins against Paraguay and Myanmar. For Mallorca however, he was just getting scraps at the start of the month. Substitute appearances against Valencia, Bilbao and Getafe returned just one point for the team - but for Kubo it allowed him to bag an assist (against Getafe), win a penalty (against Bilbao) and impress the manager enough to earn a start against Atlético Madrid. They rolled over easily against the Madrid outfit, but Kubo continued to start in the next game with Alavés. This ended in yet another defeat, leaving Mallorca second bottom in the table. For Kubo, his season has mostly come through flashes. The fact that he is now starting is a huge bonus though, and he will be looking to continue that rise throughout October. I still am adamant that the optimal place for him this season was at Castilla, but he can really make this year a beneficial one with the ability he has.

Achraf Hakimi - (Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga)

Appearances: 4

Goals: 0

Assists: 1

Hakimi did not get called up for Morocco last month, but he did complete a strong month in Germany with Dortmund. In his first game against Leverkusen he assisted the first goal of four as Alcacer scored in a 4-0 win. Three days later he impressed in the Champions League as Dortmund drew 0-0 with Barcelona. Two further draws followed, as he played the full game in both games against Frankfurt and Bremen. Against Bremen he operated on the left as he has tended to throughout his Dortmund career. Like Reguilón, Achraf’s October has started a whole lot better - but that is to be covered next time.

The Silver Category

Óscar Rodríguez - (Leganés, La Liga)

Appearances: 4

Goals: 2

Assists: 0

Óscar tends to go under the radar with his progress in comparison to others on this list, but once again he has completed a really strong month at the highest level. He was finally admitted to the Spanish set up, as he got an under-21s call-up - playing in wins over Kazakhstan and Montenegro. With Leganés, he starred. After a 3-0 loss in poor all-round performance from everybody against Villarreal, he went on to score against Valencia in a 1-1 draw. His scoring streak expanded to two games in a row when he sent a trademark free-kick flying past the Athletic Bilbao keeper Herrerin to earn another 1-1 draw. Defeat returned for Leganés against Granada as they succumbed to a 1-0 deficit. Once again, Óscar was up there in contention for the star player of the month award, despite Leganés weighing in at bottom of the table. Out of every talent on this list, Óscar is consistently performing at a higher level than many.

Andriy Lunin - (Real Valladolid, La Liga)

Appearances: 0

Clean Sheets: 0

Disaster has struck early for Lunin. Just like last year, the international break is becoming the highlight of the Ukrainian's season. He was called up by the senior team, and started in one of the games - a 2-2 friendly draw against Nigeria. The dream of actually playing two games in a row was burned out quickly as he was left on the bench for every Valladolid game during September. Supposedly it was revealed that Lunin is only in the club’s plans for the Copa Del Rey this season - a competition which Valladolid are not likely to last long in. Oh dear.

Javier Sánchez - (Real Valladolid, La Liga)

Appearances: 0

Goals: 0

Assists: 0

At least Lunin is making match-day squads. Javier Sánchez can not even afford that luxury. All the magnificent progress he made last season is being quickly evaporated. He missed a few days out due to injury, but has been available for the bulk of games so far during the season - and is still yet to even be considered. If Real Madrid cannot even trust their “partners”, then who can they trust?

Jorge De Frutos - (Real Valladolid, La Liga)

Appearances: 0

Goals: 0

Assists: 0

De Frutos has not suffered any injuries however, and is another player yet to make a match-day squad. If I were in Real Madrid’s position, I’d recall all three players immediately and demote Valldolid to the bottom of the priority list for any type of negations. The positives are that we are only in the second month, but I cannot currently see how things are going to improve for this talented trio.

The Bronze Category

Borja Mayoral - (Levante, La Liga)

Apperances: 4

Goals: 1

Assists: 0

Borja was the first player to face Real Madrid after they announced the removal of the ‘fear clause’. Naturally, he was always going to have an impact. Madrid won the game 3-2. but that did look in doubt as Mayoral scored and caused problems as Levante looked to come back. The finish was really composed and he caused Madrid a few problems, but statistically that was it for the month. Starts against Eibar and Osasuna and a cameo against Betis could not facilitate any opportunities for Borja to improve his consistency. This is an area in which he really does need to work on, and Levante will surely give him that platform.

Alberto Soro - (Real Zaragoza, La Liga123)

Appearances: 1

Goals: 0

Assists: 0

Alberto only played once in September, starting in the 3-1 against Extremadura before coming off in the second half. He missed every other game, but it looks like he has recovered and will return in October raring to go.

Dani Gómez - (Tenerife, La Liga123)

Appearances: 6

Goals: 1

Assists: 0

Only one start so far for Dani as he continues to settle at Tenerife, but he did manage to score his first goal in the second division, and it was pretty special. During the 4-0 win against Luis Miguel Ramis’s Albacete, the striker skinned his man before advancing towards the box. Once inside he set himself and finished accurately into the bottom corner. Once he finds his feet he will be a really dangerous player at this level. For now though, he needs to ensure that he takes the chances being given to him.

The White Category

Sergio Díaz - (Cerro Porteño, Paraguayan Primera División)

Appearances: 4

Goals: 1

Assists: 0

This is not a drill. For the first time in three years... There are signs of life in Sergio Díaz as a player. He started off the month by putting in the first promising performance since his Castilla striker days against River Plate in a 2-0 win. In his next game, he again looked decent in a battle off the bench with Libertad, this time losing 2-1. He was in action off of the bench against Sportivo Luqueño, but looked more muted in another 2-1 defeat. That didn’t matter though, as against General Díaz, Sergio managed to score his first goal since the 6th of November 2016 (For Castilla as a striker against Sestao River). He hadn’t had an assist in-between that time either, meaning this was his first goal involvement at all. A huge moment. The cherry on the cake came when he got a Paraguay under-23’s call-up. This has been the most active and the most significant month since that fateful day when an incompetent Santiago Solari ruined his Real Madrid tenure, and almost his career forever. This is only little steps, but to see a new lease of life in a player shadowed for so long is amazing. Next month is so important for Sergio.

Augusto Galván - (CyD Leonesa, Segunda División B)

Appearances: 1

Goals: 0

Assists: 0

Augusto made his debut for Leonesa against Real Unión, coming off of the bench - but didn’t make a match-day squad after that. A player worth a lot more than that. I will be keeping a stern eye on his progress in October.

Alberto - (Fuenlabrada, La Liga123)

Appearances: 0

Goals: 0

Assists: 0

Alberto is still on that injury recovery grind, so he has not had much activity with the second division outfit. It could still be a little while before he returns yet.

Moha Ramos - (Birmingham City, The Championship)

Appearances: 0

Clean Sheets: 0

As predicted, this bizarre move has just ended up with Moha playing under-23 games for Birmingham. This move has now without a doubt killed his Real Madrid career. Hopefully by the end of this seasons talent trackers, he will have found a first team place at Birmingham or at least another senior solution. Bad move.

Luca Zidane - (Racing Santander, La Liga123)

Appearances: 6

Clean Sheets: 3

The positives in September have been flying in. Takefusa Kubo securing a starting spot, Martin Ødegaard being Martin Ødegaard, and the first signs that Sergio Díaz may actually be able to play confidently again one day. It goes from bad to worse for the Valladolid gang, but every player is at an early stage of the season, and anything can be flipped on its head at any moment. October has started positively for many of these talents, but there is still so much more to come. This months star player was of course Martin Ødegaard, who was only really challenged by Óscar Rodríguez. Have you watched any of these players, and if so which ones have been your favourite? Will there be any surprise performers next month? I’ll see you this time next month to find out.

September’s Star Player: Martin Ødegaard!