Recruitment is the same whether its permanents or loans though. For every Payero and Hoppe we have bought there is a Muniz and Mowatt or Sporar and Connolly.
And that is the point.
It is all about judgement and getting the best quality you can for the budget you are willing to make available.
Quality costs a lot of money - you simply can't afford to buy all you need to get out of this league.
It is nonsense to think you will scour the world picking up a squad of players that other expensively resourced clubs have passed over and then assemble them in a jolly squad that you keep together, develop to greatness and then sell for tens of millions.
Let's just get out of this league in an upwards direction asap.
Hoppe cost £2.7m over 4 years, which is £675k every year of his contract, plus his wages. He has no value at present, but continues to cost us money.
Clarke similar.
The players bought in the last couple of years are not hugely valuable assets, they are not in real demand, if they were then they would have been sold. They are still here costing in terms of wage and amortisation.
The loan players brought in in the last couple of years are a mixed bag. Of course they cost money in terms of loan fees/wages, but they go back, they are not an ongoing liability.
Players like Hoppe, Clarke, Payero are technically assets, but their outstanding fees and wages are also liabilities.
Despite what Nano said above the successful clubs 11/18 promotions in the last 6 years all had an awful lot of appearances from loanees. Their loans were good ones who complimented good players they had in their squads.
That is all some of us are advocating here: the right mix of owned and loanees that provide the quality we are prepared to fund.
2022-23 Burnley 131 appearances from 6 loanees, inc 39 each from Maatsen and Tella and 32 from Harwood Belles.
2022-23 Sheff U 108 appearances from 4 loanees, inc McAtee 43 and Doyle 38.
2021-22 Forest 161 appearances from 6 loanees, inc Zinck 42, Garner 41, Spence 39.
2020-21 Norwich 97 appearances from 4 loanees, inc Skipp 44, Gibson 26.
2019-20 Leeds 166 appearances from 7 loanees, inc Harrison 46, White 46, Costa 43
2019-20 West Brom 128 appearances from 5 loanees, inc Pereira 42, Krovinovic 40, Diangana 30
2019-20 Fulham 180 appearances from 6 loanees, inc Cavaleiro 43, Knockhaert 42, Reid 41, Arter 28, Reed 25.
2018-19 Sheff Utd 147 appearances from 7 loanees, inc Henderson 46, Norwood 43
2018-19 Aston Villa 142 appearances from 8 loanees, inc Abraham 37, El Ghazi 31, Tuanzebe 25, Bolasie 21
2017-18 Wolves 181 appearances from 6 loanees, inc Jota 44, Bonatini 43, Boly 36, N;Diasye 33.
2017-18 Fulham 156 appearances from 8 loanees, inc Norwood 36, Kalas 33, Piazon 24, Ojo 22, Targett 18, Mitrovic 17.
4 of the last 6 Champions, 3 of the last 6 Runners Up and 4 of the last 6 play off winners have massively used loans AND recruited quality.