This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.
When Crystal Palace decided to part with £9m to bring FC Midtjylland striker Alexander Sorloth to Selhurst Park, it looked like a promising signing.
He had hit 15 goals in 26 games that season before his arrival in SE25, and at the age of just 22, the Norway international looked like he could be a decent prospect.
Sadly for Sorloth, things didn’t work out too well in south London.
Say his name really quickly and it sounds like you’re saying ‘sloth’ – his movement in and around the penalty area at Palace was definitely akin to that of the famously lazy creature.
In total, he has made just 20 appearances – scoring a single goal – while spending the second half of last season on loan with Genk.
Back in the summer, the Eagles decided to loan their £9m man out once again, this time to Trabzonspor, where the powerful forward has thrived.
In a side also employing the likes of Daniel Sturridge and John Obi Mikel, Sorloth has netted six goals in 13 appearances, and also contributed a huge performance last time out.
Sorloth bagged a goal and also grabbed an assist in a 2-1 win over local rivals Rizespor, which helped Trabzonspor move up to second in the Super Lig table.
He told 61saat that he’s determined to break his best seasonal tally of 15 goals, and is certainly on course to do just that.
Sport Witness report that the Turkish side have the option to make Sorloth’s deal permanent at the end of his two-year loan from Crystal Palace, so the 6 foot 4 forward’s impressive form could be good news for the Eagles.
Why? Well, if he keeps his form up, then the chances of Trabzonspor activating that option to buy will presumably increase.
One might argue that Palace may simply be wanting Sorloth to develop, but by loaning him out last season, before immediately loaning him out once again, while also including an option to buy for Trabzonspor, suggests that they aren’t too keen to see him return – if they were, the Eagles surely wouldn’t have included the option in the first place.
Either way, his return to form can only be good news.
