LOAN AND BEHOLD

Few would dispute the merits of bringing in a goalkeeper for a month or two to cover an injury (à la Simon Royce) but the deal which brings Foe to Maine Road is a different kettle of fish. Do we really want a star player, expected to be a lynchpin of the side, on a borrowed basis?

To the "risk-averse", the deal makes a lot of sense. Instead of the £6-7m outlay (his reported valuation), City get to 'try before they buy' with a down payment of just £500k. Now half a million for a year's work seems quite reasonable (if Anelka's contribution was valued at the same level, we'd need to get 24 seasons out of him to get our money's worth). If Foe turns out to be a duffer or, God forbid, breaks his leg again, we can send him back to his rightful owner at the end of next season. For the eternal pessimists among us, relegation would not leave us struggling to pay his wages or perhaps having to sell him at a loss.

Funnily enough, the only financial risk associated with the move is if he turns out to be any good. A loan deal means placing a player in the shop window for everyone to peer at. If in twelve months time, Foe is seen as the new Patrick Viera, we will not be the only club interested in signing a permanent deal. If Real Madrid come knocking, we might just be kicking ourselves for not buying him outright in the first place.

The possibility of having to fight to keep a loan player is a frustrating prospect. First refusals and fees agreed up front are all very well, but if a player has options and preferences he will probably end up signing for whoever he feels like. As Newcastle found to their cost in the Distin saga, this is the flip side of the arrangement. If you forego the risk, you forego the rights.

And how about the player himself? Will he be able to fully settle knowing he may only be passing through? Will he feel the same passion and motivation to make the club successful? Will he feel less valued than the other players? Will the pressure to perform affect his game? Or maybe the fact that he has to prove himself will spur him on to greater heights. Could this type of deal be a great way to keep him on his toes and get the very best out of him?

The truth is that only time will tell. For my money, in the context of our other signings and the amount of money being invested in the team, the deal makes excellent sense. I wouldn't want to see a team full of loan players, but in our current position and without the benefit of hindsight, I'd say the manager's got it just about right.

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