Best and worst of Premier League loan strikers

Gonzalo Higuain looks bound for the Premier League after Chelsea reached an outline agreement with Juventus for a loan until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old will cut short his current loan with AC Milan to move to London and Chelsea have the option to extend his stay if he proves successful in English football.

But the Argentine certainly isn't the first striker to join a Premier League club on loan.

There have been plenty of borrowed goalscorers in the past - some proving a success... and others less so.

HENRIK LARSSON

Helsingborg to Manchester United, 2007

Though in the twilight of his career, signing the prolific Swede proved a masterstoke for Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United during the 2006-07 campaign.

Larsson endeared himself to his manager and team-mates with his professionalism and dedication, and to the United fans with three goals during his 13 appearances.

Ferguson said of Larsson: 'He's been fantastic for us... everything he has done has been excellent'.

But the Scot's attempts to extend the loan deal until the end of the season failed as Larsson honoured the pledge he'd made Swedish parent club Helsingborg to return for the start of the Allsvenskan season.

He was so well liked, United applied for special dispensation from the Premier League so Larsson could receive a winner's medal at the end of the season.

Impact rating: 8/10

ROBBIE KEANE

Inter Milan vs Leeds United, 2001

Italian giants Inter had paid Coventry City £13million for the exciting young Irish striker in the summer of 2000 off the back of an impressive debut season with the Sky Blues.

But while the manager that signed him, Marcello Lippi, was a big fan, his successor Marco Tardelli was less keen and sanctioned a loan to Leeds United in the December.

Back in the Premier League, Keane made a superb impact at Elland Road, scoring nine goals in his first 14 starts for the club.

Keane had played in a Champions League qualifier for Inter earlier that season, making him ineligible in the competition for Leeds.

Who knows, they might have reached the final had Keane been available instead of losing to Valencia in the semis.

Nonetheless, manager David O'Leary had been convinced and Leeds made the loan permanent in May 2001 for £12m.

Impact rating: 9/10

RADAMEL FALCAO

Monaco to Manchester United, 2014, and Monaco to Chelsea, 2015

Manchester United's new manager Louis van Gaal no doubt thought he'd landed a real coup when Colombian star Falcao arrived on loan from Monaco on deadline day in 2014.

The Old Trafford club paid £6m to secure the loan deal with a £43.5m option to sign Falcao permanently if he performed in the Premier League.

Just back from a severe acute cruciate ligament injury that had forced him to miss the World Cup, Falcao started brightly in English football but quickly faded.

He managed just four goals in 29 outings during a miserable season, often looking sluggish in matches, and was soon judged to be one of the worst signings ever made by an English club.

Not that any of that deterred Chelsea giving Falcao another shot at cracking the Premier League the following season.

Jose Mourinho was confident he could restore Falcao to his best but an injury-plagued season at Stamford Bridge saw him manage just one goal.

Impact rating: 2/10

CHRISTOPHE DUGARRY

Bordeaux to Birmingham City, 2003

Steve Bruce's Birmingham City were deep in the relegation mire when they convinced French World Cup winner Dugarry, 30, to sign for them on loan.

'We are delighted that he has chosen us,' said Bruce. 'To have someone of his credentials is a massive, massive thing for us. It's the biggest signing this club has ever made.'

The former AC Milan and Barcelona forward made the necessary impact in the Midlands, with a run of five goals in four matches against Sunderland, Charlton Athletic, Southampton and Middlesbrough lifting City to the safety of 13th.

Dugarry would extend his stay at St Andrew's, joining permanently from Bordeaux, but didn't have anywhere near the same impact the following season. But his work had already been done and legendary status assured.

Impact rating: 9/10

LOIC REMY

Queens Park Rangers to Newcastle United, 2013

Six goals in 14 matches were not enough to spare Queens Park Rangers from relegation from the Premier League in 2013 after the west London club broke their transfer record to sign the French striker from Marseille.

Unable to sustain his wages in the Championship, QPR loaned Remy to Newcastle United and he really showed his class - in the first half of the campaign at least.

He scored 10 goals for the Tyneside club before January before his form tailed off but it was still enough to be named the club's Player of the Season and spark transfer interest from bigger clubs.

In the end it was Chelsea who activated his £10.5m release clause after a proposed move to Liverpool fell through after reports he failed his medical.

Unfortunately it was a downward spiral from there, his 12 goals in two seasons with Chelsea fewer than the 14 he managed in one campaign with Newcastle.

Impact rating: 8/10

NICOLAS ANELKA

Paris Saint-Germain to Liverpool, 2002

It's often forgotten amid a CV that features a number of other top class clubs that Anelka spent six months on loan at Liverpool during the 2001-02 campaign.

Following two-and-a-half years away from the Premier League having joined PSG from Arsenal, the striker was brought in by Gerard Houllier to bolster Liverpool's title push.

But that didn't really happen, with Anelka scoring just four times in the league as Liverpool ended up seven points adrift of champions Arsenal.

And it wasn't exactly the proudest moment in the Frenchman's career when Houllier opted to buy El Hadji Diouf instead of him at the conclusion of his loan, Anelka joining Manchester City instead.

Impact rating: 3/10

DANIEL STURRIDGE

Chelsea to Bolton Wanderers, 2011

Sturridge was a young and talented prodigy trying to crack the first-team at Chelsea back in 2011 but wasn't able to hold down a regular place.

Carlo Ancelotti decided just before the close of the January 2011 transfer window that Sturridge would benefit from more regular football out on loan at Bolton.

And he did indeed benefit, scoring eight goals in 12 league outings beginning with a last-minute winner on his debut against Wolves.

Sturridge became only the sixth player to score in each of his first four matches for a Premier League club and helped Owen Coyle's Bolton keep their heads above water in the relegation fight.

His form in the north-west did result in a flurry of appearances under Andre Villas-Boas upon his return to Chelsea but he was never assured of a first-team spot and left for Liverpool in 2013.

Impact rating: 8/10

ROMELU LUKAKU

Chelsea to West Bromwich Albion, 2012-13

Rather like Sturridge, Lukaku was another striker struggling to make his breakthrough at Chelsea. Indeed, he refused to lift the Champions League trophy in 2012 because he didn't feel like a winner.

Like many other young players at Stamford Bridge, it was deemed best if the Belgian striker went out on loan and West Brom were the lucky recipients.

Lukaku really showed his class during a season at The Hawthorns in which he scored 17 Premier League goals, proving he could cut it at that level.

Thanks to his steady supply of goals, Steve Clarke's side recorded an eighth place finish, their best in the Premier League era.

Though Chelsea never fully appreciated Lukaku, the Baggies certainly did and so did Everton, with whom he spent the following season on loan before moving permanently.

By 2017, he was a £75m striker when he moved from the Toffees to Manchester United.

Impact rating: 9/10

GEORGE WEAH

AC Milan to Chelsea, 2000

Though Weah, who had starred for the likes of Monaco, PSG and Milan during a glittering career, was past his prime by the time he arrived on loan at Chelsea, there was still much excitement.

The Liberian striker certainly endeared himself to his new club's fans when he scored the winning goal against Tottenham on his debut.

Weah scored five goals for the Blues in all, including two in their run to the FA Cup final, which he started the 1-0 win over Aston Villa at Wembley.

Despite winning the hearts of many fans, Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli decided not to make Weah's loan permanent.

Impact rating: 7/10

JURGEN KLINSMANN

Sampdoria to Tottenham Hotspur, 1998

It seems unthinkable now, but Tottenham were in serious relegation trouble during the 1997-98 campaign.

But in what proved to be a masterstroke, the White Hart Lane club signed former hero Klinsmann on loan from Sampdoria ahead of the season's decisive period.

The German's previous spell at Spurs, in 1994-95, saw him score 29 goals in 50 matches and he proved just as prolific second time around.

Nine goals in 15 Premier League games, including four in a 6-2 win over Wimbledon at Selhurst Park, proved critical as Spurs lifted themselves away from trouble.

It proved a fitting conclusion to Klinsmann's top-level playing career.

Impact rating: 8/10