Loan watch: Second-tier rivalries and purple patches | OneFootball

Simoni and Ngankam are eyeing promotion, Aaronson is flying high and Baum has blossomed into a first-team regular. We take a closer look at Eintracht’s seven loanees.

Paxten Aaronson  Paxten Aaronson has made quite an impression with Dutch Eredivisie outfit FC Utrecht, scoring seven goals in all competitions so far this season – more than any of his team-mates. The 21-year-old’s fine form is reflected in the fact he has started 88 per cent of Utrecht’s matches and appeared in every game apart from Matchday 17, which he missed through suspension after picking up five yellow cards.

Utrecht currently occupy third place in the Eredivisie table behind PSV and league leaders AFC Ajax. “He’s involved in key moments at Utrecht,” sporting director Timmo Hardung said of Aaronson. “We’re pleased he’s developing so well. He will return in the summer.”

Elias Baum

Frankfurt-born Elias Baum, who joined Eintracht as an eight-year-old in 2015, has established himself as a key player in second-division SV Elversberg’s back line. He has started every game this season apart from the clash with Karlsruher SC on Matchday 20, which he sat out after being sent off for a second bookable offence against 1. FC Köln a week earlier. In 27 competitive appearances for ninth-placed Elversberg this season, Baum has registered a goal and seven assists.

“He has improved magnificently and we definitely want him back in the summer,” board member for sport Markus Krösche said of the right-back at the start of the year. “We’ll obviously have plenty of options in his position, but we can line up in a number of ways.”

Aurélio Buta

Full-back Aurélio Buta, who arrived from Belgian Jupiler Pro League outfit Royal Antwerp FC in summer 2022 and joined Stade de Reims in August, has been an unused substitute in three successive Ligue 1 games.

It has been a tough few months for Buta and Reims – Eintracht striker Hugo Ekitiké’s former club – who are currently one place above the relegation zone with 23 points from 26 games.

Hrvoje Smolcic

Hrvoje Smolcic also endured a mixed start to life with Linzer ASK because of injury, but the Croatian has now established himself as a key figure at the heart of the Austrian side’s defence. Hardung says Smolcic is “settled in Linz” and part of “an exciting team”.

The 24-year-old, who missed the recent encounter with Sturm Graz because of a knock, has scored two goals and set up another in 24 appearances across all competitions.

Nacho Ferri

Week after week, Ignacio Ferri Julià – or Nacho for short – continues to assert himself on the pitch with KV Kortrijk in Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League. However, the club are currently second bottom in the standings and in serious danger of dropping into the second division at the end of the season.

The 20-year-old, who stands at 1.92m, has netted six goals and an assist in 27 league outings so far this term.

Jessic Ngankam

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Jessic Ngankam is eyeing automatic promotion to the Bundesliga with Hannover 96, who are three points off the promotion play-off spot and only five off second place in Bundesliga 2.

The 24-year-old is without a goal since scoring the winner against SSV Jahn Regensburg in mid-January but is very much a first-team regular, racking up four goals and two assists in 26 league and cup appearances this season.

Simon Simoni

Simon Simoni and 1. FC Kaiserslautern are one point better off than Hannover in Bundesliga 2 and also harbour hopes of a place in the top flight next term.

The 20-year-old Albanian goalkeeper spent the first half of the season with FC Ingolstadt before joining the Red Devils in mid-January, making his second-tier debut for the club against SC Paderborn last time out after first-choice custodian Julian Krahl was forced off with an injury late on.

Simoni faces his first big test on Saturday 29 March, when Kaiserslautern take on Fortuna Düsseldorf at 20:30 CET – two hours after Eintracht’s senior team play VfB Stuttgart at Deutsche Bank Park in the primetime Bundesliga clash.