Ten of the best talents that are still available this summer.
With some of the best young players in world football making big moves this summer, time is running out for the big clubs to snap up the best talent.
Just over a week remains of this summer’s transfer window, and many of the biggest deals of the summer have already happened, with Brazil starlet Neymar completing a much-anticipated move to Barcelona, Manchester City target Isco moving from Malaga to Real Madrid, and Mario Goetze moving from Borussia Dortmund to rivals Bayern Munich.
However, there are still some great young players out there who could be available, and who are continually being linked with transfers.
10. Christian Atsu (Porto)
21-year-old winger Christian Atsu has had an impressive couple of seasons in Portugal with Porto, and is one of many of the club’s players being linked with big-money moves away this summer. The pacey left winger is much-admired by Liverpool, who are keen to bring in an improvement on Stewart Downing out wide, though Tottenham and Everton have also been linked with the young Ghana international.
9. Cristian Tello (Barcelona)
Despite recently signing a new contract with Barcelona, Cristian Tello’s future has come under some speculation this summer. The talented winger is considered one of the brightest prospects to emerge from the club’s famous La Masia youth team in recent years, but he has understandably struggled to break past big names such as Lionel Messi, Alexis Sanchez and Pedro Rodriguez in the Barca’s starting lineup.
Although the Catalan giants are keen to keep him around, they may be tempted to loan him out this season, particularly with further competition arriving in the form of £48million signing Neymar. Arsenal and Liverpool are the main clubs said to be considering him, as both could do with reinforcements in the wide areas. Tello’s pace, trickery and an eye for goal could make him a useful asset for either side, even if only on a temporary basis.
8. Eric Dier (Sporting Lisbon)
One of English football’s brightest prospects has been developing over the last few years in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon. 19-year-old defender Eric Dier joined the club’s youth team when his family moved to Portugal when he was 10 years old, and he has been watched several times since then by the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United.
However, it now seems that it could be Chelsea that bring Dier home, with Jose Mourinho keen to recruit young talent in accordance with ever tightening Financial Fair Play laws. Dier has impressed in his time with Sporting, and looks ready to be given a chance at a bigger club, and could end up being the perfect long-term replacement for John Terry at Stamford Bridge.
7. Zakaria Bakkali (PSV Eindhoven)
Exciting 17-year-old winger Zakaria Bakkali announced himself as a world class talent on just his second senior appearance for PSV, scoring a hat-trick for his side last weekend, and thus becoming the youngest player ever to do so in the Eredivisie.
This has unsurprisingly attracted serious interest from some of the biggest clubs all around Europe, with the Belgian being linked as a transfer target for Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and AC Milan. PSV will be keen not to lose one of their rising stars as soon as he breaks into their first-team, but if the right money is offered in the coming weeks, one of the most exciting young talents in the game could be on his way to embarking on a long and successful career.
Interest has also risen in Bakkali’s 22-year-old team-mate Georginio Wijnaldum in recent weeks, in a double blow that could see the Dutch club lose two of their best young players in one go.
6. Will Hughes (Derby County)
18-year-old midfielder Will Hughes has looked destined for big things since first breaking into the first-team setup at Derby County. The skillful playmaker has drawn comparisons with Barcelona stars Xavi and Andres Iniesta, attracting interest from several Premier League sides, as well as the La Liga giants themselves.
Most recently, Liverpool are said to have stepped up their interest in adding Hughes to their talented young squad this summer for around £10million, though Derby manager Nigel Clough has moved to dismiss these as rumours.
One thing’s for sure, Hughes will be a Premier League player one day, and he won’t be short of suitors, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle all being linked as admirers of his in recent times.
5. Tom Ince (Blackpool)
It seems only a matter of time before Blackpool starlet Tom Ince is snapped up by a bigger club, though the player himself seems to have his head firmly screwed on and is in no hurry to rush a move away from Bloomfield Road, having rejected a move to newly-promoted Premier League side Cardiff City this summer.
Son of former England captain Paul, Ince has also been linked with Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Inter Milan at various points this summer, after impressing in the Championship with 18 goals last season, making him one of the top scorers in the division, despite playing as a winger.
Quick and skillful, Ince started his career at Anfield, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make a big-money return to his old club before the close of this summer’s transfer window.
4. Luke Shaw (Southampton)
Still only 18 years old, Luke Shaw made a great impression in his first season in the Southampton first team last season, slotting in seamlessly as part of the Saints’ back four as they took on life in the Premier League. His fine form has not gone unnoticed by the big boys of the Premier League, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham all being linked with him in recent months.
A boyhood Chelsea fan, it seemed at points like he could be set for a move to Stamford Bridge this summer, though recent events suggest Manchester United manager David Moyes will look to sign him as an alternative to Everton left-back Leighton Baines, whom he appears to have failed to sign in several attempts this summer.
Southampton will be determined to keep hold of their young star, who looks like the latest in a long line of talented players to emerge from the club’s youth system after the likes of Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and perhaps most notably, Gareth Bale, with whom he has drawn comparisons due to his attacking style from left-back, where Bale also started his career playing.
3. Paul Pogba (Juventus)
After somehow failing to make the grade at Manchester United, Juventus did well to snap up young midfielder Paul Pogba, as the Frenchman is now establishing himself as one of the best young players in the world. A strong and skillful midfield player, Pogba looked a good addition to Antonio Conte’s side, helping out with some notable long-range wonder-goals as they retained the Serie A title in 2012/13, and is now wanted back in the Premier League.
Arsenal have supposedly targeted him with a £20million bid, though Juventus have moved to reject it and claim they will not be considering selling the youngster this summer. Manchester City and Monaco have also been linked with the 20-year-old at points this throughout this transfer window, and it looks increasingly like United will regret letting him go when they had him. His playing style is certainly comparable with City star Yaya Toure, who has become one of the best midfielders in the world in recent years, and it would be great to see Pogba bossing Premier League midfields as well.
2. Geoffrey Kondogbia (Sevilla)
There could be several destinations still for Sevilla starlet Geoffrey Kondogbia, who has been the subject of much speculation throughout this summer. The likes of Manchester United and Chelsea are said to have watched him, while at the moment it looks like it could be a direct competition between Arsenal and Monaco for the 20-year-old Frenchman.
Big-spending Monaco have tabled a £13million offer for the defensive midfielder, who has a £17million buyout clause with the La Liga club, a fee that looks like it could be a bargain if Arsenal are willing to break their transfer policy and match it. With the Gunners still lacking a true defensive midfielder since the sale of Alex Song, Kondogbia looks like the ideal long-term replacement.
1. Christian Eriksen (Ajax)
Christian Eriksen has been widely regarded as one of the best young players in the world ever since first breaking onto the scene with Ajax as 17-year-old in 2009. The skillful midfield playmaker is a consistent source of goals and assists for the Amsterdam side, and looks like he would fit in nicely into almost any team in the world.
With his contract with Ajax running down in a year’s time, competition has really heated up for the young Danish international, with Borussia Dortmund reportedly eyeing him up as a replacement for Mario Goetze earlier in the summer, before opting instead for Shakhtar Donetsk attacker Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Liverpool and Tottenham have been strongly linked with him as well, but Eriksen’s representatives have said that he is most likely to pick a club that can offer him Champions League football, making Italian champions Juventus the current favourites to land him this summer.