Five Premier League targets who could be on show against England on Monday…
England take on Switzerland later today, in what is a tough test for Roy Hodgson’s side in their first Euro 2016 qualifier. There is plenty of quality on show in the home side’s squad, including several players that have been attracting interest from Premier League teams.
CaughtOffside takes a look at five key Swiss players that are likely to come face to face with the Three Lions on Monday:
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5) Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus)
The experienced defender has been with Juventus since 2011, having joined the club from Lazio. The 30-year-old has 67 caps for his country, scoring five goals, the last of which came against Peru in 2012. He favours a role on the right-hand side of the defence, and is also capable of pushing into midfield.
He has been linked with Arsenal in each of the last two summers, with the most recent reports coming from the Daily Mirror. He was billed as a potential replacement for Bacary Sagna following the Frenchman’s move to to Manchester City, but the Gunners eventually opted for Newcastle United’s Mathieu Debuchy instead. But with Juventus reportedly keeping tabs on Liverpool’s Glen Johnson, the Swiss star could be available in January.
4) Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich)
As TalkSport explains, Liverpool have been long-term admirers of the talented 22-year-old, who is a master of the pass and a fine finisher. His pace troubles defences and his agility for one so muscular makes him a real handful.
The stocky-but-skillful midfielder has had trouble breaking into Pep Guardiola’s side at the Allianz Arena but that is due to the quality of the players around him rather than a slight on his own abilities. His performances for Switzerland have made him stand out – he netted a hat-trick in the World Cup group game with Honduras.
3) Granit Xhaka (Borussia Monchengladbach)
Another Swiss starlet on Brendan Rodgers’ radar at Liverpool is this excellent midfielder, who is mature beyond his 21 years according to TalkSport. He is already a key player for his club side, while his former national manager Ottmar Hitzfeld once dubbed him the “young Schweinsteiger”.
Tenacious in the tackle, Xhaka is always ready to get stuck in and protect the defence behind him, the likes of Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling are likely to find him snapping at their heels as he looks to dispossess them and kick-start a Swiss attack. Because of his intelligence and his love for science, he is now known more commonly amongst his teammates as “young Einstein”.
2) Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg)
An exciting, attacking left-back who has been watched by Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool in the past. The 22-year-old is likely to stay in Germany with Wolfsburg for the time being, with the Premier League trio having all signed new left-backs already this year.
According to TalkSport, the marauding left-back starred last season for Wolfsburg, scoring five goals and claiming nine assists as they finished fifth in the table, which will no doubt worry England boss Roy Hodgson. Rodriguez could terrorise the Three Lions’ right-side and his fearsome crosses could see the backline struggle, with Josip Drmic and Haris Seferovic looking to get on the end of them.
1) Fabian Schar (Basel)
Swiss central defender Schar will be a familiar name to Tottenham and Chelsea fans who will have witnessed his dominant displays at the back in Europa League and Champions League clashes in recent years. He stayed put at the Swiss side this summer, and could face Liverpool in Europe this year, with the two teams in the same Champions League group.
Still just 22, he could make a move in January if he continues to impress in the early part of this season. According to TalkSport, Manchester United and Arsenal are interested in the player. Handy with the ball at his feet, he is just as adept at picking out a long-range pass as he is dispossessing rival strikers, while his height makes him a handful at set-pieces.
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