A look at the World Cup stars who could be on their way to the Premier League in the summer transfer window.
The World Cup isn’t just an opportunity for players to seize lasting glory – it’s also a chance for them to make themselves an awful lot of money. Every four years, there are previously unheralded players who shine on football’s greatest stage and suddenly find themselves being handed an unexpectedly hefty contract.
Yan Diomande, Jonathan David & Bradley Barcolaplaceholder image
Yan Diomande, Jonathan David & Bradley Barcola | Getty Images
With the tournament now well underway, we’ve taken a look at eight players who are already being linked with big-money moves after making a good impression in North America. These are the players who could be said to have added a couple of extra zeroes to their price tags – so long as you ignore the financial illiteracy of that particular cliché – and who could be off to Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea or another of their Premier League peers.
Liverpool & Arsenal making big bids for the World Cup’s brightest stars
The Ivory Coast's Yan Diomandeplaceholder image
The Ivory Coast's Yan Diomande | Getty Images
Yan Diomande – Ivory Coast: We’ll start with perhaps the biggest and most obvious of the names we’ll mention. The RB Leipzig winger established himself as one of the brightest talents in the global game over the last year and was outstanding in Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuador – and that seems to have persuaded Liverpool to improve their offer for the 19-year-old. The Athletic allege that a bid of nearly €100m (£87m) has been lodged, but they may have to up it even further to get a deal over the line. Still, it’s pretty clear that Diomande is Liverpool’s single biggest priority of the summer.
Ayyoub Bouaddi – Morocco: Quite a few sides have been monitoring Bouaddi, a teenage prodigy who was already earning an exceptional reputation with Lille, but his outstanding display in Morocco’s 1-1 draw with Brazil seemed to tip the hand of at least one team – Arsenal have opened talks over a deal which could cost as much as £70m, although several other sides could follow them into the bidding.
Bradley Barcola celebrates his goal against Senegal.placeholder image
Bradley Barcola celebrates his goal against Senegal. | Getty Images
Bradley Barcola – France: The winger can struggle to get regular starts at PSG but he’s already scored a fine goal against Senegal, and his work at the World Cup could well to help to ensure a move away from the French capital. The Independent report that Arsenal are preparing a bid, while Liverpool have him on their shortlist should they fail to land Diomande. It wouldn’t be a shock to see Barcola get a starting role towards the top of the Premier League next season.
Jonathan Manzambi – Switzerland: Within hours of Manzambi’s superb performance against Bosnia & Herzegovina, against whom the 20-year-old midfielder scored twice, gossip columnists were falling over themselves to dig up existing links with Arsenal and Chelsea, both of whom have allegedly been watching the Freiburg starlet since the spring. Even the BBC have suggested that a move could be on the cards after his brace, but the price tag could supposedly be over £50m for a very well-rounded young player who scored five goals in the Bundesliga last season.
Spurs, Aston Villa & Leeds among sides monitoring World Cup stars
Jonathan David scored a hat-trick against Qatarplaceholder image
Jonathan David scored a hat-trick against Qatar | Getty Images
Jonathan David – Canada: Manzambi isn’t the only Jonathan in fine scoring form at the World Cup. David has been a reliable goalscorer almost everywhere he’s played, but has struggled a little bit at Juventus after signing for the Old Lady on a free transfer – as a result, there’s a good chance that he could move on, with Tottenham Hotspur among the teams monitoring his situation. His hat-trick against Qatar strongly suggests that he hasn’t lost his scoring touch, and that just might persuade Spurs to launch a bid.
Martin Baturina – Croatia: Croatian outlet Index report that Como have already rejected a bid from Aston Villa worth around €55m (£47m) for Baturina, a midfielder who has long been touted as a rising star of European football and is finally starting to prove it – not least with his superb dipping equaliser against England. A few more hits like that and Villa may feel compelled to come back with a better offer. He’s also been linked with Manchester United, although please find us a midfielder that hasn’t.
Zion Suzuki was born in the United States but has 25 caps for Japan.placeholder image
Zion Suzuki was born in the United States but has 25 caps for Japan. | Getty Images
Zion Suzuki – Japan: Japan’s first-choice goalkeeper is among the options under consideration as Leeds work to find a new shot stopper for next season, although Aston Villa are also said to be interested – and the queue could get a little longer if the 23-year-old, who currently plays for Parma, enjoys a good run at the World Cup. The Yorkshire Post are among the outlets to report that Leeds are in a strong position to strike a deal, however.
Aurelién Tchouaméni – France: Although highly regarded by Didier Deschamps, Tchouaméni isn’t regarded as quite so important at Real Madrid. After a season of relatively modest performances and a fist fight with team-mate Fede Valverde, Real will consider any bids that might come in – and that might include one from Manchester United. The 26-year-old is on their shortlist alongside West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, with Liverpool also said to be keen should Curtis Jones leave. It doesn’t look like any bids have been made yet, but that could very well change in the coming weeks.
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