Fresh from yet another tournament disappointment involving England,
it is now the U20’s turn to try and make their nation proud and not
fulfil the stereotype of yet another limp surrender in competitive
competition.
Producing dazzling displays on the world stage will
attract interest from clubs from around the world, and those watching
Premier League clubs will want their protégés already acquired, or
potential targets to produce the goods that get the world watching.
Here
is a list of ten players to look out for in the tournament, and if they
produce what they are capable of, we may well be seeing much more from
them in the near future.
Ross Barkley - England
Part of a strong England contingent, Ross Barkley is
one of the more experienced of the group with four U21 caps to his
name, and has the talent to be the creative force in the in the Three
Lions’ engine room.
The local lad made his Premier League debut
aged just 17, and has been touted by many as a future star for both club
and country, following in fellow Everton graduate Wayne Rooney’s shoes.
He
is strong, powerful, has an incredible repertoire of passes and can
shoot from all angles. With ability such as this, if Barkley plays well,
England play well.
He has already had to recover from a broken leg suffered on England U19 duty, and after spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds in the Championship
this season, along with a handful of appearances for the Toffees,
Barkley is primed to spearhead England’s challenge in Turkey, and prove
he has what it takes to cut it in the English top flight.
Potential clubs: Norwich, Fulham on loan
Paul Pogba - France
Having spent three years at Old Trafford, Pogba was left frustrated by his lack of first-team opportunities and decided to move to Italian giants Juventus, a move which has paid off as the 20-year-old played a key role in the Old Lady retaining the Scudetto.
What has frustrated the United faithful most is that he was the type of player the Red Devils have lacked in recent years. A real box-to-box midfielder in the Patrick Vieira mould, Pogba instigates attacks as quickly as he stifles any threat posed by opponents, and his boundless energy will cause defences all sorts of problems in Turkey.
Often arriving late into the box, he poses a serious goal threat, and is more than capable of a spectacular strike from range, as we saw on numerous occasions this season, and is one of the reasons France are well-fancied to do well in the tournament.
Potential clubs: Arsenal
Jese Rodriguez - Spain
Top goalscorer at the European U19 Championship in
Estonia, Jese Rodriguez has all the attributes to fire Spain to yet more
glory this summer.
On the back of their Under-21 stars cruising
to the Euro crown in Israel, tournament favourites Spain like to play
their football, and winger Jese along with Gerard Deulofeu on the
opposite flank stretch opponents, allowing their passing game to carve
teams apart.
Tipped as one of the most promising players in the
world, the 20-year-old is set to be promoted to the Real Madrid
first-team fold after breaking Real Madrid Castilla’s goals scored in a
single season record last campaign.
However, a move to the Premier
League could be on the cards if someone is willing to take the plunge,
and could have a major influence on a side’s success next season.
Potential clubs: Southampton, Cardiff
Guillermo Varela - Uruguay
A player we will all be seeing more of in the coming years is Guillermo Varela who is David Moyes’ first signing as Manchester United boss.
The right-back moved to England despite having only made one
senior appearance for Penarol in his homeland, but the fact that United
moved so quickly to capture their man shows just how talented the
20-year-old is.
An integral part of the Los Charruas’ defence
which conceded just three goals in their final five games in the final
qualifying phase, Varela will be difficult to break down.
And it
is the resolute backline that has led many to pick the South Americans
as an outside bet to capture the World Cup crown in Turkey, and if they
do, Varela will have to play a major part, and will arrive in Manchester
with a great deal of anticipation.
Juan Quintero – Columbia
One of the most highly-rated talents
at the tournament, Juan Quintero has already attracted interested from a
number of clubs across Europe, and can put himself in the shop window
by excelling in Turkey.
The 20-year-old has spent the season
on-loan in Italy at Pescara, where he was unable to help his side avoid
the dreaded drop, but still managed to acquire a legion of admirers
including Inter Milan and Udinese.
Quintero has one senior cap to
his name already, and was voted MVP in the U20 South American Youth
Championships, which Columbia won, scoring five and assisting four
goals.
The all-action midfield is renowned for being a playmaker,
and likes to take command of the midfield, showing maturity beyond his
years.
In the mould of new Monaco signing James Rodriguez,
Quintero can certainly dominate the middle of the park, and despite his
age, has the experience at this level to lead his side to success in
Turkey.
Potential clubs: Newcastle
Daniel De Silva - Australia
One of the youngest players to make the journey to
the transcontinent country, Daniel De Silva could well announce himself
on the international scene, and take many by surprise.
De Silva
made Australian football history in March, becoming the second youngest
player ever to ply his trade in the A-League, coming on as a substitute
for his side Perth Glory, aged just 15.
He almost signed for Everton before making the move to the West Coast of Australia, but work permit problems put pay to that.
And
since his arrival on the scene, the now 16-year-old De Silva has got
soccer lovers hot under the collar in down under, and should he get his
chance to shine in Turkey, the pacey attacking midfielder could surprise
many who doubt he is ready to make the step up to this level.
Potenial clubs: Everton
Cristian Cuevas - Chile
After agreeing to sign for Chelsea
back in February, Cristian Cuevas will make the move to Stamford Bridge
after the upcoming tournament, and The Blues fans are likely to see a
player that could have a bright future in England.
Known has
‘Cimbi’ due to his resemblance to Simba from The Lion King, the
18-year-old starred at the Sudamericana where he truly shot to
prominence alongside the more renowned talents of Bryan Rabello, Nicolás
Castillo and Igor Lichnovsky.
Cuevas has the ability to beat
defenders at pace, possessing the balance to accelerate at high speed
whilst keeping control of the ball.
It is this talent that
persuaded Chelsea to snap him up, with Udinese hot on their heels, and
if he continues to play with no fear in Turkey, then his opponents could
be in for a torrid few weeks.
Stipe Perica– Croatia
For all the flamboyance of the other players in this list,
the directness and aerial ability of Stipe Perica will take many by
surprise in Turkey.
Another novice, Perica turns 18 whilst taking
part at the World Cup, and has been mightily impressive in his first
season in professional football.
With eight goals from just 14
starts in his debut season, the youngster has had to carry his side at
times, and has shown he can handle such responsibility with ease.
He
is a major contender to win the tournament golden boot thanks to his
natural striking instincts, and with Manchester City touted as potential
suitors, he will be hoping he finds he scoring touch.
Potential clubs: Manchester City, West Brom
Bruma - Sporting CP
It may be a bit soon to be calling him the ‘next Ronaldo’ but
Bruma has already been mentioned in such company, and has the talent to
light up the World Cup.
Having only burst on the scene in late
this season, the Guineau-Bissau-born winger, has shone in a very
youthful Sporting Lisbon side, and is already being linked with a move
abroad.
Manchester United are said to be
interested, making use of their strong links with the club after Ronaldo
and Nani’s transfers, and the cash-strapped Lions are reportedly
looking to cash in on their prized asset.
With pace to burn,
amazing upper-body strength and quick feet to boot, the attributes are
there, it is just a matter of whether his meteoric rise will get the
better of him in the run up to the tournament.
Potential clubs: Manchester United, Tottenham
Benji Joya - United States
Another player who everything has happened very quickly for
his Joya Benjamin Hector Jimenez, better known in the US as Benji Joya.
The
livewire midfielder will have to shoulder much of the creative
responsibility for the United States, and is capable of passing his way
through any opposition.
His move to Santos Laguna has been a huge
success so far, with him already breaking into the first-team, but he
has admitted getting very nervous before games.
If he can keep his cool, Joya has the ability to control games, and could well find himself a pivotal figure in the US side.
Potential clubs: Crystal Palace, Hull
source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/transfer-news-top-ten-u20-1970000
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