For this season, no: the defender has pledged to stay at least one more year at the French club. Next season, however, he would be available. £10-14M would probably be enough.
A commanding centre half standing at 6’2, the Football Manager fanatics among you will be well aware of his attributes. Ubiquitous in France U20’s World Cup win this summer, Zouma impressed with his strength, aerial prowess and reading of the game. Having broken into the St Etienne side, the youngster has established himself as one of the most promising players in Ligue 1, leading to interest from the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.
Age: 18. Club: Real Betis. Position: Winger.
Is he available? Betis have shown this summer that they’re not averse to selling their prized assets, with Swansea snapping up both Alejandro Pozuelo and Jose Canas. A bid somewhere between £5-10M could do the trick.
While headlines such as “the new Ronaldo” may be a little premature, there is no doubting the Spanish U19 international’s potential. Linked in the past with Manchester United and heavily this summer with both Arsenal and Tottenham, the winger was one of the stars of the U19 Championships in Lithuania. With a physique similar to a young Cristiano, the tall and lanky winger possesses pace and skill in abundance. Playing on the left wing as a right footer, he is able to maintain an element of unpredictability, with opponents not sure if he’ll go round the outside and get a cross in, or cut inside and either shoot or lay it off to a teammate. His quick feet and composure on the ball are particularly impressive, enough for him to become the second youngest player ever to have played in La Liga, making his Betis debut at just 16 years of age.
The youngster, who is known simply as Oliver, is one of the hottest talents in not only Spain, but Europe. It would take a sizeable fee to prize him away from Atletico, but one that would be totally worth it. Something in the region of £15M could tempt the Madrid club. According to Guillem Balague, however, his future lies at Barcelona; the Catalan giants apparently negotiated a first option to buy him agreement as part of the David Villa deal – the reason his fee was so low.
Quintessential of this generation of Spaniards, Oliver possesses technical ability in abundance; his touch, skill on the ball and speed of thought are exceptional. The way he dictates games from central midfield, seen particularly for Spain U20s, is reminiscent to Xavi. Yet he is equally as comparable to Andres Iniesta in the way he glides past opponents with his elusive dribbling ability, as well as his posture and balance when on the ball.
Despite having only signed for Lille in January 2013 on a 4 and a half year deal, and having never played for the club – he was immediately sent on loan to Bastia – there has been strong speculation over a move away from the French side. Arsenal have been strongly linked and it is reported a bid between £8-13M could be enough to secure his services.
A left footed winger with a low centre of gravity, the youngster has phenomenal close control and a dangerous shot on him. The star of France U20’s World Cup victory in Turkey this summer, he tormented defences with his dribbling skills and vision, chipping in with an impressive 3 goals. He is most dangerous when cutting inside from the wide right position and unleashing a shot towards goal – as Ghana found out this summer.
The Frenchman has been heavily linked with moves to the likes of Arsenal and Real Madrid this summer; it is reported a bid of £13M would be enough to prize him away from the Spanish club.
At 6’3, Kondogbia is a significant presence in the centre of midfield. His strength and power would help him settle in to the physicality of the English game, if he were to move. However, make no mistake, he is not merely a midfield brute; the youngster is technically sound and good on the ball, as one would expect from one of the brightest talents in La Liga. Having impressed consistently for French youth sides, he made his full international debut this August, and with Arsenal seemingly in desperate need for a player of his mould, it would be no surprise to see him in the Premier League by the end of this month.
Yes, at the right price. PSV, like Ajax, are resigned to their existence as a selling club due to their lack of funds; indeed this is what leads to their focus on youth development. A bid of around £10M could be enough.
Those with a special interest in youth football will have been aware of Bakkali for a while; his seven goals in 9 games for Belgium U17s – a formidable return for a winger – gave a taster of what he could do. But for most, the teenager only appeared on the scene recently, scoring a superb treble for PSV. In doing so, he became the youngest ever player to score a hat trick in the Eredivisie. Poached from Standard Liege at a young age, Bakkali is part of a formidable generation of Belgians. The speedy winger is remarkably good on both feet for a man so young and has a bag of tricks, a dangerous shot, and a whole lot of confidence. Set to shine this season, he is certainly one for the future.