Below are five of the most sought after players participating in the competition, who would have to live upto their names and deliver consistent performances in the competition to attract interest from the big names in the Barclays Premier League.
Paulinho
Country: Brazil
Current club: Corinthians
Age: 24
Position: midfielder
Born in Sao Paulo, the young Brazil international is one of the hottest commodities in South American football at the moment. Paulinho is a typical box-to-box midfielder and is constantly seen running from one end to the other, his work ethic is what makes him such a special player and he has the quality to improve any of the top six sides in the Premier League.
The youngster truly showed what he can be capable of during Corinthians FIFA Club World Cup final win over Chelsea last year. It was his brilliantly executed back-heel pass that resulted in Danilo’s Gary Cahill-deflected shot landing in the path of Paolo Guerrero for the winner.
The 24-year-old has a penchant for surging runs way deep in to his own half in order to support the attackers. However, it should be noted that the youngster needs to be paired up with a defensive midfielder in order to really shine.
For Brazil, Scolari has paired him with Ramires but the duo has not really struck the kind of partnership many people expected.
If paired with a defensive midfielder, Paulinho excels, something that he has already shown during his time with Corinthians. All in all, if Tottenham, who have been keeping tabs on him for quite some time, are able to lure him to White Hart Lane, Andre Villas-Boas will have a midfielder who will offer another dimension to Spurs’ overall game-play.
Hiroshi Kiyotake
Country: Japan
Current club: FC Nuremberg
Age: 23
Position: midfielder
The young Japan international is another player who could be playing for an English side next season. Rumours suggest that Southampton are very keen on acquiring the midfielder’s services as Mauricio Pochetinno looks to strengthen the Saints ahead of the next campaign.
After impressing at Cerezo Osaka, Kiyotake was snapped up by Bundesliga side, Nuremberg for whom, he had an excellent debut campaign. Many people questioned the acquisition but Kiyotake proved all doubters wrong and showed that he has what it takes to cut it in the big leagues in Europe.
Last season, the 23-year-old played 73 key passes for his club which just goes on to show that his main strength is passing the ball around, something Southampton would cherish if they are able to sign the player.
However, due to the fact that he has only just arrived in Europe, it would be wise to let the young midfielder continue his development in Germany before making a switch to a league as big as the Premier League where there are not much margins for committing errors.
Edinson Cavani
Country: Uruguay
Current club: Napoli
Age: 26
Position: striker
At the age of 26, Uruguay international, Edinson Cavani is at the peak of his powers. His time with Italian Serie A side Napoli has seen him become one of the most lethal strikers in Europe and with Chelsea and Manchester City lurking around, it is very likely that the player will be playing in England. Chelsea are rumoured to be on the verge of sealing a deal for the Uruguayan.
Although having Jose Mourinho back at the helm is good news, there are quite a lot of deficiencies in the squad that need to be taken care of, starting with that of the striking department. Fernando Torres has not been able to do what he did so well during his Liverpool days. Moreover, the Blues still have not really replaced Didier Drogba.
For this reason, they need Cavani, a player who is good in the air, has the ability to hold off defenders, make something out of nothing and most importantly, score goals freely. Another thing that defines Cavani’s superiority as a striker is that he can adapt to any tactical scheme.
For now, the only major weakness in Cavani’s game is the fact that he has not played in the Premier League, a league where reputations have known to be tarnished a fact which Chelsea fans might be aware of following Andriy Shevchenko’s dismal spell at Stamford Bridge.
Roberto Soldado
Country: Spain
Current club: Valencia
Age: 28
Position: striker
At the age of 28, it is high time for Roberto Soldado to test and showcase his talents outside Spain. A proven scorer in La Liga, the striker is now linked with a move to Tottenham, a club that really needs a striker who guarantees goals.
Apart from being an excellent finisher and a scorer of good goals, the Spanish international tends to make sharp off the ball movements and has a terrific work rate.
One of Soldado’s weaknesses however is his inability to win aerial duels which makes him less of a threat during set pieces, this is one aspect of his game the Valencia man will have to improve in order to be successful in a physical English league.
Claudio Marchisio
Country: Italy
Current club: Juventus
Age: 27
Position: midfielder
