Chelsea are a team in transition, and there’s a real need for Maurizio Sarri to conduct a restructuring job at Stamford Bridge. The core at the club is fantastic, with the likes of Kepa, Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, N’Golo Kante and Eden Hazard all impressing, but there are also a ton of players that have underperformed as of late.

One such example is Willian. Significantly, he’s now been linked, via Sky Sports, with a move to PSG, and if the French team make a move, it’s something that Chelsea should really consider.

Losing a player of his importance under Maurizio Sarri would be a risk for Chelsea, but if an opportunity presents itself for enough money, this isn’t a sale that Chelsea can afford to let pass them by.

After all, it’s important to recognise Willian’s recent form. A good game against Sheffield Wednesday isn’t enough to rectify two years of poor form, and the Brazilian has continually failed to deliver under Maurizio Sarri this season in particular.

Furthermore, at 30-years-old, he’s not a player that has much hope of improving. In fact, he’s closer to retirement at this stage than he is to is peak, and so as a result, perhaps it’s time for Chelsea to move on and usher in a new era in their attack.

Of course, his departure would also open up the door for Callum Hudson-Odoi to get a regular chance in the first team at Stamford Bridge. He’s been a regular in Europe and in cup competitions this season, but the Blues need to play him regularly to have a chance of keeping him going forward – and the sale of Willian would serve to give him a real chance in the first team. This would also help ease the transition that Christian Pulisic will have in the summer.

If this opportunity presents itself, Chelsea must take it. It’s time to move on and prepare for the future – even if the short-term may be more difficult as a result.

Thoughts?

Aston Villa have completed the signing of Barcelona starlet Adama Traore in a £7million deal, according to reports from the BBC.

Traore was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in recent weeks, with the likes of Stoke City and Liverpool previously keen on his services.

And despite earlier reports revealing that the winger was taking a tour of the Stoke training facilities, Traore completed his Villa medical earlier in the week and has now signed a five-year deal with the Midlands club.

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And his new manager Tim Sherwood is absolutely delighted with the acquisition, who he believes will play a major part in the upcoming season.

“He’s dynamic, very quick and a maverick-type player – you never know what he’s going to do next and I mean that as a compliment,” Sherwood said.

“He’s a huge asset for this club. He can hurt the opposition and I’m delighted to bring him here.

“He comes from a very good academy with Barcelona and I’ve known him a long time.

“He makes his mind up when he gets the ball and those players are rare – there aren’t many players in the Premier League that can do that.

“We’re getting him at the midway part of his development, he’s not the finished article by a long way but he can certainly help us out in the short-term and in the future.”

Traore rose through the ranks of the Barcelona youth system but was never able to consistently break into their first-team, spending most of his time in their B-team.

Aston Villa began their Premier League campaign with a good start, beating newly-promoted Bournemouth 1-0 ahead of their game against Manchester United this Friday.

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Jonjo Shelvey has been a bit of an enigma over the course of the past few years.

Undoubtedly talented, the 23-year-old midfielder has been questioned for his on-field discipline and commitment, which eventually led to his Liverpool exit in 2013 after joining the club as a teenager from Charlton Athletic.

He has since flourished in the south of Wales with Swansea, settling into Garry Monk’s midfield and justifying the hype that he generated during his teenage years.

His rise in the white shirt at the Liberty Stadium was capped with a re-call to the England side for the recent EURO 2016 qualifiers, with Roy Hodgson opting to start him against Switzerland and San Marino – where he was one of the Three Lions’ more impressive performers.

There have been no links as of yet, but perhaps Liverpool could now be regretting their decision to cast Shelvey aside.

Many big European clubs sell players on only to buy them back, so the possibility of the midfielder heading to Anfield once again cannot be completely ruled out, and here are FIVE reasons a move next year could make sense…

One of England’s brightest talents

From being a somewhat reckless central midfielder, Shelvey has really blossomed under the guidance of Garry Monk. The 23-year-old has added a real sense of discipline to his game, with the acts of petulance – as shown when he ranted at Sir Alex Ferguson when sent off for Liverpool against Manchester United – and his often wayward positioning having bee ironed out. In fact, there is an argument to suggest that he’s England’s most promising central player, with rivals such as Jack Wilshere, Ross Barkley and Fabian Delph all possessing weaknesses ranging from fitness concerns right through to a lack of playing time at club level.

Versatility in midfield

Through the early stages of his career Shelvey was often deployed as a more advanced central midfielder, but as he’s matured he’s grown more comfortable sitting a little deeper. Although by no means a defensive shield, the former Charlton Athletic youth prodigy can operate as one of a more reserved central midfield two, which could be of use at Liverpool with James Milner and Jordan Henderson Brendan Rodgers’ favoured pairing behind an attacking midfield three.

That said, he could be used in a more advanced role should Rodgers bring him back, with Shevley’s range of passing and power on the ball useful tools around the edge of the box.

Has matured

There’s no denying that Shelvey’s game has settled down. Perhaps in his younger years he got carried away with his own hype, and last season’s comments from Monk surrounding “laziness” on the pitch seem to have really hit home. Now Shelvey is more of a calming influence in midfield, which is a far cry from the all-action, whirlwind flying around the pitch, fighting fires and getting into trouble – both in terms of positioning and in a disciplinary sense.

Now he could fit into a Rodgers team, with the youngster’s apparent lack of game intelligence during the one season they spent together perhaps the biggest issue

A goal threat

Although by no means prolific Shelvey does carry a certain goal threat. The majority of the midfielder’s work is done in the centre of the pitch, recycling the ball and feeding attackers, but he does have a penchant for the spectacular when it comes to scoring. His effort against Aston Villa in 2014 springs to mind, with Shelvey controlling a poor Ron Vlaar clearance before half-volleying the ball over a stranded Brad Guzan.

The youngster has nine league goals to his name for Swansea, which is a fairly respectable tally over the course of just over two seasons given his age

Point to prove

Should Shelvey return to Anfield, he would surely come back with a point to prove. During his time at the club Liverpool were, arguably, at their lowest ebb in recent memory and some fans were critical of his hot-headedness and tendency to wander from his set position.

In truth a move to a club of the Reds’ stature probably came too soon for Shelvey, who has been able to mature at Swansea out of the spotlight and under the guidance of a manager who has had time to work with him. Should he head back to Merseyside, the London-born star could be in a better place to compete for a starting berth and use the experience gained at the Liberty Stadium to illustrate his progress.

Fourth from bottom and only a point above the relegation zone sounds like a precarious position for Newcastle to be in after more than three months of the season.

But the truth is that it’s progress from where they found themselves just a few short weeks ago.

Steve McClaren has now posted two wins as Newcastle boss as the Magpies have clawed their way out of the Premier League relegation zone, but there’s still a long way until May.

What will have most concerned Newcastle fans – and, they hope, their board – was the manner in which they beat Bournemouth last weekend. Newcastle were outplayed and frankly outclassed by newly promoted opposition who have been ravaged by injury and lost pretty much all of their key players.

That should, we hope, be enough to spark the Newcastle transfer machine into action, and even though they spent quite a bit of money in the summer, the risk of going down and the financial meltdown that would come of that is surely much worse than spending money in January.

With that in mind, here are five transfer rumours that Newcastle have been linked with over the last few weeks that might rear their heads again in January as Steve McClaren tries to stave off the relegation battle at St James’s Park…

Andy Carroll

I’m sure that Newcastle fans wouldn’t hate the idea of bringing the big man back home again. But certainly not if the fee involved were high.

Carroll is a gamble given his recent injury lay-offs, and if Newcastle were to pay over about £10m for the England striker they’d certainly be worried about the return they’d get on their investment.

Having said that, Newcastle have struggled for goals somewhat this season, so bringing in a man who has proved he can find the net in the Premier League may not be bad business for a club seemingly going in the wrong direction in the Premier League.

Victor Valdes

Tim Krul’s injury lay-off has really just rubbed salt into Newcastle’s wounds this season. The Dutch keeper is one of the best in the league on his day, and Newcastle’s saviour on a regular basis. But losing him not only means losing one of the best players in the squad, but it also means losing the man who breeds confidence in his back four.

A goalkeeper with a proven track record in Victor Valdes might be the best way forward, even if Rob Elliot had a great game against Bournemouth.

Tom Lees

With Newcastle’s defensive record standing on a par with those around them in the table, it’s no surprise that they’re right down at the bottom of the table. Newcastle aren’t scoring enough and they’re conceding too much, which is the kind of stat that makes football seem easy.

But in a way it is, when you’re conceding too many goals you need to shore up at the back, and Tom Lees has been putting in some sterling performances for Sheffield Wednesday this season at centre back, and is a target for other Premier League clubs too.

A January move for a young Championship centre back may not be the solution to Newcastle’s defensive woes, but it would add impetus for the rest of the season and maybe keep the others on their toes, and bringing in a player who’s on form may not be such a bad idea at the moment, considering how low things must be at St James’s Park just now.

Andros Townsend

Once labeled England’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Andros Townsend hasn’t really managed to hit those heights in the Premier League. Or on the international scene either. Actually it’s probably best to scrap that label altogether.

But just because he’s no Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t mean he isn’t a good, promising player who could have a big role to play for club and country given the hard work and little bit of luck that every top player needs. And his link to Newcastle might be a good thing for him and for the club.

He’d bring a directness, a pace and a power to Newcastle that they’re lacking at the moment, and his influence on the team might just help them climb out of trouble.

Jannik Vestergaard

Linked with Vestergaard over the summer, Newcastle might be back in for another try. It looks like Steve McClaren likes the look of the Danish centre half, and with Werder Bremen’s recent financial worries, they might be open to letting Vestergaard leave in January.

He’s big defender who would bring solidity and a much-needed height to Newcastle’s side, although they might face stiff competition from Everton for his signature.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has urged former boss Arsene Wenger to spend wisely in the January transfer market to have any chances of challenging for the title, Daily Star reports.

The Gunners dropped down to fourth place in the Premier Leauge after a poor weekend, in which they were beaten 2-1 by West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthornes.

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However, the biggest blow for Arsenal and Wenger is the loss of Francis Coquelin, who is expected to be sidelined for at least three months after picking up a knee injury in the first half.

To make matters worse, his substitute Mikel Arteta also had to walk off with his own injury, leaving the Frenchman with only a handful of midfielders to pick for their Champions League clash against Dinamo Zagreb this Tuesday.

And Wright, who is the club’s second all-time top scorer, has urged Wenger to spend big during the winter to help solve the issue and propel them to become English champions.

“When Francis Coquelin went down at The Hawthorns on Saturday, you could hear the groans from Gunners fans around the world,” he wrote for The Sun.

“That’s how important the Frenchman has been to Arsenal… and that’s how massive the blow is to their chances of lifting the Premier League.

“So, of course, something needs to be done in January.

“But what is as important is that when, I sincerely hope it is a ‘when’ and not an ‘if’, Arsene signs he gets the right man.

“By that I mean someone who will genuinely bring something to the table, rather than simply fill in around the edges.

“I don’t intend to put any more pressure on Arsene with this, because he’s under enough already January is clearly his most important transfer window in years and years.

“If he can bring in the right man —or men —then it could make a world of difference to whether Arsenal can go all the way, because they’re still right in the mix.”

After the game in Croatia, the Gunners will travel to Carrow Road to play Norwich on Sunday.

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Earlier this week, we learned Ramires has joined Jiang Suning for a massive £25m. While the 28-year-old Brazilian impressed many during his time with the Blues, he has only started in seven fixtures this season.

Ramires joins a long list of his international team-mates  who currently play in China, and will be the 24th Brazilian international in the Super League. This list includes Paulinho, Fernandinho and Renato Augusto, among many others. Last week it looked as if Brazilian striker Luiz Adriano would be joining Jiang Suning, too, but talks fell through after contract complications arose.

It’s not just Brazilian talent that the Chinese are attracting. Over the past couple of years the Super League has lured Europe’s top talent to their wealthy clubs. Demba Ba, Paulinho, Mohammad Sissoko and Alessandro Diamanti all left for China straight from Europe’s elite leagues.

Even ex-Arsenal man Gervinho has joined the party, signing for Hebei China Fortune from Roma for roughly £14m. The 28-year-old Ivorian scored 17 goals with Roma in his stay with the Italian club, including netting six in the 14 fixtures he’s played this season.

Even some of football’s top managers have made the move to China. Felipe Scolari, Mano Menezes, Alberto Zaccheroni, Gregorio Manzano and Vanderlei Luxemburgo have all gone to the Far East. Familiar face Sven-Goran Eriksson leads Shanghai SIPG and has recently noted that he plans to make attempts to sign the likes of Wayne Rooney and John Obi-Mikel. Eriksson has already signed the likes of Ba and Asamoah Gyan. Gyan, who earns around £247,000 a week, is now one of the world’s highest paid footballers earning wages similar to those picked up by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

If the Shanghai side can afford to put Gyan as one of the world’s highest players, it’s crazy to think what they would be willing to pay Europe’s top players like Rooney. Much of this money comes from the multi-billion dollar corporations that own a host of the teams and it doesn’t appear that the spending will stop any time soon. China is determined to see the growth of their league and they have even seen a rise in advertising sales and attendance since the large spending has started. One has to wonder will this be a fad or is China one of the next competitive leagues? Will they be able to retain these players for long-term spells in China?

The Super League saw former Chelsea strikers Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka make moves in 2012, only to see them back in Europe at their first chance. It is important to note that Drogba went back to Europe before his contract expired because he claimed that he was not actually receiving the money he was promised.

While much of the attention on emerging leagues and spending has focused on Major League Soccer in the United States, you can’t ignore the wealth the Chinese clubs have and the star power they are currently attracting and targeting. While the skill level of their current superstars is not necessarily among the world’s elite and they may be overpaying for players, the Super League’s recent signings show that they are not shy about opening up the chequebook to make their league more attractive. It will be interesting to see if wealth can be more attractive to players than the opportunity to play in historically competitive European leagues.

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The talk surrounding Newcastle United has naturally centred around the influx of new players who joined the club’s fight against relegation over the course of the January transfer window.

Frankly, it is imperative that the Toon Army retain their top flight status after such a heavy investment over the past two windows. Should nightmare strike in the North East, the club will not need to look far to see just how severe the consequences of that can prove to be.

Leeds United are a prime example of that, who are now entering their eleventh season outside of the Premier League and never far from the next soap opera.

However, the Whites are in a rather unique position. They remain a huge club, with a large fan base and represent an ideal home for young players at top flight teams to get to grips with plying their trade in big sides.

Newcastle United can learn an awful lot from Leeds as a club as a whole, though perhaps some of their young players can too.

With that in mind, here are FIVE Newcastle players Leeds should sign on loan…

EMMANUEL RIVIERE

The Whites have mustered only 12 goals at Elland Road all season and often struggle to command a foothold on proceedings. A lot of the time, Evans’ side look like the away team, even when playing at home.

Emmanuel Riviere may be a difficult deal to pull off, but the Frenchman is rotting away on Steve McClaren’s bench. With Seydou Doumbia now in the side, as well as £13.5m Aleksandar Mitrovic and the soon-to-be-returning Papiss Cisse, competition for places is intense.

He was reportedly a target for French sides last month, though a deal ultimately failed to materialise. A move to Elland Road could help restore the former Monaco man’s confidence.

YOAN GOUFFRAN

Another Frenchman not doing a whole lot at St. James’ Park right now is Yoan Gouffran. Again, wages may be an issue, but he’s a player who’s been linked with Championship clubs recently, making a move appear to be more realistic than first thought.

Though recently deployed as a makeshift central midfielder, the former Bordeaux man is most comfortable when playing on the wings. By no means a flimsy wide man, the 29-year old has a physical edge that can serve him well in the Championship.

ROLANDO AARONS

Thrust into the side recently due to the injury crisis dogging Steve McClaren, the impending returns of Paul Dummett and Kevin Mbabu should spell the end of Rolando Aarons’ tenure as a left-back.

A hugely promising talent, the England U20 international has seen a series of injuries seriously hamper his season. Certainly a player for the fans to enjoy, the 20-year-old has earned rave reviews when acting in his natural role as a left winger.

In order to get back on track, and return to the ‘thrillingly incisive’ form he showed at times last term, a brief spell away from the North East could do him the world of good.

CALLUM ROBERTS

Callum Roberts desperately needs a spell in the Football League. The 18-year-old winger has struggled to string any sort of momentum together due to a series of injuries.

The only way he can develop and realise the sort of potential he’s shown in glimpses for the Magpies’ under-21 side is a run in a first-team. His surging runs would excite the crowd and give Whites boss Steve Evans a naturally talented wide option to provide service for his struggling attack.

CURTIS GOOD

While we’ve talked about Leeds require going forward, it’s important to remember that their backline has not fared a whole lot better this year.

With Sol Bamba out of the side, there is room to bring another defensive option into the side. Australia international Curtis Good cannot get much of a look in with the Toon Army and, at 22 years of age, needs to kick on.

Perhaps some experience in the heart of Leeds’ defence can help the former Dundee United loanee realise his potential.

Louis van Gaal is, shall we say, not universally popular at Manchester United. Upon his arrival after an impressive World Cup campaign with the Netherlands in 2014, the experienced Dutchman was seen as a saviour by many, with his no-nonsense attitude, know-how at the highest level and contacts within the game akin to Sir Alex Ferguson – sweet relief after the David Moyes era.

Initially all looked fairly well. Yes, the football played for large chunks of last season was not on the sort of level one may expect given the vast spending, but the Red Devils got back into the Champions League and enjoyed some standout results along the way. Alas, patience has run out this term, with chants of “attack, attack, attack” having been widespread over the winter, while elimination from a relatively straightforward European group frustrated many.

Recent weeks have been filled with calls for Van Gaal to be dismissed at the end of the season, or perhaps even before, but is sacking him the real answer? Maybe not, and here are FIVE reasons keeping LVG may actually work out for the best…

Building a sense of identity

Manchester United are in a difficult period. Under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson everyone knew what the club was about. The Scot’s massive personality, in some ways, was Manchester United, with his take-no-nonsense approach and attacking philosophy hallmarks of the team he put out. Naturally, the hands of time caught up with him, and he retired from coaching, which has left the club in limbo. The subsequent David Moyes experiment was scrapped after less than a season, and since the Van Gaal has been steering the ship.

Granted, the one and a half years under the Dutchman thus far haven’t been a runaway success, but will tearing up the plan once again work? Any manager that comes in will need backing and will want to make serious changes to the squad, which may well result in another ‘transition’ year. At least with LVG in for next season there will be some stability

Young players are getting a go

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Since arriving at United, Van Gaal has handed debuts to 13 (THIRTEEN) academy players. That’s not bad going considering he’s taken charge of only 87 games, and actually comes through as just shy of one every seven matches. His stall was set out from game one when Tyler Blackett and Jesse Lingard were thrown in, and has continued right up to the goalscoring heroics of Marcus Rashford and the inclusions of Timothy Fosu-Mensah and James Weir.

A cynic may argue that his hand has been forced by having not assembled a deep enough squad, but there’s not getting away from the fact it’s encouraging to see so many young players connected to the club being given a chance… especially when big rivals like Chelsea continually overlook their own talent.

This leads neatly on to the next point…

Is Jose Mourinho the answer?

Well, is he? Okay, the Portuguese tactician almost guarantees instant success and a few trophies, but in three years, or less, United will be back to square one. They say the brightest stars burn out the fastest, and Mourinho embodies this in football management, with his larger than life personality and ability to unite a team behind a single cause successful at first. However, the sheer demand he puts on his players eventually loses it’s effect, as we all saw at Chelsea this season, while his public outbursts will do little to please senior figures at a historic club like United.

Under-stocked squad in the top four?

Two seasons with two top four finishes is entirely possible for United under Van Gaal. Wednesday’s win over Watford, although uninspiring, drew the Red Devils level on points with Manchester City (occupiers of the last Champions League qualification berth right now), making for an interesting last 10 matches. Granted, the Citizens have a game in hand, but Arsenal are only a further four points ahead in third, and currently look unable to string two passes together, let alone two wins!

Van Gaal could then sneak a sub-standard United squad back up to Europe’s top table once again. There’s an argument to suggest that he’s culpable for the lack of strength and depth at his disposal, but to haul a team that’s been reliant of the likes of Lingard on the wing and Daley Blind at centre-back for large chunks of the campaign back into the Champions League would be some going!

Vastly experienced

With a great career behind him, Van Gaal knows what he’s doing. Some United fans may not like him, may not agree with him and may believe that the game has left him behind, but there’s no arguing with his track-record, and in difficult times it’s better to have a manager that has past successes to call upon than an unreliable option, such as Ryan Giggs.

Although the Goodison Park faithful have had the pleasure of witnessing a handful of the Premier League’s most exciting young players at their club on a week-to-week basis, the 2015/16 campaign has so far been massively underwhelming for Everton on the whole, with manager Roberto Martinez under the sort of pressure he’s not experienced since relocating to Merseyside.

The Toffees have clearly failed to put last term’s distinct shortcomings well and truly behind them, and have only really decreased in proficiency since David Moyes’ departure from the club in 2013. And as Romelu Lukaku has certainly banged in the goals at a consistent enough rate so far this season, Martinez’s side really should be faring far better in the English top-flight right in the here and now.

So then, in light of how poorly things have gone for the former Swansea City and Wigan Athletic manager in 2015/16, and Everton’s subsequent reported interest in landing current Manchester City boss, Manuel Pellegrini, for the upcoming league campaign: would the Toffees really excel with the 62-year-old Chilean calling the shots next season, or does their current boss deserve a little more faith from the Goodison Park board?

Well, although Pellegrini has failed considerably when it comes to Man City’s overall domestic performances so far this season, perhaps he nonetheless represents an ideal alternative to Martinez on the back of Everton’s recent stagnation.

Although the expensively assembled Citizens squad has admittedly fallen somewhat short this term after seeing over £100m spent on careless player recruitment – Kevin De Bruyne aside – across the previous summer transfer window, Pellegrini has perhaps performed as well as anybody would have expected down at the Etihad. Money can only take you so far, after all…

The vastly experienced South American tactician has won some important silverware, while helping to continue to move Man City into the modern era. The once lowly Premier League club have certainly maintained their presence among the upper echelons of the English top-flight under Pellegrini, and could even go on to achieve the seemingly impossible and win the Champions League.

Although Martinez does theoretically deserve his fair share of credit for all the relevant positives he has brought to Goodison Park over the past few seasons, the under-fire Spaniard has arguably taken Everton as far as he possibly can after the unmistakable sense of disappointment to wash over the Toffees in 2015/16.

As his counterpart in the Etihad dug-out has worked with several high ranking La Liga outfits during his long-term career and possesses a vast array of significant contacts within the game, and obviously knows what it takes to handle high profile assets on a day-to-day basis, he must arguably go down as the perfect candidate to take Everton forward within the modern era.

On the back of the recent investment to take place behind the scenes at Everton, the Toffees certainly represent an outfit looking to achieve big things in the not too distant future, yet as Martinez possibly lacks the all-round managerial quality to take his current employers successfully on to the next level, perhaps it’s only a matter of time before Everton finally make a change in leadership ahead of the 2016/17 league season.

Although the current feeling of uncertainty to surround Roberto Martinez could admittedly up and disappear if the Spanish tactician manages to go all the way with Everton in the FA Cup this term, Manuel Pellegrini ultimately presents himself a far more suitable option for the club if they really are serious about moving up a level.

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From every major tournament a player emerges into the wider reckoning, and though most times it is hardly from obscurity, their superb showings at the World Cup or EUROs prompts an expensive swoop from a Premier League club or European giant.

Two years ago in Brazil it was James Rodriguez who jumped to the top of Real Madrid’s long list of targets following a clutch of brilliant displays at the biggest audition of them all that was capped off with an unforgettable goal for Colombia. This sudden elevation into the big time is hardly reserved for the superstars-in-waiting either: defender Giancarlo Gonzalez was happily ambling along in Major League Soccer until five imperious performances at the back for Costa Rica en route to an unexpected quarter final placed him on Serie A’s radar. A move to Palermo swiftly followed.

As this summer’s EUROs gets underway every club worth their salt will be closely assessing individuals to see if they can cut it at the very highest level while history suggests there will be at least one player who breaks through from nowhere and puts himself in the shop window.

A degree of caution is required, however, because for every discovery there is a Karel Poborsky or Yuri Zhirkov just waiting to be impulse bought and regretted.

Here are FIVE potential EURO 2016 stars in the making your club should avoid like the plague…

Nicolae Stanciu (Romania)

A number 10 full of impishness and vision who is highly rated in some circles, yet you have to question why the 23 year old remains at Steaua Bucharest despite being one of their leading lights for three seasons now.

Inconsistency is an issue while his small frame may not suit the frenetic demands of the Prem. Three influential games for Romania in Group A won’t change that.

Aleksandr Kokorin (Russia)

Linked to Arsenal last summer the 25-year-old Zenit St. Petersburg forward plays on the right side of a fearsome attacking trio for his country and certainly has the potential to impress in France.

A somewhat lacklustre World Cup in 2014 – where he was expected to shine – reduced his stock but without that burden of expectation great things are possible for the weeks ahead. Let’s hope not though if your club is currently prioritising an upgrade in his position because Russian strikers and the Premier League hardly make for successful bedfellows.

Michy Batshuayi (Belgium)

With a slight revision on the original premise of this feature we present the familiar name of the Marseille’s hit-man, who enjoyed a fantastic campaign in Ligue 1 last term that resulted in 17 goals. The ‘Batsman’ has made it quite clear he is seeking pastures new for 2016/17 a development that sparked an early tussle between Spurs and West Ham for his signature.

So why should your club give this undeniably talented young front-man a swerve should he enjoy a successful EUROs? Because the bidding is already at the £30m+ mark for a player who is still relatively unproven at the highest level.

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Viktor Kovalenko (Ukraine)

A 20-year-old attacking midfielder for Shakhtar Donetsk who has been compared to Kaka (yawn) and presently has the world at his feet this recent inclusion in the Ukrainian squad is certainly one to watch. That is where the interest should end for now though as he is still developing and learning his craft with the fear being an upheaval to a different culture of football might hinder that.

Don’t be surprised if the young blonde schemer upstages Andriy Yamolenko against Northern Ireland, Poland and Germany but the likes of Everton and Spurs would be wise to applaud only for now and keep their wallets in check.

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Anyone from Iceland

This is not meant to be disparaging towards the Icelandic side: if anything it is a compliment. Such has been the terrific team ethic that has taken a country with a population of three million to their first major championship it can be tempting to think that individuals (Gylfi Sigurdsson aside) are better than they are. Any eye-catching performances could – in the long-term – flatter to deceive once taken out of the collective.

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