CHRISTIAN ATSU

Who is he? Where does he play?

Another product of Porto's comprehensive scouting network is the Ghanaian born Atsu, signed as a 17 year old and allowed to progress in the club's youth ranks, he won the Best Young Player award for the 2010/2011 season.

He's still in the youth side?

After winning that honour, he was farmed out to Rio Ave where he made 31 appearances for the big river club, scoring 6 times and assisting four goals. Atsu was then considered in a bit-part role for Porto, making 17 appearances, mostly as a sub, as cover for Sylvesre Valera on the left hand side of Porto's three-pronged attack.

Left-winger then is he?

Mostly yes, although he can play anywhere across Paulo Fonseca's front 3. A left-winged touchline hugger is his role though, often relied upon to come onto the field late and punish the weary legs of tiring defences with his lighting pace, particularly in the Champions League. It is his speed that gives his markers nightmares, the type of ones that bite into the conscious and keeps you scared for days, such is his devastation in turning to sprint away from his man. It's not just his pace, but his terrific skill that beats defenders in 1vs1 situations; one blink and BOOM! he's past you, turning on the afterburners on his way to goal. 

He'll have a bright future for Porto then?

Atsu's contract expires next summer and he has so far been less co-operative than an undisciplined child on a shopping expedition with his mother, refusing to sign a new deal. So, he finds himself on the naughty step, that being the exile of the transfer market as Porto have little choice but to cash in on their contract rebel. Or they can roll the dice and risk losing him for zilch next summer, or even on a pre-contract agreement to a foreign club in January. It's their choice.

We suppose he'll be little short of suitors?

Oh no, with the prospect of a deal done on the cheap, Atsu is very much in demand so there is little worry about that. Liverpool want him, Everton want him, as do Sporting Lisbon and Benfica, but it is Spurs who seem to be the most genuinely interested, having been linked with him earlier in the summer before recently rekindling their fondness as the sale of Gareth Bale looms large. It is believed the north London club can lure him away from the Dragao for just £5 million. BARGAIN! Or even for as little as £1 million..... DOUBLE BARGAIN!!!!!

To White Hart Lane it is then?

Maybe, but probably not in direct replacement for the potentially Madrid-bound Bale. Atsu is more directly comparable to Aaron Lennon, the quicker, wider, more conventional of Spurs' wingers. What Astu will bring is a clever use of the ball in the final third which very rarely sees him misplace a pass and gives him an intelligent ability to thread a delightful through-ball. It'll all be coming to a league nearer to you, either this summer, or the next.

KYRIAKOS PAPADOPOULOS

Who is he? Where does he play?

He is a versatile Greek 21 year old centre-defender playing in Germany with Schalke. However, he's not your ordinary Greek 21 year old centre-defender, oh no. There is something you should know about Papadopoulos, he's crazy!!

Crazy!? In what way?

Schalke fans call him "verruckt", "crazy" in English and he departed Olympiakos, with whom he impressed through the youth set-up, by saying they were just a "stepping stone" in his career. Normal Greek players see Olympiakos as the zenith of the Greek game, but Papadopoulos clearly isn't normal, the man who believed his talent that much he gave Greek coach Fernando Santos a dressing down in front of the team when he was left out of the first two games of the Euro 2012 tournament.

Nothing wrong with a bit of self-belief...

Not when you are just on the fringes of the national side and have to accept your position as a youngster. Though he did make his breakthrough in the tournament, in the final group game with Russia, and concreted his position in the side since then, he already has 16 caps. Stavros Drakoularakos, a writer for Greece's largest sports website Sport24, sees him as a "captain of the future" for the national side, but he would probably tell you he is ready to be captain now".

So is he right to be that egotistical?

Being tall, powerful and quick, it would take a bold soul to argue against his inflated hubris. He challenges for every high ball, winning 30 of his 36 aerial duels in the Bundesliga last season as well as 36 of his 37 tackles which gave him the second highest tackle-success rate in the German top division. If that is not indicative enough of his imposing solidity, he also topped the clearances-per-game chart with 6.51 and the interceptions-per-game chart with 3.77. Drakoularakos is a critic of his passing, saying he "needs to work on his distribution to become one of the best defenders in Europe", though an 89% pass completion rate this season suggests he already adept at building the ball from the back.

He probably would have had an even more successful season had knee surgery obliterated the second half of his campaign. 

Liverpool are closing in on him, we believe?


Yes they are, Brendan Rodgers seeing the Greek as a potentially gifted addition to his back four, with his electric pace also allowing him to implement the higher-defensive line he has been so-far unable to utilise since taking over at Anfield. Though with Schalke having qualified for the Champions League, the player's agent Paul Koutsoliakos has said he is "perfectly happy to remain in Gelsenkirchen, though he seems to have his heart set on a move to Merseyside having traveled over to watch them play Fulham in the closing game of the season. 

The Sun believe he will cost around £15 million and Liverpool will face competition from Athletico Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City

STEFAN DE VRIJ

Who is he? Where does he play?

The Netherlands will be hugely excited by the emergence of Feyenoord's 21 year old centre-half. The heady days of Jaap Stam and Ruud Kroll have been replaced by the mediocre times of Joris Mathijsen and Johnny Heitinga. But now, brace yourselves, because it's the time of the solid, imposing De Vrij.

So what does he offer at the back?

A remarkable positional sense that allows for a high interception rate and an impressive ability for man-marking such is his fine reading of the game. His intelligence has been the defining feature behind his quick rise through the Feyenoord youth set-up, being allowed to skip the under-16s before representing the under-17s immediately. Since emerging in the full-team in 2009, De Vrij is now club captain after Ron Vlaar departed for Aston Villa.

One for the future then?

Very much so, and now. Not only does De Vrij cut an extremely resolute and firm figure at the back, his 6ft 2 inch frame allowing him to be a major force in the air, but he is also adept at playing the ball out from the back, like all good Dutch centre-halves are expected to do. He can block, tackle, pass the ball effectively short and long and he has already represented Feyenoord 116 times, so he has experience to compliment his footballing qualities.

Almost the perfect-centre half then?

Luis Van Gaal certainly seems to think so, having called the centre-half up to the provisional Netherlands squad for last year's European Championship. After missing the cut, De Vrij returned to play in a friendly against Belgium before installing himself as the first choice centre-back in Van Gaal's current set-up. He also won the Thorbecke Lyceum Sports Talent award back in 2009, which we won't explain, we'll just let you read about it.

Feyenoord finished 3rd didn't they? Will he be off?

With Everton and Liverpool both interested, you probably would think so and a move did seem likely to happen before the 21 year old showed a decent sense of logic by signing a new deal with Feyenoord, allowing him another year in the familiar setting of the EreDivisie before next summer's World Cup. If his form continues, he will be in Brazil. Keep an eye out for this talented, complete centre-half.

If you can't wait until then, watch this video.

WILFRIED BONY

Who is he? Where does he play?

He is Vitesse Arnhem's 24 year old Ivorian striker who has been scoring goals for fun over in Holland. A strapping lad at 6ft and weighing 85kg, defenders in the Dutch league may be getting a reprieve as he is linked with a move away from the Gelredome as his scintillating form has forced clubs from around Europe to sit up and take notice of his availability.

24? That's a bit old for us isn't it?

Perhaps, but when you're scoring 31 goals in 28 games in your second full season in a new league, it is hard to ignore. Bony is powerful, able to throw defenders around with his robust physical strength which also makes him a force in the air. He is not particularly quick, but he is adept at finding space with good movement, or even by shrugging defenders off in order to link the play. The defending in the Dutch league affords him a lot of space from which to work his quality, allowing him to make chances for himself and find space in the box.

This is what his game is about

Ivorian, big, powerful, plentiful scorer of goals, there is no surprise in the fact he is often described as the "new Didier Drogba".

Would that bode well for the future?

It remains to be seen. Scoring goals in the EreDivisie is good, but Afonso Alves, Middlesbrough's Brazilian figure of mockery, was potent, as was Bas Dost and Luuk De Jong who have both moved on to Germany. Bony's sheer athleticism and powerful strength will stand him in good stead against continental defences, but he may struggle against improved markers who will reduce the space he is allowed to produce his quality. 

The surprise at Bony's form is best summed up by this Dutch football blog, who indicated some may think he was on drugs if he was a cyclist. 70% conversion rate??? Test him for doping...

Will he move on in the summer?

Aston Villa had an £8 million bid rejected for him last summer before they moved for fellow striking powerhouse Christian Benteke, whilst Liverpool have also shown an interest. After signing from Sparta Prague for 4 million Euros, hitting 46 goals in 63 games and becoming a regular for the Ivory Coast with 18 caps, they should be prepared to make a substantial profit on the one they call "the African Hulk". He has also been linked with Chelsea and West Ham as the Premier League calls for another physically dominant force. 

VIKTOR FISCHER

Who is he? Where does he play?

He's Ajax's talented Danish youngster who is not Christian Eriksen. At 18, is 3 years younger than his fellow countryman but the similarities are clear. He can play as a centre-forward, or in his more natural role on the left side of a three-pronged attack. Like all good graduates from the famed academy in Amsterdam, Fischer is blessed with the basics of close control and astounding balance.

Ajax definitely like their Danes don't they?

They certainly do. After Frank Arnesen, Soren Lerby, Michael Laudrup and Jesper Gronkjaer have passed through history, Fischer has joined Eriksen and Nicolai Boilesen at the Amsterdam ArenA has Ajax's future looks eternally bright. The ex-Midtjylland teenager is tipped to be one of the most promising talents however, with his pace, technical ability and vision making him an awesome attacking force at such a tender age. He can play as a number 10, but the Dutch club view him as better feeding off the work of a play-maker, hence his impressive tally of 10 goals from 21 games so far this season.

So he plays out on the left?

He does, playing alongside the wonderfully gifted Eriksen, he has helped Ajax go four points clear at the top of the EreDivisie with performances which showcase his superb ability. He has earned comparisons to Dennis Bergkamp after scoring this lovely chip. He can finish chances off well and create them with skill and poise, starting out on the left but popping up in various positions as manager Frank De Boer urges fluency and cohesion in his 4-3-3. He is a nightmare to mark given his fantastic balance and wizardry on the ball.

All this at 18?

Yep, it's frightening right? After coming from Midtjylland for a fee of 1.3 million euros in 2011, he helped Ajax reach the final of the Next-Gen series in 2011 before De Boer saw fit to promote him into the senior side, saying he reminded him of Barcelona's midfield magician Andres Iniesta. He has been slowly immersed into the side since then as Ajax remain cautious with his progression, though he has won the prestigious Ajax Talent of the Year award for this campaign. He can drift into space, dribble from deep and finish chances off with unerring composure, but remember, he's only 18! Just take a minute to marvel at that if you will.

We'll see the name much more often then?

We almost definitely will. Ajax's business model will probably dictate his sale but given his burgeoning career in Amsterdam, he will be in no rush to move on. It is indicative of his growing reputation on the continent that Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and AC Milan have all been linked with the 18 year old.

With 2 caps for the Denmark national team and at a club that will afford him first team chances to aid his progression, it is hard to see why Fischer would leave in a World Cup year. But he surely will be a huge talent to keep an eye out for.

CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN

Who is he? Where does he play?

He is the 21 year old quick-footed attacking midfielder who, after emerging at Odense in Denmark, went to Ajax to receive the latter years of his football education and it shows. Two footed and skillful, it looks emphatically like the Ajax print of footballing genius is marked on him somewhere, perhaps on his lower back or his shoulder.

I think we've heard of him before

You may have done, he's been in the Ajax first team since breaking through as an 18 year old back in 2010 and has already represented Denmark at the World Cup of 2010 (where he was the youngest player at the tournament) and Euro 2012. In a friendly match with England in 2011, Eriksen proved his quality with a man of the match performance in which he hit the crossbar and left Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand salivating over his talent.

High praise indeed... so what can he do?

He is in the same mould of Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere in the way he can sit comfortably in central-midfield and burst forward to create in attack. The Dane is brilliant at turning away from his markers with his slight 5ft 9 inch frame offering an impressive level of balance, and he can easily thread a pass through the eye of a needle to make chances for others. In this year's Champions League he tallied 4 assists in 6 games.

Can score too?

He can. 10 goals this season has bought his total tally up to 27 but with a grand total of 48 assists so far in his short career, it is clear where his prowess lies. He has the tricks, the poise, the direction to beat defenders in order to offer a big threat in the final third. His recent goal against Waalwijk, in which he cut in from the left across two men before shooting with his right foot, is indicative of what he can do. He can also play centre-forward too, in that new-fangled "false-nine" position tactics-enthusiasts all seem to love.

Ajax have financial problems don't they, will he have to leave?

You are correct again, well done! Yes they do, and Eriksen has already sent the transfer rumour mill crazy by stalling on a new contract.  It does look like a move beckons for the young Dane in the summer as clubs including Spurs, who reportedly made a move for him last August, queue up over themselves to pluck the player who has drawn comparisons to previous Danish genius Michael Laudrup.

Liverpool?

Yep, well he's technically gifted, young, able to play in a variety of positions and can attack with devastating force, so Brendan Rodgers is inevitably being linked. Eriksen is contracted to 2014 at Ajax so he won't be available for free, but a club may be able to lure him away for a reduced price given the uncertainty over his contract.

PHILIPPE COUTINHO

Who is he? Where does he play?

If you haven't been living under a rock for the past week or so and have managed to catch a glimpse at the back page of any tabloid, you wouldn't need to answer that question. He is of course, Inter Milan's attacking midfielder who Liverpool have taken an interest in, having made a bid, seen it rejected, then decided to go back in for another bid.

Interesting... you wanna tell us more?

Definitely. Coutinho is a 20 year old Brazilian who can operate in behind the striker and having flirted with a cheeky move for Turkey-bound Wesley Sneijder, the Rodgers revolution sees the youngster as the perfect fit for the mould of exciting technical talent that is now the Anfield idyll. Rodgers went in with an initial £6 million bid which was knocked back by Inter and, like a persistent squirrel jumping for an out of reach nut, has bought the big guns out of the accountant to the tune of £8 million.

£8 million? Rodgers is a bit of a big spender.

Shirley Bassey wasn't singing about the Anfield boss but he is certainly becoming flash with the cash having already snaffled Daniel Sturridge earlier this month for £12 million. There is no doubting Coutinho is worth it though, Inter president Massimo Moratti said he was the "future of Inter" after joining from Vasco De Gama aged 18. He has gone on to become one of the most highly rated youngsters in Serie A and a full Brazilian international.

Good player then?

You can say that yes, Coutinho is two-footed, dangerous in a variety of attacking positions, able to play left, right or through the middle and his adaptability and movement makes him as difficult to mark as one of the FBI's most wanted. His intelligent positioning and high-work rate allows for some good pressing on opposition defenders in order for his team to win the ball back high up the field.

Can he play in the Premier League?

His creative quality in the final third will suit Rodgers's attacking, ball-friendly philosophy at Liverpool, but a lot of injuries has interrupted his development somewhat as Inter have done a lot of fitness work in order to bolster the player's physical strength to cope with the rigours of Serie A. He has built into a strong, tricky midfielder however but work needs to still be done on unconvincing finishing and sometimes dribbles that have no end-product. 

You can read more about Coutinho's development and current ability here 

GERARD DEULOFEU

Who is he? Where does he play?

He is another one of those ultra-brilliant teenagers made from the fairy dust they have in large supply over at Barcelona's much-fawned-over La Masia academy. He is 18 years of age and plays as a centre forward or a winger which earn him inevitable comparisons to....

Let me guess.. Lionel Messi?

Nope, surprisingly not, with people preferring to liken the skillful Deulofeu to the buck toothed Brazilian wizard Ronaldinho instead. The Spanish youngster picked up that moniker around La Masia aged 14 and the hype has continued up to the present day where he is on the fringes of Tito Vilanova's squad at 18 years old. The hype over his talent has also been spotted by Nike, who handed him a salary of 150,000 euros back when he was a wee nipper, just 4 years ago, making him the sportswear giant's biggest sponsorship gamble since....

Let me guess.. Lionel Messi?

Yes, this time you're correct! Have yourself a gold star.

Perhaps not as audaciously talented as the Argentinean, though Deulofeu has some of the same characteristics at youth level. Often able to whiz past 4-5 players and beat a startled goalkeeper with consummate ease, his skill and trickery bamboozled so many as he helped Spain breeze to under-19 European Championship glory in the summer. His awesome form for Barcelona B this season, which has seen him net 7 goals in 11 games, convinced Vilanova he was worthy of fighting for a spot among his juggernaut, and so he got a short run out vs Spartak Moscow in the Champions League.

Convinced Vilanova?

To a degree yes. The new Barca boss was reported to be mulling over the idea of shipping the young striker out on loan with a desperate Liverpool lurking, but after a couple of short appearances under his predecessor Pep Guardiola, curiosity got the better of him and so he was kept on. Curiosity about such hype that saw Nike throw money at him when he was 12. Such hype that so many people call him a future Ballon D'Or winner.

Good then, so why doesn't he play more?

Good question. You'd think that Barcelona of all places wouldn't be averse to giving an opportunity to a youngster, especially one as brilliantly gifted as this young fellow. But there is a claim that Deulofeu is perhaps struggling with an over-sized ego, a character that knows he is good too much and likes to over-indulge in his talents. For more, read this, there is a over-hanging feeling that Gerard may not realise his potential due to his characteristic flaws.