With the summer transfer window now officially open, we uncover six highly talented young players from across the globe that could make a real impact in the Premeir League next season, although someone will need to sign them first...
Ezequiel Lavezzi
Age: 24
Club: SSC Napoli
Nationality: Argentine
Position: Winger/forward
The versatile Argentine star is one of about four million players to have been labelled as the ‘next Maradona’ – and playing for the club side where Diego enjoyed arguably his most spectacular successes is only part of the reason.
Lavezzi started his career in his native Argentina at CA Estudiantes. After one season he joined CA San Lorenzo de Almagro, before moving to SSC Napoli for €6,000,000 in July 2007.
One of Napoli’s star players, Lavezzi wears the number 7 shirt and is an explosive, creative playmaker. Generally playing quite deep, he will pick up the ball in the midfield and look to drive forward into the opposition box with his amazing speed and dribbling.
He has great pace and acceleration so will always head for goal. His good fitness and strength make him a handful for any defence he faces, although he has been criticised for sometimes being a bit too selfish in and around the box. Much like Wayne Rooney, he is sometimes accused of almost trying to do too much, rather than just sticking to his position.
The 24 year old has been linked with Liverpool and Manchester United over the past six months and could represent a decent replacement for Carlos Tevez at Old Trafford.
Lavezzi impressed the ladies with his range of expert bird calls
Renan Oliveira
Age: 19
Club: Atletico Miniero
Nationality: Brazilian
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Renan Oliveira is technically gifted for his age. He is very comfortable on the ball, possessing excellent close control and the ability twist and turn through the opposition defence with relative ease.
Oliveira may not be the quickest, but he reads the game well and has a good understanding of the movement of team-mates and is often seen playing defence splitting passing to Atletico Minero forwards.
The 19 year old certainly has the potential to be a really explosive player, and the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United – both club’s who have in recent years taken on young South American’s before the hype, and subsequently price tags, grows – could see him as a sound investment.
Ola Toivenen
Age: 22
Club: PSV Eindhoven
Nationality: Swedish
Position: Attacking midfielder/Second striker
Toivenen was, along with striker Marcus Berg, one of the stars of the Sweden side that reached the semi-finals of this summer’s European U21 Championships on their own turf.
He is fast, has a good passing game and a eye for goal from range. Physically and technically one of the best players in the Swedish league, he earned a move to PSV in January, but is already being touted for bigger and better things and is likely to be looking to move to one of Europe’s elite leagues sooner rather than later.
He still has a few flaws in his game to iron out – namely his occasional inconsistency and tendency to lose focus, but his performances for club and country have already caught the eyes of the likes of West Ham, and he could be the latest in a long line of Scandinavian stars to move to the Premier League.
"Arrrgh - hair in the eyes - my one weakness!"
Taison
Age: 21
Club: SC Internacional
Nationality: Brazilian
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Nicknamed ‘Iron Mike’ by his teammates (well, if there’s any justice in the world he would be) - before joining Internacional, Taison nearly signed for rivals Grêmio at the age of 13.
An exciting and gifted right-footed flair player, Taison loves to push forward and attack the opposition defence. Taison is very fast with the ball at his feet and has excellent close control, as well as decent finishing. To continue his development, and to really make an impact in one of Europe’s top leagues, he’ll need to work on his decision-making and possibly his heading.
Already being linked with German side Hoffenheim and Aston Villa, Taison could well make the move to Europe this summer.
Diego Buonanotte
Age: 21
Club: River Plate
Nationality: Argentine
Position: Attacking Midfielder/winger
Diego Buonanotte shot to stardom in his homeland back in October 2007,
when he was handed a debut for River Plate against bitter rivals Boca
Juniors, only one week after coming on as a substitute for the second
time in his career and scoring his first goal at senior level.
A creative attacking central midfielder, predominantly left footed with
good dribbling skills and an eye for goal, the diminutive star can
whisk his way past defenders with ease and was the only home based
player after Riquleme to be selected for the Argentina squad which won
the 2008 Olympics, scoring a spectacular free-kick against Serbia in
the process.
Very skilful, a good finisher, comfortable on the ball and with great
vision – what Buonanotte lacks in size and presence, standing only at
5ft2, he makes up for in raw talent.
The likes of Spurs, Manchester United and Arsenal will probably all be
looking at left wing options over the course of the summer – and could
all certainly do a lot worse than the 21 year old.
"Oi, who you calling short?!"
Alvaro Negredo
Age: 23
Club: Real Madrid
Nationality: Spanish
Position: Striker
A one-time regular of Real Madrid’s B team, a goal record of one in two in Spain’s second tier encouraged La Liga minnows Almeria to move for the striker. And sure enough he repaid them by scoring 13 times in his debut top-flight season. Flash in the pan? Not even close – he scored another 19 in his second year at the Andalusia side.
Real Madrid activated a clause in his contract allowing them to resign the striker for just €5 million, but it’s expected they’ll be looking to sell him straight back out again for a tidy profit.
He’s a big unit at 6ft 1in, strong, good in the air, brilliant at holding the ball up and reads the game superbly – pretty much the perfect fit for the Premier League.
He’s expressed a desire to join Liverpool in recent months, but Spanish duo Villarreal and Valencia said to both be keen to keep him in La Liga, while Marca have this week claimed his agent has spoken to Tottenham about a possible move to White Hart Lane.