20 Players Who Will Prove the Best Sleeper Deals in 2015 Summer Transfer Window
Here are 20 footballers who will prove the best sleeper deals in the 2015 summer transfer window. What is a "sleeper" deal? It is a hypothetical transfer which is likely to go under the radar.
This often means the player involved does not receive enough hype.
The 20 footballers who will subjectively ranked via two main determinants:
- Reputation vs. current playing ability: Does the footballer receive enough credit?
- Potential playing ability: How high is the footballer's upside?
Honourable Mentions
- Godfred Donsah, 18, Cagliari's Ghanaian central midfielder.
- Ryan Thomas, 20, PEC Zwolle's New Zealand left attacking midfielder.
- Neal Maupay, 18, Nice's French centre-forward.
- Sergio Rico, 21, Sevilla's Spanish goalkeeper.
- Alex Gersbach, 17, Sydney FC's Australian left-back.
20. Allan Saint-Maximin
1 of 20Saint-Etienne's French deep-lying forward Allan Saint-Maximin, 17, is one of those players who will probably be snapped up by a major European club, a la Nicolas Anelka.
Saint-Maximin is not a regular starter for Saint-Etienne, nor has he been a consistent contributor as an impact sub in Ligue 1 (two assists from 426 minutes in nine games).
However, the talent is there and when big clubs throw money to bolster their reserve squads, it will be tough for Saint-Maximin to turn that those offers.
19. Trent Sainsbury
2 of 20
PEC Zwolle's Australian centre-back Trent Sainsbury, 23, is one of the most level-headed footballers you will ever see.
He is so composed on the ball, puts himself in great positions to win back possession and is a hard-working player.
PEC Zwolle's scouting staff should be commended for signing such a talented player, who has the potential to play for a bigger club.
18. Mathew Ryan
3 of 20
Club Brugge's Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, 22, is a once-in-a-generation prospect for the Socceroos.
While the career of Borussia Dortmund's Mitchell Langerak has stagnated, Ryan has become a star.
He is the two-time Belgian Pro League goalkeeper of the year.
He was world class during Club Brugge's 0-0 draw against Torino in the UEFA Europa League, making 11 saves.
17. Rubio Rubin
4 of 20
Utrecht's United States deep-lying forward Rubio Rubin, 18, is a fascinating prospect.
He was developed in the United States, comes over to the Netherlands—one of the most technical leagues in the world—and plays as if he is a home-grown Eredivisie player.
Rubin is blessed with extremely quick feet, outstanding technical ability and very high football IQ (tends to make the right decision when he is in advantageous attacking positions).
It is only a matter of time before Europe's elite clubs attempt to poach Rubin from Utrecht.
16. Tom Carroll
5 of 20
Tottenham Hotspur's Swansea City loanee Tom Carroll, 22, is an incredibly gifted footballer.
The English defensive midfielder averages 40.2 passes per game and completes 88.8 percent of his passes.
Per 90 minutes, he would average 68.6 passes per game, so Carroll is a conductor and clubs can trust him to run their midfield.
Now, he may not have a future at Tottenham Hotspur, but he is going to be a star for another club.
15. Jose Mauri
6 of 20
Parma's Argentine-Italian central midfielder Jose Mauri, 18, could be poached by a major club given his club's dire situation.
Parma are bottom of Serie A and headed for relegation (10 points from 23 games), so can they hold on to Mauri, one of the brightest midfield prospects in Europe?
Granted, Mauri's development would be better served with a season in Serie B, where it is likely he would be an undisputed starter.
However, this is a situation big clubs want: a relegated club with no leverage to keep its best young talent.
14. Roland Alberg
7 of 20ADO Den Haag's Dutch central attacking midfielder Roland Alberg, 24, is the midst of a career resurgence.
The Eredivisie is known for having wunderkind talents. Well, Alberg is too old to be considered a prospect.
But what he can do is score, create and be a leader on the field.
He has been involved in 11 combined goals (five goals, six assists) in 21 Eredivisie games.
13. Marco Sportiello
8 of 20
Atalanta's Italian goalkeeper Marco Sportiello, 22, is one of Serie A's most improved players.
While Udinese's Simone Scuffet is enduring adversity, Sportiello is a week-in, week-out starter at Atalanta and is constantly involved in game-saving situations.
Sportiello has made 83 saves in 23 Serie A games this season.
12. N'Golo Kante
9 of 20Caen's French central midfielder N'Golo Kante, 23, is plucky off the ball and deceptively tricky in possession.
You are drawn to Kante's tackling and his interceptions, but he is not a limited No. 6.
When he gets the ball, he is looking to make impactful plays, whether it is a defence-splitting pass or opening up space by taking on opposing defenders.
He was one of the unsung heroes during Caen's 2-2 draw against Paris Saint-Germain.
11. Benjamin Lecomte
10 of 20Lorient's French goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte, 23, is one of the best young goalkeepers in Ligue 1.
This season, he has registered 86 saves in 25 Ligue 1 games.
It was a leap of faith for Lorient to disregard Florent Chaigneau's form last season and automatically instate Lecomte as the new No. 1 this season.
It has turned out to be the right move because he has talent comparable to Hugo Lloris.
10. Pedro Obiang
11 of 20
Sampdoria's Spanish central midfielder Pedro Obiang, 22, should be playing in La Liga, but he has found a home in Italy.
Obiang is in his fourth Serie A season, and it is getting to the point where he is ready to play for a bigger team.
However, the only reason for Obiang to stay is that he has contributed to Sampdoria becoming an outside chance to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
He is a passing outlet in midfield and is developing into a box-to-box threat.
9. Raphael Guerreiro
12 of 20Lorient's Portuguese left-winger/left-back Raphael Guerreiro, 21, is having his best season in professional football.
Can he succeed as a top-flight left-back? It remains to be seen because he tends to have lapses in concentration and his defensive positional sense needs to improve.
However, when deployed further forward, he has been a goal-threat, scoring six times this season.
8. Nemanja Gudelj
13 of 20
AZ's Serbian central midfielder Nemanja Gudelj, 23, plays with Mark van Bommel-esque feistiness.
Van Bommel was a goalscoring midfielder at PSV Eindhoven and Gudelj has flashed scoring moments for AZ.
He is AZ's answer to Van Bommel: high work rate, gritty in defence and forward-thinking on the ball.
7. Jordan Veretout
14 of 20Nantes' French central midfielder Jordan Veretout, 21, can play as a No. 6, 8, or 10.
Technically speaking, Veretout's talent is up there with some of Europe's elite, but he seems to drift out of games.
Veretout would be better suited as a free-roaming central attacking midfielder with no defensive responsibilities.
Like Eric Carriere 14 years ago, Veretout should be a transfer target for some of Europe's major teams.
6. Jordan Amavi
15 of 20Nice's French left-back Jordan Amavi, 20 has a small profile just like Patrice Evra from 2000-02.
Amavi is raising eyebrows with his intense defending and his skill on the ball.
Pound-for-pound, Amavi is one of the toughest players in France, generally always throwing his body into tackles and aerial contests.
Amavi has completed more dribbles (50) than team-mates Alassane Plea (24) and Carlos Eduardo (24) combined (48).
5. Loris Karius
16 of 20Mainz's German goalkeeper Loris Karius, 21, has what it takes to develop into one of the best shot-stoppers of his generation.
Agile, lean and tall, Karius has pulled off some remarkable saves.
Karius has accumulated 75 saves in 20 Bundesliga games this season, so he is on a Marc-Andre ter Stegen-like trajectory.
4. Davie Selke
17 of 20Werder Bremen's German centre-forward Davie Selke, 20, is a very promising player.
Sure, he is not the club's primary option.
Selke is second in goals (five) to Franco Di Santo (10), who not only has revived his career but is doing a Diego Forlan.
However, as Selke is adjusting to the Bundesliga, he has shown agility, an outstanding first touch and world-class potential.
3. Mark Uth
18 of 20Heerenveen's German centre-forward Mark Uth, 23, has gone from Bundesliga discard to one of the best No. 9s in the Eredivisie.
A good left-footed finisher who can also play in his team-mates, Uth is a scorer and creator.
He has scored 13 goals and registered six assists in 22 Eredivisie games this season.
2. Abdul Rahman Baba
19 of 20Augsburg's Ghanaian left-back Abdul Rahman Baba, 20, has emerged as a must-buy option for clubs that are unwilling to make a substantial investment in Wolfsburg's Ricardo Rodriguez.
Right now, Baba is a cheaper alternative to Rodriguez.
The longer Augsburg hold on to Baba, the more likely his reputation will start to enhance like Rodriguez's.
The one advantage Baba has over Rodriguez is ball-winning ability.
| League 2014-15 | Abdul Rahman Baba | Ricardo Rodriguez |
| Tackles Per Game | 4.1 | 1.9 |
| Tackles Per Foul | 4.3 | 2.3 |
| Tackle Success % | 70.9 | 78.9 |
| Interceptions Per Game | 2.8 | 2.9 |
1. Timo Horn
20 of 20Koln's German goalkeeper Timo Horn, 21, has vindicated the club gambling on his upside having replaced Michael Rensing, a former Bayern Munich No. 1.
The undisputed starting goalkeeper with no credible threat (Thomas Kessler is a career backup), Horn's progress will continue to expand unimpeded.
Horn has made 72 saves in 21 Bundesliga games this season and has also shone organising the defence.
When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
