20 Players Who Could Win Big Moves with Huge End to the Season
Here are 20 footballers who could win big moves in the 2015 summer transfer window should they finish the rest of this campaign strongly.
Besides the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Memphis Depay, Paulo Dybala et al., which other footballers will be aiming to have dominant ends of the seasons?
The 20 footballers will be subjectively ranked via current playing ability, upside and transfer stock.
Honourable Mentions
- Roman Burki, 24, Freiburg's Swiss goalkeeper.
- James Ward-Prowse, 20, Southampton's English central/right attacking midfielder.
- Khouma Babacar, 22, Fiorentina's Senegalese centre-forward.
- Kevin Diks, 18, Vitesse's Dutch right-back.
- Caio, 20, Kashima Antlers' Brazilian left-winger.
20. Saido Berahino (West Bromwich Albion)
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West Bromwich Albion's English centre-forward Saido Berahino, 21, is a mercurial talent.
There are only two English footballers who have outscored Berahino (12 goals) in the Premier League this season: Harry Kane (19 goals) and Charlie Austin (15 goals).
Berahino would be ranked higher on this list if not for his inconsistent stretches during the season and his wayward attitude problems.
19. Jonny (Celta Vigo)
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Celta Vigo's Spanish left/right-back Jonny, 21, is flying into tackles and charging forward to intercept passes.
He jumps out to you as the type of no-nonsense full-back you want.
If Cesar Azpilicueta can make the grade at Chelsea, then there is no reason that Jonny can't do a job for a big club.
18. Danny Ings (Burnley)
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Burnley's English centre-forward Danny Ings, 23, has proved he can bring his success in the Championship to the Premier League.
He has scored nine goals and registered four assists in 27 games this season.
He is ready to play for a bigger club than Burnley.
17. N'Golo Kante (Caen)
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Caen's French central midfielder N'Golo Kante, 23, must be one of the most-improved footballers in Europe's elite leagues.
Kante is a workhorse having completed 143 tackles and intercepted 80 passes.
He is not a one-dimensional ball-winning-only footballer. When he is in possession, he can make defence-splitting passes and contributes when Caen go forward.
16. Nikola Maksimovic (Torino)
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Torino's Serbian centre-back Nikola Maksimovic, 23, is supposed to be a defender.
Yet he spends a portion of the game as a quasi-midfielder, controlling the tempo of play and spraying passes around.
Maksimovic has the passing ability of an elite midfielder: completes 86.80 percent of his 53.30 passes per game.
His defensive positioning is still a work in progress, but he should contemplate a positional change to become a central midfielder.
15. Marc Stendera (Eintracht Frankfurt)
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Eintracht Frankfurt's German central attacking midfielder Marc Stendera, 19, could become a household name in the next few years.
He is extremely talented, he possesses vision, his incisive passing is excellent and he works hard to win back the ball.
He averages more tackles per game (2.90) than key passes per game (1.40), which tells you how industrious he is.
14. Morgan Sanson (Montpellier)
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Montpellier's French utility player Morgan Sanson, 20, plays multiple positions, can adjust to different formations and is a team-first footballer.
He is the French James Milner.
Sanson would be an invaluable addition to most major European teams.
13. Sven Van Beek (Feyenoord)
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Feyenoord's Dutch centre-back Sven van Beek, 20, is outstanding when it comes to being a passing outlet at the back.
He completes 89.20 percent of his 66.90 passes per game.
Van Beek is a safe tackler (averages 0.90 fouls per game), but he needs to be more assertive in winning back possession.
If Manchester United do not sign a world-class centre-back, don't be surprised if Louis van Gaal takes a look at Van Beek.
12. Raphael Guerreiro (Lorient)
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Lorient's Portuguese left-winger/left-back Raphael Guerreiro, 21, is fleet-footed, gritty and has great positional sense.
He may not have the natural talent of compatriot Bernardo Silva, but Guerreiro is productive and finds ways of impacting games.
Guerreiro has now scored seven goals and provided three assists in 29 Ligue 1 games.
He has transformed his game from inconsistent left-back to a wide threat.
11. Jose Gaya (Valencia)
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Valencia's Spanish left-back Jose Gaya, 19, is on the same path as Juan Bernat and Jordi Alba.
This leads you to speculate that Gaya could end up at a major club with the same gravitas as Bayern Munich or Barcelona.
It gives you an idea of how phenomenal Valencia have been in giving extended starting runs to young left-backs.
The only problem Gaya has is a tendency to commit unnecessary fouls.
10. Johannes Geis (Mainz)
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Mainz's German defensive midfielder Johannes Geis, 21, is such a talented passer.
When you watch him drop deep and emulate Andrea Pirlo, you react: "Wow!"
However, Geis can be a turnover machine when he is not in form.
He only completes 73.50 percent of his passes.
Despite being a distributor and playing in his team-mates, Geis at times hurts his own team with his reckless passing.
If he is more proficient in possession, he will be a highly sought-after midfielder in the summer transfer window.
9. Tony Jantschke (Borussia Monchengladbach)
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Borussia Monchengladbach's German centre/right-back Tony Jantschke, 24, is Mr. Reliable.
He is to Borussia Monchengladbach what Philipp Lahm is to Bayern Munich.
Jantschke is a big reason why Borussia Monchengladbach have the second-best defence in the Bundesliga (20 goals conceded from 26 league games).
8. Anwar El Ghazi (Ajax)
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Ajax's right forward Anwar El Ghazi, 19, has everything you want in a wide forward.
He possesses pace, strength, dribbling proficiency, goal scoring ability and is a creative outlet. El Ghazi is second at Ajax in Eredivisie goals (nine) and assists (eight) this season.
He is one of the best teenage footballers in Europe right now.
7. Timo Horn (Koln)
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Koln's German goalkeeper Timo Horn, 21, has extraordinary reflexes which have enabled him to record 94 saves in 26 Bundesliga games.
He is just one of a plethora of German goalkeepers with world-class upside.
Horn may not be the biggest name, but he is headed in the right direction, so don't be surprised if he is courted by major European clubs in the summer transfer window.
6. Abdul Rahman Baba (Augsburg)
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Augsburg's Ghanaian left-back Abdul Rahman Baba, 20, has risen to prominence.
He should be a viable alternative to Ricardo Rodriguez.
When you factor in Volkswagen increasing their funding in Wolfsburg, it seems unlikely Rodriguez will be let go any time soon.
Baba is Rodriguez pre-Wolfsburg, except with Bundesliga experience.
If a major European team is interested in Rodriguez, then they should also target Baba, who is a better defender.
5. Roberto Firmino (Hoffenheim)
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Hoffenheim's Brazilian central attacking midfielder Roberto Firmino, 23, possesses Djalminha's trickery and Mauro Silva's tenacity.
What you have in Firmino is a complete footballer.
When you watch him, you instantly know he is a special player. However, he needs to be more consistent and has to continue to improve.
Otherwise, he will just be another good player, rather than a great one.
4. Memphis Depay (PSV Eindhoven)
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PSV Eindhoven's Dutch left forward Memphis Depay, 21, is wired to score like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Unlike Ronaldo, there are question marks over Depay's durability, and he has yet to play out 50 total games in a season.
Fitness issues aside, Depay is a natural scorer, netting 17 goals in 24 Eredivisie games this season.
He is a difference-maker and has the X-factor major European teams want.
3. Paulo Dybala (Palermo)
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Palermo's Argentine centre-forward Paulo Dybala, 21, resuscitated a European career that was headed for failure.
Instead of being to Palermo what Ezequiel Gonzalez was to Fiorentina, Dybala erased two wasted campaigns and approached this season bent on becoming a star.
Twelve goals and seven assists later, Dybala has reclaimed his reputation but lost his friendship with Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini, who feels betrayed.
"I had treated [Dybala] like a son ... I will not speak to [him] again," Zamparini said, per Tuttosport (h/t Sky Sports). "I will appoint a company to negotiate Dybala's sale."
How Dybala finishes this season might dictate the stature of club he signs for in the summer transfer window.
2. Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon)
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Lyon's French centre-forward Alexandre Lacazette, 23, is the most prolific No. 9 in Europe's first-tier leagues this season.
Lacazette has scored 23 goals in 26 Ligue 1 games this season.
If Lacazette sustains his world-class form, expect Lyon to be open to inflated transfer bids, a la selling Florent Malouda, Florian Maurice, Karim Benzema, Mahamadou Diarra, Michael Essien et al.
1. Allan Marques (Udinese)
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Udinese's Brazilian central midfielder Allan Marques, 24, is one of the most dominant footballers in Europe.
Whenever he plays, he runs the show for Udinese.
He tackles hard, he can zip past opposing players and he has the capability of completing incisive passes.
He possesses the mentality of Arturo Vidal but lacks the goals and assists, which would increase Allan's reputation.
When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com.
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