EPL Transfer Rumours: 10 Future Stars Who Could Be Arriving
Along with the Wesley Sneijders and the Alexis Sanchezes of the world, there are a horde of players relatively unheard of who are reportedly on their way into the Premier League this summer.
These newbies are the potential stars of tomorrow and could turn out to be incisive investments for the club they're linked with.
So here's a list of 10 prospective Chicharitos of the future:
10. Moussa Sow
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Position: Striker
Age: 25
Value: £20m
Clubs Interested: Arsenal
Moussa Sow is a French-born Senegalese striker who plays for Ligue 1 side Lille.
He is one of the prime reasons Lille won the French league last season and top-scored with 25 goals.
The £20m-rated striker is a potential target for Arsenal, who are on the lookout for an imposing front man. He has also been linked with several top clubs across Europe.
Sow has two years left on his current deal with Lille and according to Sky Sports, the French champions are looking to extend his stay at Stade Lille-Metropole.
9. Leandro Damiao
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Position: Striker
Age: 21
Value: £12m
Clubs Interested: Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal
Leandro Damiao is a Brazilian striker who plies his trade with Internacional. He scored 22 goals in 24 appearances for the Brazilian club last season.
The Spurs are front-runners to sign the £12 million rated-Damiao but could face stiff competition from North London neighbors Arsenal who are also sniffing around the striker.
Remember, Damiao made his international debut at the Emirates against Scotland in March.
8. Romelu Lukaku
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Position: Striker
Age: 18
Value: £20m
Clubs Interested: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur
The young Belgian international has scored 31 goals in 71 matches for Anderlecht.
Chelsea have been negotiating terms with the Belgian Pro League side for quite some time now, and a deal could be announced shortly.
However, BBC Sports reports that Anderlecht have been approached by several other clubs for the striker.
7. Cristian Zapata
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Position: Center-back
Age: 24
Value: £13m
Clubs Interested: Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal
Cristian Zapata is a Colombian center-half who plays for Italian club Udinese.
The Liverpool target can also operate as a full-back on either wing and can play with both his feet.
According to The Daily Mail, Liverpool are close to capturing the £13m rated-defender after missing out on Phil Jones to Manchester United.
The 25-year-old is expected to arrive in a five-year deal worth £60,000 a week.
6. Kevin De Bruyne
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Position: Midfielder
Age: 19
Value: Unknown
Clubs Interested: Chelsea
Kevin de Bruyne is a Belgian midfielder who currently plays for Racing Genk. He scored five goals in 32 league games for the Belgian Pro League side on their way to becoming champions for the third time last season.
De Bruyne is wanted by Premier League runners-up Chelsea, but the negotiations have hit a roadblock after the London-based club revealed that they could loan out the midfielder to Genk's Belgian Pro League rivals Anderlecht as part of a swap deal for Romelu Lukaku.
According to Goal.com, Genk want de Bruyne to be loaned back to them instead.
5. Thiago Alcantara
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Position: Midfielder
Age: 20
Value: Unknown
Clubs Interested: Chelsea, Arsenal
Thiago Alcantara is one of the finest young players to come out of the famed Barcelona youth academy recently, and he is a highly rated midfielder.
The 20-year-old could be on his way out of Nou Camp if Barcelona manage to land Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas.
According to The Daily Mail, Chelsea are also interested in Alcantara and will be ready to pounce if Barcelona decide to sell. However, he could also be involved in a swap-plus-cash deal for Cesc Fabregas.
4. Mario Goetze
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Position: Attacking Midfielder
Age: 19
Value: £15m
Clubs Interested: Chelsea, Arsenal
Mario Goetze has been identified as one of the brightest young talents coming out of German football. He currently plies his trade with Borussia Dortmund and is one of the prime reasons the Bundesliga side won the league last season.
Goetze is known for his speed, creativity and attacking ability and will inject some much-needed youth into an aging Chelsea side, who have made their interest in him public.
But Dortmund are adamant that Goetze is part of their future plans and will not be willing to sell their prized asset.
Arsenal are also monitoring the situation and see Goetze as a possible replacement for Cesc Fabregas, should the Spaniard decide to leave the Emirates.
3. Raphael Varane
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Position: Center-back
Age: 18
Value: £10m
Clubs Interested: Manchester United, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain
Raphael Varane is a 6'3", agile and athletically built center-back who plays for recently relegated French outfit RC Lens.
A horde of top European clubs after after the young Frenchman's signature, as he can also play as a full-back.
Manchester United were the first club that showed interest in Varane and have been tracking him for quite some time now.
However, Varane has intimated that he would like to play first team football, something he might not get immediately at Old Trafford after the recent acquisition of Phil Jones.
Sky Sports understands that Jose Mourinho is tracking the youngster closely and could outbid Sir Alex Ferguson in a bidding war. French side Paris Saint-Germain are also interested and have recently turned out as favorites to land him.
Varane has said that he will carefully weigh his options before making a decision.
2. Eljero Elia
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Position: Winger
Age: 24
Value: £17m
Anyone who followed the 2010 FIFA World Cup closely would have heard about the Dutch winger, Eljero Elia, who currently plays for German outfit Hamburg.
Elia, who can play on either flank, was a revelation at the World Cup and has become a top transfer target this summer after a fallout with his current club.
Liverpool were in pole position to land the winger, but their interest has faded off after landing Jordan Henderson from Sunderland.
According to Metro News, Chelsea and Everton are now tracking Elia, along with Serie A side Juventus.
1. Radamel Falcao
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Position: Striker
Age: 25
Price: £26m
Clubs Interested: Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal
Radamel Falcao is pretty well-known in European footballing circles, but shot to popularity during the 2010-11 season.
Falcao has scored 41 goals for Portuguese champions FC Porto since his arrival in 2009 and was central in their second treble conquest last season, which included setting a new goal-scoring record in the Europa League—17 goals in 14 games.
He's a natural goal-scorer most notable for his fantastic heading and finishing ability.
Spurs are leading the charge to sign the Colombian striker but could back out due to the huge price tag slapped by Porto. North London neighbors Arsenal are also interested.
