As Premier League teams gear up to add to their squads in the summer, Sportingo's Mark Apostolou looks at the overseas players the top teams are looking at.
'He has made it clear he is looking to move to England for a shot at the big time'
The speculation is beginning to reach fever pitch as tabloids and websites grind the rumour mill over an odd stew of potential - and downright unlikely - signings making their way to the Premier League.
David Villa (Valencia) – Linked with Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United
The diminutive striker scores goals for fun for Valencia and regularly finds himself at the top of the scoring charts in La Liga. However, he has made it clear he is looking to move to England for a shot at the Premier League. A fee of around £25 million has been doing the rounds, which could be problematic for some of the clubs linked with the 26-year-old Spanish international. Would be a fantastic signing.
Klaas Jan Huntelaar (Ajax) – Linked with Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United
Another player who can’t stop scoring, albeit in the Dutch Eredivisie, this lethal finisher seems about ready to leave his homeland for a shot at the big time. Apparently he will either head for the Premier League or La Liga, having seen fellow countrymen doing well in England (Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Denis Bergkamp) may encourage Huntelaar to come to these shores.
Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona) – Linked with Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea
Eto’o is a stellar striker with big-time experience and he's still only 27, so it’s no surprise that everyone wants the Cameroonian. He has managed a goal a game average even though Barcelona are having a pretty poor season. He has a fantastic eye for goal and can score spectacular goals as well as his fair share of tap-in’s. He won’t be cheap!
Ronaldinho (Barcelona) – Linked with Manchester City, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United
Another superstar said to be keen to leave the Nou Camp, Ronaldinho’s star may have faded a little but he is still an amazing talent that is obviously being linked with most major European clubs. AC Milan are said to be the most likely side to clinch his signature but apparently Chelsea and Man City have an outside chance of persuading the World Cup winner to the UK.
Karim Benzema (Olympique Lyon) – Linked with Arsenal and Manchester United
Benzema is the hottest property in France at the moment. The 20-year-old is the top scorer in the French league where he has already landed 3 titles, fuelling the argument that he is keen for a new challenge. Apparently Benzema has a big fan in Arsene Wenger. The striker proved his ability at the highest stage when he netted against Man United in the Champions League earlier this year. Sure to be a big star, but he may decide to stay at Lyon a little longer.
Hatem Ben Arfa (Olympique Lyon) – Linked with Arsenal
Another one of Lyon’s gems, Ben Arfa is a very intelligent winger who, like Benzema, is said to be a potential target for Wenger. The 21-year-old has broken into the full national set-up and has already shown what he can do for his country. Again like Karim, it seems that ruling the roost in France may be getting a little repetitive and a move away from the Stade Gerland seems more than likely.
Daniel Alves (Sevilla) – Linked with Tottenham and Chelsea
Highly rated wide-man, effective in defence and attack, Brazilian Daniel Alves has been on Chelsea’s radar for some time now. Following Juande Ramos’s move to White Hart Lane, Sevilla have slipped from being within 90 minutes of a potential La Liga title to being 20+ pts from top spot. It seems very likely the set piece specialist will leave but the problem could be the somewhat over-inflated fee that the Spanish club are after.
Ricardo Quaresma (Porto) – Linked with Liverpool and Arsenal
The 24-year-old winger was all the talk last summer, being strongly linked with Liverpool but nothing seemed to come of the incessant speculation. Now that Porto appear to be the subject of a match-fixing enquiry, the move away from Portugal could be back on, and apparently due to these investigations players may be leaving for a fraction of their true value!
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – Linked with Chelsea and Manchester United
Commonly considered one of the best five players in the world today, Messi’s performances this season seem to be the one bright spark emanating from Frank Rijkaard’s side this season. The Argentinean seems to be another player targeted by the megabucks clubs of England. Could he really leave the Catalan club, though? Still only 20 but already has a ton-plus appearances for the La Liga giants, could he be about to move ailing Barca?
Thierry Henry (Barcelona) – Linked with Arsenal
Something of a fallen legend, Henry hasn’t been on song since he left the Emirates. A succession of niggling injuries and a loss of form has taken its toll on the Frenchman and this has led to speculation about a return to the Premier League. Surely if he was ever to come back it could only be to his former home - he has admitted as much in interviews. If he was back on the market it would lead to a bidding frenzy as a player's talent doesn’t vanish overnight!
How many of these players will be plying their trade in England next season? Post a comment below or, if you prefer, write an article for Sportingo