Some of the best players in the world have never graced the Premier League. And other than the obvious trio of Lionel Messi, Kaka, and Ronaldinho, we’ll scout the world to find some less publicised names who could make a big hit in England.    

Marko Marin, who is just 18 and plays in the second division of German football, has been branded as the 'next big thing' in Germany. He made 34 appearances and scored three goals, which earned him a spot on the German Euro 2008 squad.

The Russian premier league is an untapped reservoir of quality. CSKA Moscow’s attacking midfielder Daniel Da Silva Carvalho has netted 54 times in 97 appearances for the club. He was previously courted by Manchester City. In 2005, he won Russian Player of the Year and has been capped by Brazil four times, scoring for them twice.

'Italian players generally have not had a good relationship with the Premier League'


His strike partner, Vagner Love, also has the athleticism for the Premier League. He has netted 44 times in 83 appearances. Love is a regular in the Brazil squad, featuring twenty times and netting eight. Andrei Arshavin attracted lots of interest even before he helped Zenit St. Petersburg win the UEFA Cup. He was also part of the Russian squad that helped nick England for a spot in the Euro qualifiers.

The Russian League is filled with great players, Martin Skrtel, Branislav Ivanovic and Nemanja Vidic all made big-money moves from Russia to top four teams, and no doubt more will be on the move this summer.

In Belgium’s Jupiler League, there are a few names that stand out. Goalkeeper Logan Bailly is 22 and has had a Cinderella story similar to Joe Hart’s. He came out from obscurity and eventually displaced Belgium and RC Genk’s number one, Jan Moons. He kept 14 clean sheets in his rookie season and was cited as a key figure in their surprising second-place finish.

In attack, top scorer, Joseph Apkala is only 22 and has expressed desire to play at a higher level. Inter Milan are reported to have made contact with the striker.

On to some more mainstream names: Klaas Jan-Huntelaar amassed 33 league goals this term, 11 more than the second-place finisher. It is unlikely that he will move this summer, as he has stated his intent to work with Dennis Bergkamp at Ajax.

Rafael van der Vaart is an excellent addition to any squad looking to reinforce along the left. For goalkeepers, veteran Gregory Coupet has been one of the most underrated players and provides consistent cover at the back. La Liga is filled with great players that everyone would love to see like David Villa, Sergio Aguero and Robinho.

Italian players generally have not had a good relationship with the Premier League although a few, like Gianfranco Zola, have penetrated the barrier. A playmaker like Francesco Totti or a striker like Alessandro Del Piero would be interesting to watch, though their age might count against them.

The Premier League is nonetheless a great viewing spectacle, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Torres, and Cesc Fabregas have made the best in the world.

And a bit more flavour may make it even better.