da bwin： To be dubbed ‘the next Zidane’ or ‘the next Ronaldo’ is usually the kiss of death for aspiring, young footballers. Whereas other players tipped for the top, will go onto prove themselves as the real deal and reach the peak of their profession. Here is a list of ten of Europe’s best young talents who just may actually live up to the hype and expectation.
da stake casino： 10. Douglas Costa, 20, Shakhtar Donetsk
Eye-catching 20-year-old Douglas Costa’s reputation soared following a string of impressive performances for Brazilian side Gremio, where he scored on his debut. Compared favourably to Brazilian legend Ronaldinho, Costa also starred at the South American Youth Championship in January last year.
His performances led to Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk tying the quick-footed attacker down to a five-year deal earlier this year. Costa has astounding vision, magical dribbling skills and is a specialist from set-pieces. His early performances at his new club have seen him linked with a move to Old Trafford.
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9. Alan Dzagoev, 20, CSKA Moscow
Dubbed as the ‘future of Russian football’, attacking midfielder Alan Dzagoev has spent the last two years plying his trade with the Army Men. Similar in style and stature to Arsenal’s Andrei Arshavin, the 20-year-old is quick, intelligent and extremely skilful.
Dzagoev already has eight caps for Russia and has recently been linked with a move to Chelsea. The playmaker impressed Sir Alex Ferguson during his side’s 3-3 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford in November 2009, scoring an outstanding goal from an acute angle in the entertaining Champions League clash. Watch the goal below-
[youtube HW7rZrYDPBE]
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8. Marko Marin, 21, Werder Bremen
German sensation Marko Marin made a multi-million pound move to Werder Bremen last summer where he has impressed with some inspiring performances.
Marin made two appearances at the World Cup in South Africa, however the midfielder made little impact. Despite this, Marin has been tipped to light up the Bundesliga this season and Inter Milan manager Rafael Benitez admitted he was a huge fan of the attacking midfielder before his side’s clash against the Germans yesterday evening.
[youtube YlMCNLUj0A4]
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7. Moussa Sissoko, 21, Toulouse
Tottenham Hotspur had a bid of over £15.5m rejected for box-to-box midfielder Moussa Sissoko last summer, a player who is also attracting interest from Barcelona and Inter Milan, as well as a host of other Premier League sides.
Having broken into the TFC side at 18, Sissoko quickly established himself as a first-team regular, where his powerhouse performances have earnt rave reviews. He has also featured for France on several occasions. Check out his best bits, in a questionable Big Brother style montage below-
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6. Edin Hazard, 19, Lille
Modestly described on one sports website as ‘the best talent in the world’, sprightly attacker Edin Hazard has spent the last few years terrorising defenders in France where he has made 77 appearances for Lille.
Already a key member of the Belgian national side, Hazard was voted Ligue One’s Young Player of the Year consecutively from 2009, the first time the award has ever been presented to a foreign player. It has been won in the past by luminaries such as Thierry Henry, Franck Ribery and Zinedine Zidane. The former has also personally recommended the player to the Real Madrid hierarchy, saying:
“Eden is technically gifted and very fast. He will be a major star in the future. I would take him to Real Madrid with my eyes closed.”
[youtube VQTyv2oh5AA]
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5. Stevan Jovetic, 20, Fiorentina
Curly haired Serbian winger Stevan Jovetic announced himself to the rest of Europe with a well-taken double in Fiorentina’s 2-0 win against Liverpool in the Champions League in September exactly a year ago.
The player’s agent claimed both Manchester United and Real Madrid were trailing the ‘Montenegrin Messi’ over the summer. Jovetic however suffered a knee injury in pre-season, a cruel blow which will keep him on the sidelines for up to six months.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q46bY_wVWXw&feature=related
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4. Miralem Pjanic, 20, Lyon
Technically-gifted playmaker Miralem Pjanic moved to French side Lyon in 2008 where he has established himself under manager Claude Puel.
Pjanic scored the goal that knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League last season and has since taken Brazilian legend Juninho’s No.8 shirt at the Stade de Gerland. The future certainly looks a bright one for this talented youngster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hKBoofuHDY
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3. Romelu Lukaku, 17, Anderlecht
Romelu Lukaku is currently scoring for fun in the Belgium league and is at present one of the hottest properties in world football.
Lukaku was prolific at youth level, scoring an astonishing 68 goals in 68 matches with FC Brussels and 121 goals in 88 matches with Anderlecht.
At 15, the forward managed to score 26 goals in 17 matches despite playing against opponents four years his senior. Since breaking into the Belgian side’s first-team, the striker has already plundered 25 goals in 57 games and attracted interest from both Chelsea and Barcelona.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zwqE3dxwps
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2. Sotiris Ninis, 20, Panathinaikos
Greek sensation Sotiris Ninis has been hitting the headlines in his homeland ever since becoming the second youngest player ever to wear the Panathinaikos shirt at the age of 16.
His performances have seen him linked with a move to Old Trafford as a potential replacement for midfield maestro Paul Scholes. Football’s world governing body describes him as:
“Ninis is equipped with delightful technique, incredible vision, staggering pace and a shot of considerable power.”
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1. Alexis Sanchez, 21, Udinese
Known in his homeland as ‘the wonder boy’, winger Alexis Sanchez has already made over 100 appearances in club football.
Sanchez has pace, trickery and confidence in abundance and has already been linked with a host of top European sides. The exciting talent is a major fan favourite at the Stadio Friuli and any side keen on Sanchez will have to break the bank in order to sign one of the world’s most wanted footballers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY9FoCNlSsM
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