Man Utd Eye Portuguese Wonderkid as European Trio Shortlisted for Premier League Future
A report from ESPN has highlighted three European stars that could be set for a long-term future in the Premier League.
A promising forward, midfielder and defender have all been linked with a move to England and after their stunning performances this season, here's a closer look at the players who could be lighting up the Premier League in the next few years.
Gonçalo Guedes
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A product of the famous Benfica academy, 20-year-old Gonçalo Guedes earned a £27m move to Paris Saint-Germain in January as the French giants looked to secure a long-term prospect in their attack.
After PSG signed Neymar over the summer, Guedes was allowed to join Spanish side Valencia on a season-long loan in a bid to get the youngster as much game time as possible. Having already scored three goals and claimed five assists in just seven La Liga matches, Guedes is once again attracting interest from across Europe.
Deployed predominantly on the left-wing at the Mestalla, the versatile forward will offer any potential suitor a great deal of pace and creativity in attack. Although Manchester United were outmuscled in the race to sign Guedes in January, the Red Devils could come back in for the youngster once his loan spell in Spain expires.
Luis Alberto
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A name that will certainly be familiar to Liverpool fans, Luis Alberto appears to have finally found his feet in Europe after an outstanding start to the season with Lazio.
Despite spending three years at Anfield, the former Spanish U21 international only featured in 12 games across all competitions for the Reds following his £7m move from Sevilla in 2013. Loan spells with Málaga and Deportivo La Coruña were unable to revitalize his career in Merseyside and the midfielder was soon shipped off to Rome for just £3.6m.
Despite a poor start to life at the Stadio Olimpico, the 25-year-old is finding himself in the form of his life and has been involved in eight goals in just nine Serie A appearances this season. Although Lazio's sporting director, Igli Tare, is known for his unwillingness to sell, Everton are understood to be monitoring Alberto and hold a strong interest in signing the Spaniard.
Issa Diop
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Goalscoring centre-backs a rare breed in modern football, however, Toulouse star Issa Diop looks set to break the mould as a powerful defender with a keen eye for the opposition goal.
Along with Stade Rennais defender Joris Gnagnon, Diop has come into his own this season and is widely regarded as one of the best young defenders in European football. Diop's breakout season came in 2015/16 where he made 21 Ligue 1 appearances, with another 30 coming the following year.
With two goals to his name in just nine league appearances this season, the 20-year-old defender has already been given the responsibility of captaining his side.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City are all keeping tabs on the youngster, while AS Roma and Inter Milan are looking to tempt Diop into a move to the Serie A.
