7 potentials cracks for Russia 2018

The 2018 World Cup is about to start and we were taking a look at the complete file with all the squads of the 32 participating teams: therefore, before the matches begin (the debut match between Russia and Saudi Arabia will be on June 14th) we are still in time to draw up a short list of the players we believe they can shine, playing early and avoiding saying 'I told you so' in two or three months when they will be sold at triple their market value. Why, you know that the World Cup is a showcase: raise your hands who imagined that the Palermo left-back Fabio Grosso was decisive or even a semi-unknown Senegalese group managed to beat France in the 2002 debut match. The only requires that we choose to consider, making this list, concerns the age: all the players we have selected are not yet fully formed talents (we used Transfermarkt to show their market value), and thanks to the performances during the World Cup they could make the desired quality jump.

 

ALIREZA JAHANBAKHSH

Nazionality: Iran
Club: AZ Alkmaar
Market value: 8 mln

Team Melli's journey, in a group where there are also Spain, Portugal and Morocco, is extremely difficult, and the fourth place in group B apparently seems the most obvious end. In the Queiroz's roster there are still two very interesting youngsters: the first one is the Persian striker who plays in Russia, Sardar Azmoun, while the second is the attack partner by the name virtually unpronounceable (even to write it you have to be very careful!): Alireza Jahanbakhsh. In his curriculum, in addition to a short cameo at the 2014 World Cup, there is a amazing season with AZ Alkmaar jersey: 21 goals and 13 assists that earned him the title of top scorer of the Eredivisie (not happens every day to an Asian player, in Europe) but above all a man decisive for his club's seasons, which ended the league in the third position. At only 24, is one of the most promising offensive wings in circulation, also because - not just a feature – he can play very well with both feet. And because snatching him from the Dutch club will not be impossible, it all depends on him: a great World Cup would certainly bring him into a top club.

 

PIOTR ZIELINSKI

Nazionality: Poland
Club: Napoli
Market value: 32 mln

Differently from the Iranian, Zielinski is one of seven Polish players in the World Cup's call-ups that play in Serie A and in Italy we know him very well: brought by Udinese (whose observers will never stop thanking), was a of the certainties of the Sarri's Naples: better called the 12th man, the one who could already begin to warm up at the beginning of the second half because the subs with Hamsik around the 60th minute was a constant practice. Capable to a great shot and a great attacking skills, he growls when needed and has been sometimes used as an added striker: Poland will miss a leader like Glik (he got injured in training trying the bycicle kicks) and with a Krychowiak in a clearly bad phase, it could carve out a place among the most experienced players, despite his young age: just 24 years. The challenges not so hard against Senegal, Japan and Colombia could facilitate its explosion.

 

MAXIMILIANO GOMEZ

Nazionality: Uruguay
Club: Celta Vigo
Market value: 25 mln

If you are looking for the best seasonal goalscorer among the Under-21s who play in the five major European championships, at the top of the standings you will find this sturdy '96 born striker of Celta Vigo, bought last summer for a handful of millions of Euros by the Uruguayan Defensor. The numbers says 18 (yes, you got it right) goals in La Liga, a fact that is even more effective if we consider that the Galicians have made a championship anything but exciting. Gomez did not need time to settle down, refuting the Chinese advances in January and proving himself a complete, lethal attacker exspecially with headers: among his seasonal victims also Real Madrid and Barcelona (nobody was able to do this this season), Valencia and Sevilla. Tabarez, who (finally) bring in Russia some good youngsters like Bentancur, Torreira and Nandez, had no hesitation in including him in the 23. There is a small detail to consider, however: the attack duo formed by Cavani and Suarez is not in doubt, and probably for Gomez are expected only pieces of the game from the bench.

 

BENJAMIN PAVARD

Nationality: France
Club: Stuttgart
Market value: 30 mln

We bet you have already read the list of the excluded French players and you are still understandably in shock, especially in reference to the defensive package: Koscielny is out (injured), Deschamps left home also Kurzawa, Laporte, Zouma, Mangala and Lenglet just to do a little names of people who, in any other team, would have been sure of the place. Probably you are also wondering where this Benjamin Pavard comes out of which you have never heard of: no problem, it is the same reaction of the French media when he received the first major call for France, last November. Let him go from Lille two years ago, it was bought by Stuttgart: a team that to re-emerge from the Zweite Liga has bet a lot of young footballers (for example Baumgartl, Ascacibar, Donis and Akolo). Pavard was born as a centre-back but Deschamps is using him a lot as a right back preferring him to Sidibè, like in the last friendly against Italy. For this reason we can consider it the real outsider in the France XI, naturally a candidate for a leading role.

 

LEANDER DENDONCKER

Nationality: Belgium
Club: Anderlecht
Market value: 17 mln

If any of you have already heard this name from somewhere and do not remember where, maybe it is the two consecutive finals played in the Viareggio Cup with the Anderlecht jersey, both against Milan. Now Dendoncker has yet become Anderlecht's captain, even if his experience with the Belgian club where he has been a child since childhood is destined to end soon. For months, there have been many European Top Clubs and rich British ones, absolutely not scared by the white-mauve management's requests: at least 20 million Euros. This World Cup could certainly help to raise the price of this 23-year-old who knows how to play both in the midfield and, if necessary, in defense: it could be the tournament of his international consecration because the coach Martinez, in addition to having snubbed Nainggolan, he also brought two perennially injured defenders like Kompany and Vermaelen.

 

MIGUEL TRAUCO

Nationality: Perù
Club: Flamengo
Market value: 1,75 mln

Perù is one of the most interesting realities of the next World Cup: after having won the pass in a much deserved and unpredictable way, the South Americans are driven by an incredible enthusiasm and also got the good news of the return of Guerrero, who will go to Russia as captain. These are just some of the reasons why we believe that Perù can become an absolute underdog, despite a low-quality level: alongside Farfan & Co could play a key role as a pawn like Miguel Trauco, left-back pushing profession, that in the last days was tried by Gareca in an alternative position, a mystery at the moment. Trauco is one of those players that is sure to play despite the very small employment in his club, Flamengo, with which recently does not flow good feeling except with his Peruvian teammate, Guerrero: the World Cup could be the last step before his landing in Europe, according to some rumors.

 

DUJE CALETA-CAR

Nationality: Croatia
Club: Red Bull Salzburg
Market value: 6 mln

Only 8 players out of 23 call-ups by Croatia have the surname that does not end in 'ic', and among these you will have surely noticed this defender who is called in very particular way, although it is very popular in its parts. Duje Caleta-Car is a centre back played an excellent season with the Red Bull Salzburg side and this should enough to consider him worthy of a call in the national team. If we consider that for years one of the problems in the Balkan national is the efficiency of the defense, then you will understand why we chose it among young people to focus on, if coach Dalic finally decided to bench Corluka and Vida and entrust him with the role of Lovren's partner. Caleta-Car is obviously already in the notebook of a lot of European clubs, this World Championship could perhaps avoid him to escape the fate that seems already written for all the militants of the Red Bull stable, that is to go from Salzburg to Leipzig.