The Copa America starts this evening and there is plenty of star-power to keep you entertained over the next few weeks.
But while players like Lionel Messi, Neymar and Alexis Sanchez will obviously produce eye-popping moments of brilliance, there are plenty of young guns who are capable of having a big say in the tournament.
We have picked out a quality quintet of guys who could easily end up in the Premier League after a stellar performance in Chile.
Ever Banega – Argentina
Banega has a well-rounded skill-set, and can operate deep in midfield or just behind the strikers. The 26-year-old moved to Valencia in 2008 after starring with Boca Juniors but despite a strong start in Spain, injuries slowed him down considerably.
He moved to Sevilla last summer and was one of the main reasons they won the Europa League and finished fifth in La Liga.
If Christian Eriksen is tempted away from Spurs by a bigger club, Banega could be a good person to fill the void.
Jose Gimenez – Uruguay
Gimenez made his debut during his national team’s wild (i.e bite-laden) World Cup and the confidence gained from that exposure propelled him into Diego Simeone’s Atletico side this season. The centre back is only 20, but one season under Simeone basically gives him the experience of a 30-year-old already.
Arsenal only kept two clean sheets in ten league games against the top six last season. Could Jimenez be brought into the Emirates to steady Arsene Wenger’s rearguard?
Jose Salomon Rondon – Venezuela
Despite scoring 20 goals in all competitions for Zenit last season, Rondon is still a relatively unknown talent in the Venezuela team. The 25-year-old has played in Russia since 2012 but took a big leap last year as his goals helped AVB’s men to the league title. 12 goals in 38 caps at international level is solid if not spectacular, but that also means that he could probably be gotten for a reasonable price.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNj75RI4E7E
If Christian Benteke really wants to leave Aston Villa, then Rondon could be a decent replacement that would also leave Tim Sherwood the capital to bring in another player to further strengthen his team.
Roberto Firmino – Brazil
If you are planning on watching the Copa America, then pray that Dunga gives this guy some extended playing time. Firmino is technically an attacking midfielder but chips in with enough goals that he also qualifies as a secondary striker. The Brazilian has scored 23 league goals for Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga in the last two seasons and since making his debut for Brazil last year, has scored three times in six encounters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvdKS-jL2tM
He is the kind of player that could really reinvigorate Man City after a down year… in fact, the Youtube video just above is actually titled ‘Welcome to Manchester City’, so it was probably created by their sporting director.
Eduardo Herrera – Mexico
Herrera is probably the biggest bolter on this list but he has shown real promise since making his debut for Mexico this year. He has scored three goals in three games – a ratio Tim Sherwood would be proud of – so if he can just maintain that strike-rate, he should end up being the greatest striker of all-time.
Herrera plays for PUMAS in the Mexican league and with Mexico manager Miguel Herrera resting some of his stars for this tournament, there is a massive opportunity for the youngster to make an impression.
Who are you looking forward to seeing at the Copa America?
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