World Soccer - UK (2021-03)

ENOCK MWEPU

RED BULL SALZBURG

The talented 23-year-old midfielder

from Zambia is highly underrated. His

solid positional play, good use of the ball

and versatility are an undoubted plus for

Salzburg, but he is more than good

enough to operate in a stronger league.

HIRVING LOZANO

NAPOLI

Last season, his first in Naples following

a move from PSV, the Mexico winger

appeared shorn of all will and fizz. This

term, he has turned it around, matching

2019-20’s goal output by mid-October.

Consistently decisive, and particularly

excellent when working off a sole striker.

LIOR REFAELOV

ROYAL ANTWERP

The attacking midfielder enjoyed one of

the moments of his career in October

when he scored the winner in the group

phase victory over Tottenham. The

Israeli has performed at a high level in

Belgium for a decade - first with Club

Brugge, before joining Antwerp in 2018.

ABDALLAH SIMA

SLAVIA PRAGUE

The Senegalese teen is a natural finisher,

equally comfortable as a winger or

leading the line through the middle.

Ten goals before Christmas caught the

attention of several Premier League

clubs, with Slavia warding off the interest

by slapping a€50m price tag on him.

Lille can only be delighted that their
heavy investment in him – he is their
fourth-most expensive signing of
all-time behind Victor Osimhen (now
with Napoli) and current team-mates
Jonathan David and Renato Sanches –
is finally bearing fruit. Especially as Lille
general manager Luis Campos, one of
the best talent-spotters in the business,
had to trail him for at least three years
before finally persuading him to quit
Trabzonspor and take the plunge in the
French top flight. Turkish pros very rarely
express a desire to try their luck in the
major European leagues. Lille, however,
have three in Yazici, full-back Mehmet
Zeki Celik and veteran centre-forward
Burak Yilmaz.
Yazici has recently recovered from a
positive test for coronavirus, and should
be available for the round of 32 clash
with Ajax.

ANDREJ KRAMARIC

HOFFENHEIM

Once a Leicester City flop, the Croatian

striker has rediscovered his mojo at

Hoffenheim. One of the Bundesliga’s

most impressive players, with Bayern

Munich rumoured to be watching.

REMY CABELLA

KRASNODAR

A former France international with four

caps in 2014, he has made a good

recovery since damaging cruciate

ligaments in 2019. An inventive

playmaker, he makes his side tick.

GALENO

BRAGA

The 23-year-old has been a star for

Braga this season with his creativity,

incisiveness and goals. A huge talent

who slipped through the net of all the

top Brazilian clubs, and somehow failed

to make the grade at Porto.

DEJAN JOVELJIC

WOLFSBERGER

A much-hyped move from Red Star

Belgrade to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019

did not work out, but he has found his

feet again on loan in Austria.

FRANCK KESSIE

MILAN

Apart from Zlatan, no player has offered

more to Milan’s renaissance than the

all-action midfielder. He has developed

into the team’s beating heart.

PHILIPP MAX

PSV EINDHOVEN

The attack-conscious Germany

left-back has been a huge hit since

joining PSV from Augsburg last year.

His father Martin was a UEFA Cup

winner with Schalke in1996-97.

PORTU

REAL SOCIEDAD

Tireless warrior of a winger whose direct

dribbling and long-range passing gives

an extra dimension to La Real’s attack.

Provides endless reserves of running.

Winger...Lozano

Leicester reject...

Kramaric

Wonderkid...Sima