GUIDO RODRIGUEZ
(Club America)
The Argentinian midfielder won the Balon
de Oro prize as the best player in the
Mexican league.
SARPREET SINGH
(Bayern Munich)
Making waves following his move to
Germany, arguably the biggest ever
transfer for a New Zealander.
PATSON DAKA
(Salzburg)
Zambian striker who Salzburg’s former
coach Marco Rose calls “Golden Boy”.
“These are not tears of fear. I respect the illness,
I will face it, with chest puffed out, looking
it in the eyes, the way I always have done”
Sinisa Mihajlovic on being diagnosed with leukaemia
Ismael
BENNACER
(Algeria)
Will Arsenal regret letting the 21-year-old
slip away? The midfielder was the official
player of the tournament as Algeria won
the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt and
returned to Europe to complete a high-
profile move to Milan from Empoli.
Born in Arles in southern France to an
Algerian mother and Moroccan father, he
represented France at youth level before
joining the growing band of players who
have switched allegiances to Algeria.
Scouted and signed by Arsenal at 18,
he made one appearance for the north
London club, as a sub in a League Cup
win over Sheffield Wednesday in 2015,
before being sent on loan to Tours, then
in France’s Ligue 2. He was then allowed
to leave to join Empoli in 2017.
Arsenal retained the right to re-sign
him, via a clause in his Empoli contract,
but declined to match Milan’s offer of
£14.4million. However, they did benefit
from a 30 per cent sell-on clause.
TEJI SAVANIER
(Montpellier)
Late-developing Ligue 1 midfield general
who recently moved from Nimes to his
hometown side.
BRYAN HEYNEN
(Genk)
Promising Belgium under-21 central
midfielder who is being tipped for big
things this season.
FABIO VIEIRA
(Porto)
Attacking midfield star of the Portugal
side that came second at the Euro U19s
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