Breakoutstars
AmadDiallo
(ManchesterUnited)
Lightning quick, sharp,inventiveandtotally
fearless, theIvory Coast wingercollected
admiringglancesaplentyina sprinkling
offirst-teamoutingsfortheRed Devilsin
2020 -21.Theroleofimpactsubstitutein
Europewouldsuithimdowntotheground.
HarveyElliott
(Liverpool)
Animpressive year on loanatBlackburnRovers
inthe Championship,withsevengoalsand 11
assists, offereda glimpseofElliott’s exciting
potential.A left-footedright-wingerwith
excitingdribblingability, the 18 -year-old
islikelytobeunderstudytoMoSalah.
MiguelGutierrez
(RealMadrid)
Towardstheendoflast season, the20-year-
oldleft-backeffortlesslymadethetransition
fromRealMadrid’syouthrankstotheproside.
Attack-minded,technicallygiftedandplays
withswaggerandartistry. Couldhebethe
long-term replacementfor Marcelo?
JuanMusso
(Atalanta)
N
otentirelysatisfiedwiththe
goalkeepingrevolvingdoorthey
operatedlastterm– withPierluigi
Gollini(nowwithTottenham) and
Marco Sportielloalternating– Atalanta have
nowoptedforaclearhierarchy betweenthe
posts, with Musso,a€ 20 millionpurchase
fromUdinese,theundisputedfirst choice.
Inmattersofrecruitment,Atalanta normally
prefertofocusonyouthfulpotential,heading
offthebeatentracktosniffouta bargain.But
notinthisinstance,where themaincriteria
wereexperienceandtrackrecord.Sincejoining
UdinesethreeyearsagofromRacingClub
inhisArgentinehomeland,Musso, 2 7,has
establishedhimselfasoneof Serie A’stop
custodians,talland commanding,a fine
shot-stopper, excellentinone-on-one
situationsandveryconsistent.Boasting
29 cleansheets in1 04 appearancesfor
Udinese,heisthoughttohavedefinitively
caughtthe eyeofAtalanta head-hunters while
pullingoffacoupleofstunningsavesin a1- 1
leaguedrawwith UdinesebackinJanuary.
Musso,thethird-most expensivesigningin
Atalanta’shistory, wasa non-playingmember
ofArgentina’sCopaAmerica-winningsquad
thissummer. He onlyhasonefullcaptohis
name– makinghisnationalteamdebutin
a friendlyagainst Moroccoin March 2019
- andwillbehopingthata firstpieceofthe
ChampionsLeagueactionwithhisnewclub
willbe thespringboard forgreaternational
teamactivity.
Formostof hisadolescence,basketball
wasactuallyhisfavouritesportingpursuit,
onlytakingupgoalkeepingatthe relatively
advancedageof 14.
CyleLarin
(Besiktas)
TheCanadastriker – whoshoneatthe 2021
CONCACAFGoldCup– wasaninspirationfor
Besiktaslast term too,contributing 19 goalsto
theirfirst TurkishLeaguetitlein fouryears.
Formerlywith OrlandoCityintheUS top
flightandBelgiansideZulte Waregem.
Juanlu
(Sevilla)
Verypromising 18 -year-oldright-winger,
whotwicehadwatchingbriefsin last season’s
ChampionsLeaguecampaign(versusRennes
andKrasnodar).Lightningquick,elusiveand
determined,hehasalsodisplayed hisversatility
byliningupatright-backonoccasion.