Euro 2016: Meet the two 'new Messis' and 'the Russian Ronaldo'
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Euro 2016 |
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Host: France Dates: 10 June to 10 July |
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC TV, BBC Radio, the BBC Sport website and app. Live text commentary on every game on BBC Sport website. |
From Dele Alli to Anthony Martial, some of the Premier League's best young talent is heading for Euro 2016 and hoping for a chance to shine in France.
But which new faces from across Europe could be joining them in England next season?
While total unknowns are hard to find, there are bound to be some surprise stars who emerge this summer.
BBC Sport's TV and radio Euro 2016 commentators pick out the 12 young non-Premier League players who are worth watching out for.
1. Ante Coric, Croatia
Age: 19 | Position: Attacking midfielder |
Club: Dinamo Zagreb | Nickname: 'The Croatian Messi' |
Steve Wilson: Coric is still at Dinamo Zagreb, though he has been linked with Liverpool as an alternative to Mario Gotze. Coric says he has been contacted by Manchester City and Bayern Munich too.
He operates behind the strikers and is the youngest ever Europa League goalscorer and the current Croatian Young Player of the Year.
2. Emre Mor, Turkey
Age: 18 | Position: Winger |
Club: Borussia Dortmund | Nickname: 'The Turkish Messi' |
Alistair Bruce-Ball: Turkey's game against Croatia on 12 June is my first commentary game at Euro 2016 so they were the first two squads I did my homework on.
While 21-year-old Ozan Tufan is often picked out as Turkey's young star to watch, Mor is worth keeping an eye on as well.
Mor is a little winger with bags of skill and Manchester City, among others, were known to have shown an interest in him before he joined Borussia Dortmund from FC Nordsjaelland for an undisclosed fee days before the tournament started.
Steve Wilson: Mor was born in Denmark but made the choice to represent Turkey in the spring - both his parents are Turkish. He was immediately given a place in their Under-21 side and then, just as quickly, a spot in their squad for Euro 2016.
His former coach at FC Nordsjaelland, Kasper Hjulmand, says: "What he is capable of is extraordinary. He has got so much speed in his feet, and he is so unpredictable. Just when you expect him to pass, he makes another dribble instead and changes direction. And when he does that, you do not catch him - that is plain impossible."
3. Ludwig Augustinsson, Sweden
Age: 22 | Position: Left-back |
Club: FC Copenhagen |
Radio 5 live football correspondent John Murray: A left-back for the Danish champions FC Copenhagen, Augustinsson was linked with Liverpool last summer. He played every minute and scored a penalty in the final shootout as Sweden became European Under-21 champions last year.
4. Arkadiusz Milik, Poland
Age: 22 | Position: Striker |
Club: Ajax | Nickname: 'The next Lewandowski' |
Guy Mowbray: Scored six goals in qualifying, and 24 in total for Ajax this season. Milik might not get the headlines of Poland team-mate Robert Lewandowski - but Lewandowski might not get so many himself without him.
Milik is the perfect foil for the Bayern Munich striker, whether playing alongside or behind him as a 'number 10'.
Conor McNamara: Milik wears the number nine shirt at Ajax but for Poland he is unselfish and sets up more goals than he scores. A very important part of their team.
5. Danilo Pereira, Portugal
Age: 24 | Position: Defensive midfielder |
Club: FC Porto |
Guy Mowbray: Coming soon to a Premier League ground near you? Possibly. Arsenal have been heavily linked already.
Benfica must kick themselves for releasing him as a teenager, since when he's matured at Maritimo before moving on up to Porto this season. A physically imposing defensive midfielder who could form a big back-four barrier if played alongside William Carvalho.
6. Breel Embolo, Switzerland
Age: 19 | Position: Striker |
Club: FC Basel |
Steve Wilson: A teenager with a combination of pace and power which has endeared him to fans of FC Basel and seen him selected for the Swiss national team. Born in Cameroon, he scored 13 goals to help Basel to this season's Swiss title, and had club captain Marco Streller saying "my heart cheers when I see him playing".
John Murray: Embolo seems set for great things - quite possibly a future in the Premier League - and has already enjoyed two highly promising goalscoring seasons for Basel.
7. Michy Batshuayi, Belgium
Age: 22 | Position: Striker |
Club: Marseille | Nickname: 'Batsman' |
Alistair Bruce-Ball: Belgium aren't short of imposing, powerful strikers with Romelu Lukaku, Christian Benteke and Divock Origi all in the squad but Batshuayi is strong, and able to hold the ball up to link with Belgium's stellar midfielders like Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne.
His 17 goals in 37 Ligue 1 games this season in a struggling Marseille team tell you he's a pretty good finisher as well.
Steve Wilson: Compared by adoring Marseille fans to their old favourite Didier Drogba and already seen as one of the 'must-have' youngsters of the summer.
Marseille have confirmed that they are ready to sell - at a price. Their president Vincent Labrune said: "There is not a single top-15 world club that is not interested in Batshuayi. He is one of the most wanted players on the market."
8. Bartosz Kapustka, Poland
Age: 19 | Position: Attacking midfielder/winger |
Club: KC Cracovia |
John Murray: Plays as an attacking midfielder for KC Cracovia, once the favourite team of Pope John Paul II. If - as I suspect they might - Poland have a good tournament, he might get a chance to show what he can do.
9. Renato Sanches, Portugal
Age: 18 | Position: Midfielder |
Club: Bayern Munich |
Steve Wilson: Sanches burst on to the scene at Benfica and was then snapped up by Bayern Munich in May for a fee that could rise to £60m, with Manchester United among the clubs who were tracking him but missed out.
His introduction to the Benfica side turned their season around as he drove them forward with energy and style from midfield - and weighed in with some spectacular goals.
10. Kingsley Coman, France
Age: 19 | Position: Winger |
Club: Juventus/Bayern Munich | Nickname: 'The King' |
Guy Mowbray: If you watch any football at all outside the UK then you will know of Coman already. He has had an outstanding season on loan at Bayern Munich and, having started his career at Paris St-Germain, has now played for three of the world's biggest teams.
Like his fellow French young gun, Anthony Martial, he is devastatingly quick - and comparisons with Thierry Henry are inevitable for both players. Henry was 20 when he won the World Cup in his home country. This time France have a two-for-one deal.
11. Victor Lindelof, Sweden
Age: 21 | Position: Centre-half/defensive midfield |
Club: Benfica | Nickname: 'The Iceman' |
Steve Wilson: He has just enjoyed his breakthrough season at Benfica, who signed him as a 17-year-old from Vasteras. But Benfica are a selling club (see Renato Sanches) and Lindelof is already being linked with both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Lindelhof, who models himself on German star Matts Hummels, was named in the team of tournament for the 2015 Under-21 European Championships, where he scored the winning penalty in the shootout against Portugal in the final.
12. Aleksandr Golovin, Russia
Age: 20 | Position: Attacking midfield |
Club: CSKA Moscow | Nickname: 'The Russian Ronaldo' |
Steve Wilson: An attacking midfielder who plays for CSKA Moscow and turns 20 just before Euro 2016 kicks off. Golovin scored in each of his first two senior internationals for Russia, and was a winner with his country at the the 2013 Under-17 European Championship.
He has been likened to Alan Dzagoev, whose broken metatarsal will keep him out of the finals. Golovin is hoping for the chance to replace him.