Mexico's Hirving Lozano impressed at the World Cup. Reuters
Mexico's Hirving Lozano impressed at the World Cup. Reuters
Mexico's Hirving Lozano impressed at the World Cup. Reuters
Mexico's Hirving Lozano impressed at the World Cup. Reuters

Premier League transfer targets: Five players on club radars after starring at the World Cup


Ian Oxborrow
  • English
  • Arabic

With the big clubs having scouting networks stretching to all corners of the world, there are very few players who go under the radar these days.

The World Cup used to be the ultimate shop window for players looking for a move, especially from some of the lesser known nations.

But while today's players are all over the internet (and familiar to fans of video game Football Manager), they still need to show they are in form and worthy of the millions being spent on them.

Here's a selection of those who impressed in Russia and should come under consideration for clubs in the English Premier League eager to boost their squads ahead of the new season.

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Colombia's Yerry Mina. AP Photo
Colombia's Yerry Mina. AP Photo

Yerry Mina - Colombia

As a Barcelona player, he certainly had the pedigree to stand out at the World Cup, but who would have thought he would become the tournament's most prolific defender with three goals?

Aside from his aerial threat at set pieces, Mina is huge and mobile, making him very difficult to get around, as England's Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling discovered.

His Colombia centre-back partner, Davinson Sanchez, is already in England, having joined Tottenham Hotspur last year, and there is plenty of speculation about Mina's Barcelona future after just five appearances since signing for them from Brazilian club Palmeiras in January. A loan deal could be in the offing.

Potential destination: Top 10 club such as Everton or Leicester City, especially if Harry Maguire moves on

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Hirving Lozano celebrates with Jesus Gallardo against Germany. Getty Images
Hirving Lozano celebrates with Jesus Gallardo against Germany. Getty Images

Hirving Lozano - Mexico

Scored the winner against Germany and was a livewire throughout the tournament following a productive season for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands where he scored 19 goals and provided 11 assists.

There is reported interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona, but he could find more game time in the Premier League.

Potential destination: Tottenham or Arsenal - especially if Mesut Ozil fails to liven up. Chelsea may also need a new wideman if Eden Hazard departs.

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Ivan Perisic scores against France. Reuters
Ivan Perisic scores against France. Reuters

Ivan Perisic - Croatia

If Inter Milan want to cash in then now is the time. The Croatia wide man was close to joining Manchester United last summer and after three goals in the World Cup - including one in the semi-final and final - he is at the peak of his powers. However, at 29, this could be Perisic's last chance of a big move to the Premier League.

"He went from Croatia to [Borussia] Dortmund, goes to Wolfsburg, goes to Inter. I do not know why he did not come to Manchester United when I wanted him," Jose Mourinho told RT.

His efficiency in front of goal and workrate would make him a popular addition, though in Anthony Martial, Alexis Sanchez, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford, United are currently overstocked in Perisic's position on the left side of the attack.

Potential destination: Manchester United, or, like with Lozano, Chelsea if Hazard departs

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Russia's Artem Dzyuba celebrates scoring their first goal against Spain. Reuters
Russia's Artem Dzyuba celebrates scoring their first goal against Spain. Reuters

Artem Dzyuba - Russia

He may lack elegance but since when has that stopped strikers being a hit in the Premier League - just look at Peter Crouch.

Dzyuba is a throwback to the era of the target man, a lumbering giant able to fend off rugged defenders and a threat at set pieces and crosses.

He showed at the World Cup he has more in his locker though - his goal against Egypt was fantastically taken - and he went on to score three times for the hosts.

The 29 year old is currently on the books of Zenit Saint Petersburg but spent time on loan at Arsenal Tula last season.

Potential destination: Mid-lower tier club such as Watford or Crystal Palace

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Russia's Denis Cheryshev scores against Croatia. AP Photo
Russia's Denis Cheryshev scores against Croatia. AP Photo

Denis Cheryshev - Russia

Another to benefit from Russia's prolonged stay at the World Cup - the hosts bowed out to Croatia in the quarter-finals - and it was largely down to Cheryshev that they went so far.

He didn't start the first match but he finished it having scored one of the goals of the tournament against Saudi Arabia, and then scored another scorcher against Croatia in the quarter final - both were on Fifa's shortlist of best goals. He also added two more to his tally.

Having grown up in Spain, he came through the ranks at Real Madrid before moving on to Villarreal. The 27-year-old left winger has struggled for game time over the past two seasons, but he could be worth a punt at the right price.

Potential destination: Mid-table side such as Newcastle United or Everton, or newly-promoted sides splashing the cash, particularly Wolverhampton Wanderers

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Read more:

Extra Time podcast: A look back on the highs and lows of the 2018 World Cup in Russia

2018 World Cup talking points: Europe reigns supreme as France show teamwork is key

In pictures: France's world champions in parade down Paris' Champs-Elysees

From Mbappe to Perisic and De Bruyne: How the World Cup's key players rated

2018 World Cup team of the tournament: Mbappe leads five-man French contingent

Didier Deschamps tells France players 'nothing comes above' winning the World Cup

RESULTS

Men
1 Marius Kipserem (KEN) 2:04:04
2 Abraham Kiptum (KEN) 2:04:16
3 Dejene Debela Gonfra (ETH) 2:07:06
4 Thomas Rono (KEN) 2:07:12
5 Stanley Biwott (KEN) 2:09:18

Women
1 Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH) 2:20:16
2 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:20:54
3 Gelete Burka (ETH) 2:24:07
4 Chaltu Tafa (ETH) 2:25:09
5 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:29:14

UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP

Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan

Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES

All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated

Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid

Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona

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Results

Stage 7:

1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29

2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time

3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious

4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep

5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM

General Classification:

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35

3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02

4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42

5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side

8 There are eight players per team

There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.

5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls

Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs

B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run

Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs

Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures

October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA

MO
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Yahya Al Ghassani's bio

Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

RECORD%20BREAKER
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20debutant%20for%20Barcelona%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2015%20years%20and%20290%20days%20v%20Real%20Betis%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20La%20Liga%20starter%20in%20the%2021st%20century%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%20years%20and%2038%20days%20v%20Cadiz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20player%20to%20register%20an%20assist%20in%20La%20Liga%20in%20the%2021st%20century%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%20years%20and%2045%20days%20v%20Villarreal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20debutant%20for%20Spain%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2016%20years%20and%2057%20days%20v%20Georgia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20goalscorer%20for%20Spain%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2016%20years%20and%2057%20days%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20player%20to%20score%20in%20a%20Euro%20qualifier%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2016%20years%20and%2057%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go

Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.

Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com

A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com

The past winners

2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)

2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)

2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)

2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S

Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900

Engine: 937cc

Transmission: Six-speed gearbox

Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm

Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Match info

Arsenal 0

Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')

THE SPECS

2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE

Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors

Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode

Power: 121hp

Torque: 142Nm

Price: Dh95,900

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
UAE SQUAD

UAE team
1. Chris Jones-Griffiths 2. Gio Fourie 3. Craig Nutt 4. Daniel Perry 5. Isaac Porter 6. Matt Mills 7. Hamish Anderson 8. Jaen Botes 9. Barry Dwyer 10. Luke Stevenson (captain) 11. Sean Carey 12. Andrew Powell 13. Saki Naisau 14. Thinus Steyn 15. Matt Richards

Replacements
16. Lukas Waddington 17. Murray Reason 18. Ahmed Moosa 19. Stephen Ferguson 20. Sean Stevens 21. Ed Armitage 22. Kini Natuna 23. Majid Al Balooshi

MATCH INFO

Red Star Belgrade v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight (Thursday), UAE

Biog

Age: 50

Known as the UAE’s strongest man

Favourite dish: “Everything and sea food”

Hobbies: Drawing, basketball and poetry

Favourite car: Any classic car

Favourite superhero: The Hulk original

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia