West Ham’s Dimitri Payet, Ajax’s Arkadiusz Milik: 5 Euro 2016 stars in shop window



The focus of the football world on Euro 2016 provides players from all over the continent the chance to earn themselves a big money move.

Here, AFP Sports looks at five players who are in the shop window after an impressive start in France.

Dimitri Payet (West Ham United)

Hero of France’s opening night victory over Romania with a stunning strike that rocketed into the top corner a minute from time, Payet had already attracted the attention of Europe’s top clubs with a brilliant debut season in England with West Ham.

Indeed, the mercurial playmaker’s performance in the opening game was so good West Ham tweeted to ward off potential suitors: “We are so proud you are one of us Dimi #WeveGotPayet.”

The club paid just €15 million (Dh61.7m) to Marseille for Payet's services last year and with the Premier League side moving to London's 60,000-seater Olympic stadium next season, it would take a bid in excess of four times that amount to prise Payet away.

Arkadiusz Milik (Ajax)

Poland’s Milik broke Northern Ireland hearts with the only goal of their Group C opener in Nice.

Overshadowed by prolific star strike partner Robert Lewandowski at international level, Milik is already building a reputation as an honourable heir to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luis Suarez at Ajax with 24 goals this season.

Another impressive display when Poland face fierce rivals Germany on Thursday will see Milik become a prime target for England’s cash-rich Premier League poachers.

Jonas Hector (Cologne)

Germany's flying left-back Hector has already courted the interest of Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp looks to arm his revolution at Anfield with the Bundesliga's top talent.

Hector impressed on his first appearance in a major international tournament as Germany saw off Ukraine 2-0 and looks set to establish himself in a problem position for Joachim Loew during his 10-year stint as German national team boss.

Graziano Pelle (Southampton)

A relative unknown when he left his homeland for Dutch side Feyenoord in 2012, Pelle made himself an Italian hero by firing home the Azzurri's second goal in a mightily impressive 2-0 win over highly-fancied Belgium on Monday.

The 30-year-old has struck 30 goals in two seasons at Southampton, but at 30 the Euros may provide the launching pad for a final big move back to Italy or further up the Premier League food chain.

Hal Robson-Kanu (unattached)

Perhaps the most remarkable goalscorer so far in France was Wales hero Hal Robson-Kanu, who struck the winner in his country’s maiden win in a European Championship finals on Saturday despite not even having a club.

Robson-Kanu’s third international goal overshadowed star team-mates Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey just weeks after he learned his contract with Championship side Reading won’t be renewed.

ROUTE TO TITLE

Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2

SPECS

Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 750hp at 7,500rpm
Torque: 800Nm at 5,500rpm
Transmission: 7 Speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 332kph
Fuel consumption: 12.2L/100km
On sale: Year end
Price: From Dh1,430,000 (coupe); From Dh1,566,000 (Spider)

Company profile

Name: Fruitful Day

Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie

Based: Dubai, UAE

Founded: 2015

Number of employees: 30

Sector: F&B

Funding so far: Dh3 million

Future funding plans: None at present

Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries

Match info

Uefa Champions League Group C

Liverpool v Napoli, midnight

Signs of heat stroke
  • The loss of sodium chloride in our sweat can lead to confusion and an altered mental status and slurred speech
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Bridgerton season three - part one

Directors: Various

Starring: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Jonathan Bailey

Rating: 3/5

Diriyah project at a glance

- Diriyah’s 1.9km King Salman Boulevard, a Parisian Champs-Elysees-inspired avenue, is scheduled for completion in 2028
- The Royal Diriyah Opera House is expected to be completed in four years
- Diriyah’s first of 42 hotels, the Bab Samhan hotel, will open in the first quarter of 2024
- On completion in 2030, the Diriyah project is forecast to accommodate more than 100,000 people
- The $63.2 billion Diriyah project will contribute $7.2 billion to the kingdom’s GDP
- It will create more than 178,000 jobs and aims to attract more than 50 million visits a year
- About 2,000 people work for the Diriyah Company, with more than 86 per cent being Saudi citizens


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