The Ones To Watch...

greeting roaders!

the interlull is once again up us. sigh. but fear not I have plenty candy for your eyes. read on dear viewer.


so in place of my usual piece, i am going to look further abroad, to the continent. Yes, thats right, the players that may or may not be making an arrival in the Premier League sooner or later.


Luis Muriel, is I have to be honest, a player that slipped off my radar of late. A player that had been offloaded on loan more than a certain Danishman I could name. He seemed to be a player who just didn't quite have it when it came to breaking into the top level of players on the continent. Having had loan spells with Lecce in Serie A, and Granada in Segunda division, Muriel has now returned to Udinese, and signed a new 5 year contract. Now his club obviously see his burgeoning talent coming through.

Muriel, a former two time world under 16 player of the year, has had problems breaking into the first team at Udinese, perhaps due to the evergreen Antonio di Natale. If you are a keen Fifa 13 player, you will be aware of this blistering pace (but not his acceleration as EA Sports, have decided) and he has started this season promisingly and has now been called up to the Colombian national team, alongside the Vargas', Guarins and Falcaos.  


What is going on in Catalonia? There must clearly be something in the water, as Barcelona's conveyor belt of talent shows no sign of breaking down. One again last season saw the emergence of new talent at le Camp Nou. One of said talent being Cristian Tello. Tello came up through Barca's B team and is primarily a winger. He has had limited chances to start games under Pep Guardiola, such is the plethora of talent. It was strongly rumoured that he did not fit into Tito Vilanova's first team plans this season and a move was mooted but the 21 year old has confounded his doubters - and his manager - to force his way into the first team squad.





This season he has appeared prominently in the Champions League, and had a starring role in the comeback home victory against Spartak last month and was named man of the match. Whether he can continue his strides depends very much on his competitiors, and as he is they include Messi, Pedro, Adriano, Cuenca and the returning David Villa, he has his work cut-out.



Another player who finally has his chance to shine is Isco of Malaga. When Santi Cazorla departed for Arsenal in the summer, it was meant to signal the end of the Qatari owned club's short lived spell of wealth. Santi left, Rondon departed for Serie A and Isco was meant to follow, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Man Utd all mentioned strongly. But nothing materialised - yet. he seemed happy to stay. In Cazorlas absence, Isco has been given a free reign of the midfield and left wing, much like Hoilett was supposed to be QPR (ahem).

In Malaga's champions league debut versus Zenit, he was the star of the show, scoring twice and running the ball from both ends of the pitch. He was also instrumental in the 3 nil away win at Anderlecht. Isco has yet to have his big breakthrough. he played for Valencia's youth team from 2006 to 2009 and progressed onto the first team, before moving to Malaga last summer. At only 20, it seems Isco is primed for his role as one of the most exciting players on the continent, and for me will get a big move within the next two seasons.

I want to finish the weeks piece, on someone you should already be aware of and as such, should not be labelled as 'one to watch'. But as i have not covered him in any sort of detail I will now.

that man is Radamel Falcao.

For me it is straight forward enough. He is the best striker in the world, at present. Period. He is a player I have noted for the last four years. Falcao, for those that have been living under a rock, is a 27 year old Colombian striker. Falcao was purchased by Porto from River Plate in 2009, for the paltry sum of, 3.95 million euros. He then showed Europe what he was all about. In his first season with Porto he scored 25 goals finishing behind Oscar Cardozo only. In 2010/11 he scored 17 goals in one season of the Europa League to overtake Jurgen Klinsmann's record of 15 goals in one european campaign. Suffice to say, Porto won the trophy.

The following summer, he moved to the spanish capital, with Atletico, replacing the outgoing Sergio Aguero, for 40m euros. It has been with Los Coloncheros, that Falcao has impressed me the most. Particularly in the Europa League. Every time I see him play he scores goal; he is prolific; he oozes skill and balance. His performance versus Bilbao in the final last year was sensational, scoring two goals and terrorising the Bilbao defence all night. But the key for me is that they had very few clear chances in the game. Anything that comes his way he dispatches, he is the ultimate clinician; GP would be proud of him (bad joke)

In the Super Cup versus Chelsea, even as the season was in its embryonic stages, he destroyed and humiliated Chelsea's defence. Falcao ruthlessness infront of goal makes him the best striker in world football.
Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea are sniffing very loudly around him and a move of 45million euros is being suggested in the spanish media. He is a very likely to be seen in the Premier League very, very soon.

That fills me with  huge amount of excitement.

Oh and of course dread :/