For any player hoping to catch the eye of a bigger club, few stages are more powerful than a World Cup.
James Rodriguez remains one of the clearest examples. The Monaco midfielder arrived in Brazil in 2014 as a name still unfamiliar to many casual fans, then left as the tournament’s breakout star after scoring six goals. Within weeks, Real Madrid had agreed a deal worth more than £70million.
There is a long history of similar World Cup springboards. Gica Popescu, Kleberson and Daniel Amokachi all secured moves to England after impressing on the global stage, even if their Premier League stories did not all unfold quite as hoped.
With the group phase of this summer’s tournament nearing its conclusion, attention is beginning to turn to the players who have done enough to spark interest beyond their current clubs.
Daily Mail Sport looks at some of the most intriguing emerging talents who may already be on Premier League radars…
Ayyoub Bouaddi
Age: 18, Club: Lille, Country: Morocco, Position: Midfield
Bouaddi made the decision in May to represent Morocco, the country of his parents’ heritage, rather than France, where he was born.
On early evidence, it looks a choice he will be very happy with. The Lille midfielder produced a composed and stylish display in Morocco’s opening draw against Brazil, playing with a level of assurance well beyond his 18 years and introducing himself to a much wider audience.
Bouaddi did the hard yards too – no Moroccan player had more touches, won more duels or completed more passes than the teenager.
One person wasn’t surprised, mind you. ‘He didn’t impress me because we already know what a player he is,’ said Morocco boss Mohamed Ouahbi.
Ayoub Bouaddi, still just 18, ran the show against Brazil in New York and has admirers in the Premier League
He’s talented off the pitch, too. With Brigitte Macron, the wife of French president Emmanuel among the audience, the 15-year-old Bouaddi took part in a public speaking contest, offered to players enrolled in French academies. He has excelled at school, particularly in maths.
He is valued at £80million and not short of Premier League admirers. Can Arsenal or Chelsea make the sums add up?
Johan Manzambi
Age: 20, Club: Freiburg, Country: Switzerland, Position: Midfielder
Talk about making a statement. Left out of the starting XI for Switzerland in their opening two matches, Manzambi came on as a second-half substitute against Bosnia-Herzegovina, with the score 0-0. He scored twice and had a hand in another goal as the Swiss won 4-1.
The Bundesliga’s official channels have even compared Manzambi to Germany great Michael Ballack, and his spectacular goal against Ballack’s former club Bayern earlier in April only underlined his pedigree. He is thought to have been scouted by Real Madrid and the Premier League’s best are watching, too.
Bayern Munich have been encouraged to move for Manzambi by Thomas Muller, working as a pundit on German TV.
‘He’s a good player,’ said Muller. ‘For me, he’s someone Bayern should consider. You can sense his flexibility. You can also sense his carefree attitude. At the same time, you can already see a certain maturity in his actions, in his decision-making, his work ethic.’
Having been left out of the Swiss starting XI for their first two matches, Johan Manzambi made a statement when he came on as a substitute against Bosnia
Yan Diomande
Age: 19, Club: RB Leipzig, Country: Ivory Coast, Position: Winger
Diomande is wanted by half of Europe after a stellar season with RB Leipzig and he showed what he was all about as Ivory Coast beat Ecuador in their opening game.
Diomande was one of the stars of German football last term, producing 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions. Though right-footed, he can play on either flank. His form may level off a little as full backs become wiser to his style but there is so much to be excited about. Liverpool certainly think so, with the Reds making Diomande their top target to improve the attack for new boss Andoni Iraola.
Leipzig’s eye for talent is as sharp as ever. In 2024-25, Diomande played 10 times for Spanish strugglers Leganes, and there was little in the raw numbers to suggest a star in the making. There certainly is now.
Yan Diomande is wanted by half of Europe – and showed exactly why during Ivory Coast’s clash with Ecuador last week
Caleb Yirenkyi
Age: 20, Club: Nordsjaelland, Country: Ghana, Position: Midfield
Yirenkyi scored Ghana’s last-gasp winner against Panama, stealing in at the back post in the 95th minute. Like other top Ghanaian talents like Mohammed Kudus, he is a product of the Right to Dream academy. Right to Dream own Danish club Nordsjaelland and send their best prospects there.
One of those is Yirenkyi, who is now represented by one of the world’s leading agencies, CAA Stellar. That is usually a good clue about what the future may hold.
Yirenkyi has strong technical and physical traits and can play both as a holding midfielder or further up the pitch. Denmark to England would be a big jump but the strongest clubs are watching closely.
Caleb Yirenkyi scored a last-minute winner for Ghana in their clash with Panama
Ibrahim Mbaye
Age: 18, Club: Paris Saint-Germain, Country: Senegal, Position: Winger
Mbaye is an electric talent and showed exactly what he was about in Senegal’s opener against France, scoring his side’s goal as they earned plenty of credit in a 3-1 defeat by one of the tournament’s powerhouses.
Earlier this year, he produced a superb extra-time cameo against Morocco in the controversial final of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Even though he was born in France and grew up at Paris Saint-Germain, Mbaye accepted the call from Senegal not long before the tournament.
It is no surprise that Mbaye does not play regularly for PSG, as he belongs to one of the most powerful clubs in the world.
But before too long the winger, who prefers to play on the right but can also operate on the left, will make his mark at club level. Aston Villa would love to sign him.
Ibrahim Mbaye showed exactly what he was about in Senegal’s opener against France, scoring his side’s goal as they earned plenty of credit in a 3-1 defeat
Antonio Nusa
Age: 21, Club: RB Leipzig, Country: Norway, Position: Winger
While all the plaudits unsurprisingly went to Erling Haaland after Norway’s demolition of Iraq, there was another Scandinavian who caught the eye. And no, his name’s not Martin Odegaard.
Young Antonio Nusa was a constant threat on the Norwegian flank and had a part to play in the game’s opener after just 29 minutes. Having picked up the ball on the left, Nusa slid in David Moller Wolfe, who put his cross on a plate for the country’s star man to tap in. He impressed again in Norway’s 3-2 win over Senegal last night, too.
RB Leipzig have quite the pair of wingers in Nusa and the aforementioned Diomande. Should a move not work out for the latter, Liverpool are understood to be lining up Nusa as an alternative.
Norway winger Antonio Nusa has been linked with a move to Liverpool should their pursuit of Diomande not come off
Elijah Just
Age: 26, Club: Motherwell, Country: New Zealand, Position: Winger
Elijah Just is a name which few, perhaps barring those of a Scottish or Kiwi persuasion, had ever heard before this fortnight.
But after the first round of fixtures in the group stage, the Motherwell winger sat level with Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Kai Havertz in the race for the Golden Boot.
Just bagged two for the Kiwis in their opener against Iran – the first of which was a stunning volley from just inside the box.
Ex-England striker Chris Sutton said on commentary as that strike hit the back of the net that it had ‘added a couple of zeros’ onto Just’s transfer value. It’s sure to have added a few clubs to his list of admirers, too.
Elijah Just announced himself on the world stage with two goals for New Zealand against Iran
Felix Nmecha
Age: 25, Club: Borussia Dortmund, Country: Germany, Position: Winger
Felix Nmecha – not to be mistaken for his brother Lukas, who plays up front for Leeds United – caught the eye with a delightful curled effort for the Germans against Curacao in the opening game.
He followed it up with an even more impressive display against Ivory Coast, showcasing his vision and range of passing – not least in assisting Deniz Undav’s late winner with a crisp ball into the box.
Those who keep an eye on the Bundesliga will know Nmecha has been forging a name for himself for quite some time. In fact, he’s the reason Jobe Bellingham has at times had to settle for a place on Borussia Dortmund’s bench.
At 6ft 3in, Nmecha has all the qualities to thrive in the Premier League – and has been tipped for a move to Man United this summer. He would be a transformative addition to their midfield – light on numbers after Casemiro’s departure and with Manuel Ugarte seemingly on the way out.
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha has been a standout for Germany
Oh Hyeon-Gyu
Age: 25, Club: Besiktas, Country: South Korea, Position: Forward
Oh made an instant impact in South Korea’s opening game, scoring the winner when they fought back to defeat the Czech Republic. This was not enough to earn a starting spot in the second game, against Mexico, when South Korea were abject and slipped to a 1-0 defeat.
That means they will need at least a point from the final group game against the unimpressive South Africans and South Korea will be committed to attack more. That may be where Oh comes in.
Physical striker Oh Hyeon-gyu made an instant impact in South Korea’s opening game, scoring the winner when they fought back to defeat the Czech Republic
From just 13 appearances for Besiktas last season, Oh managed six goals and three assists. His versatility would also make him an attractive option for English clubs, who love attackers who can operate across the front line.
He already has experience of life in the UK, having scored 11 goals in 36 Scottish Premiership appearances with Celtic a few years ago. Plus at 6ft 2in, he’s a decent physical presence up front. Fulham and Everton stand out as mid-table clubs that could do with his services.
