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Following last season's performances from Premier League sides in European competition, there can be no doubt that the English Premier League is once again the strongest in world football. The strength in talent, though, runs much deeper than just those famed clubs in the top-six (Arsenal. Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur), and there truly is a host of young stars plying their trade at some of the lesser known clubs in the league.
With that in mind, let's take a look at 20 EPL players we feel could handle the pressures of a move to one of the nation's big six:
#1 David Brooks, Bournemouth FC
Twenty-one-year-old attacking-midfielder David Brooks enjoyed a highly successful 2018/19 season. A player with a ton of energy, Brooks comes to life in the final third of the pitch, where he is able to drive at defenders and carve out chances both for himself and his teammates. The left-footed playmaker, who finished up the campaign with seven goals and five assists for AFC Bournemouth, is currently valued at €30 million, and we feel he would be a decent addition to Arsenal, Tottenham, or Manchester United's respective squads this summer.
#2 Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace
Wilfried Zaha has been on an upward trajectory ever since he left Old Trafford for Crystal Palace back in 2014. Now entering the prime of his professional career, the Ivorian international bagged 10 goals and 10 assists in the league last season, which is particularly impressive when you consider the Eagles finished in the bottom half of the table. We feel it's about time this pacey, skillful forward was given an opportunity at a larger club and that he would be an instant upgrade on anything the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal can currently boast of on the right flank.
#3 Ruben Neves, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Ruben Neves arrived at the Molineux stadium from Porto two seasons ago in a now bargain £16.11 million deal. He was a key component in Wolverhampton Wanderer's fantastic first season back in the top flight and will no doubt be attracting attention from some of Europe's big guns. The Portuguese international has great positional awareness, a fine array of passing, a ferocious strike from distance, and is a real leader on the field.
As such, we feel the holding-midfielder would be an instant upgrade for most of the EPL's big six, and Manchester United fans, in particular, are keen to see him join their club.
#4 James Maddison, Leicester City
James Maddison made some serious noise in his first EPL season for the Foxes. The Leicester City attacking-midfielder created 100 chances for teammates, the most in the EPL last season and two more than former Chelsea star Eden Hazard(98). Given he is young and English, he would be a solid addition to any of the top-six with the possible exception of Manchester City who can boast an equally young and talented Phil Foden among their ranks.
#5 Aaron Wan-Bissaka
The Crystal Palace player enjoyed a breakout campaign for the Eagles this season and is quite rightly being heavily linked with a transfer to Manchester United. The twenty-one-year-old made 129 tackles and 84 interceptions, which make him the league's premier defensive right-back. We feel he would be a massive upgrade for Manchester United and that if reports are to be believed, fans may not have to wait too long to see him at Old Trafford.
#6 Jamaal Lascelles, Newcastle United
Newcastle United finished the 18/19 EPL campaign in thirteenth place, yet they conceded six fewer goals than sixth-placed Manchester United. A big reason for this was their defensive stalwart and club captain Jamaal Lascelles. The Englishman is a real wall at the back: he reads the game well, times tackles superbly, is dominant in the air, and is a real leader out on the field. We feel he would be a marked upgrade on anything at Manchester United or Arsenal at present, and could probably slot in as a squad player for any side in the top six.
#7 Declan Rice, West Ham United
West Ham's Declan Rice had a superb season in the EPL and is now a regular in an England shirt, too. The highly competitive midfielder is also adept at playing in defense due to his superb reading of the game and the ability to dispossess opposition players. Rice is already valued at £60 million, which may put off suitors in this window. However, we feel it won't be too long before the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City move in for him since both clubs will want to add the league's top English talent to their respective squads, especially with BREXIT looming...
#8 Lucas Digne, Everton FC
Everton's Lucas Digne had a fine first season in the EPL. Defensively sound and technically proficient on the ball, the Frenchman has quickly cemented himself as one of the league's finest full-backs since his arrival from Barcelona last summer and the £20.2 million fee now looks to be a great piece of business by the Toffees. With his tough tackling, energetic running, and ability to find the net from distance and dead ball situations, Digne is now probably worth twice that sum and it's surely just a matter of time before the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and even Manchester City, who are light at left-back, take note.
#9 Abdoulaye Doucoure, Watford FC
Abdoulaye Doucoure has been nothing short of exceptional for Watford since the club's return to top-flight football. The combative Frenchman averages at 2 tackles per game from CDM but, unlike many of his EPL contemporaries playing in the same position, he is also a real nuisance in the final third, finishing up with 6 goals and 3 assists for the Hornets. At 26 years old Doucoure is entering the prime of his career and has made no secret of his ambitions to one day play Champions League football. We feel it's high time some of the EPL's big six took a punt on Watford's all-action midfielder, who at the very least would surely prove to be a great option to have on rotation.
#10 Ryan Fraser, AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth enjoyed another progressive season under talented manager Eddie Howe, and Ryan Fraser was clearly their best player. He was so good in fact that both the Cherries' squad and supporters voted him Player of the Year. and it's easy to see why: seven goals and 14 assists in 35 games means Fraser was one of the most potent attacking forces in the league. It's not just the stats that impressed, either. Fraser's crossing, work-rate, and ability to drive the ball at opponents suggest that he could go on to be a worthy option at any of the EPL's big-six.
#11 Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crystal Palace FC
Crystal Palace's Aaron Wan-Bissaka seems destined to move on this summer. His current employers are rumored to have already rejected two bids from Manchester United, and it's easy to see why the Red Devils' are interested in the right-back. AWB made 129 successful tackles in the league last season, making him the first best ball-winner besides Leicester's Wilfred Ndidi and Everton's Idrissa Gueye, both of whom play in midfield.
#12 Diogo Jota. Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
When Wolverhampton Wanderers convinced Diogo Jota to join the project at Molineux, it was considered something of a coup. Many had expected the highly-talented youngster to return to Atletico Madrid and fight for his place in the first team; something we feel he was more than capable of doing. Instead, £14 million later and he's here in the EPL showcasing his skills in black and gold. The former Portuguese U21 international chipped in with 9 goals and 6 assists last season, and his energy and enthusiasm in the final third were one of the main reasons for Wolves' impressive seventh-placed finish. At just twenty-two years of age, Jota would be a fine signing for any club, but we feel he would be superb at Liverpool as competition to Sadio Mane on the left flank.
#13 Wilfred Ndidi, Leicester City FC
Leicester City signed Wilfred Ndidi from KRC Genk in a £16.7 million deal two seasons ago. He was brought in to replace Ngole Kante who had moved to Chelsea FC. Not many believed the Foxes would be able to replace the Frenchman, but Ndidi, to our surprise, has filled his boots more than adequately. The tough-tackling Nigerian has gone from strength-to-strength in the EPL and last season finished up with an incredible 83 interceptions and 143 tackles, the most in the league. There's not much doubt in our mind that Wilfred Ndidi is ready to make the step up at a big club; he would be a solid purchase for Arsenal, Tottenham or Manchester United in particular.
#14 Miguel Almiron, Newcastle United
Miguel Almiron only arrived on the Toon during the January transfer window and, despite the lack of end-product (he was very unfortunate not to score, to be honest), there is definitely something special about the player. The left-footed Paraguayan is quick, has good acceleration, is able to go both ways, has an eye for a pass, good work-rate, and is a decent striker of the ball. In short, the lad is a real handful. He may not end up moving for a while, but we feel he would offer a lot to teams like Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and even as a squad player at Liverpool.
#15 Idrissa Gueye, Everton FC
Everton's Idrissa Gueye is about as dependable a central-defensive-midfielder as a club is likely to find on the market this summer, so it's no wonder he continues to be linked with a move to French Ligue 1 Champions, PSG. The combative Senegalese international was a persistent thorn in the ankles of creative players in the EPL during the 18/19 season, racking up 142 tackles, statistically the second highest in the league (Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester made the most, 143). Chelsea and Liverpool are both stacked in CDM but we feel Gueye would be an upgrade for the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham, and could even be a decent option for Manchester city if their chase of Atletico's Rodri doesn't bear fruit.
#16 Felipe Anderson, West Ham United
West Ham United's record £42 million pound signing had an impressive debut season in the EPL. Felipe Anderson is your quintessential Brazilian skill-merchant: the tricks, the flicks, the dribbles, the clean striking, et al; he has it all in the locker. There are still a few questions lingering with regards to his work-rate, and it's true he went missing a few times last season (most notably in this match against Tottenham back in October), but there is no denying that on his day he is as exciting as anything in the league at present. Hence, a decent return of 9 goals and 4 assists. He might not be an instant starter for the top-six sides but he's the kind of player capable of turning a match on its head in a moment, which makes him worth a punt in our books.
#17 Ricardo Pereira, Leicester City FC
Signed from Porto in a now bargain £22 million deal just last summer, Leicester City's Ricardo Pereira didn't waste much time in showing the EPL what he is all about: the attacking full-back from Portugal (by way of Cape Verde) was an excellent attacking outlet on the right for the foxes, finishing the season with 7 assists and 2 goals in 35 appearances. It's not just his attacking prowess that has caught the eye though; Pereira averaged 3.4 tackles per game in the league; twice as many as Manchester United's Ashley Young, and significantly more than both Tottenham's Kieran Trippier and even Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold! If the big-six are not looking at Ricardo Pereira, they definitely should be.
18. Willy Boly, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Willy Boly had a fantastic season at the Molineux stadium. The former French U21 international even chipped in with four goals; that's three more than United forward Alexis Sanchez contributed. Boly might not be world class, but his performances for Wolves last season prove that he would do a more than a capable job for a few of the sides in the top six, especially those that are weak defensively at present.
#19 Callum Wilson, AFC Bournemouth
Callum Wilson scored 14 goals and registered 10 assists for Bournemouth last season. He also has three caps for the English national side. Now aged twenty-seven and entering the prime of his career, we feel it's about time one of the big six took a chance on this clinical striker. He might not start every week for a club like Tottenham or Chelsea, but we'd still fancy him to bag upwards of 15 goals a season as a squad player. Whether or not he chooses to make such a risky move at this stage of his career is open to debate, but we feel he's a player ready and capable of a step-up in competition.
#20 Ben Chilwell, Leicester City
The England international was in fine fettle in the EPL last season and was a consistent performer for a Leicester City side that really picked up form under new manager Brendan Rogers. The left-sided full-back averaged 1.5 tackles and 3.6 clearances per game, and his industry up and down the flank could surely see him slot into the first team at clubs such as Arsenal and Manchester United if they were ever to come knocking at the King Power Stadium.
