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The winter transfer window may have come to an end, but the transfer mill has not.
As clubs across Europe finalise their squads for the second half of the season, the rumours continue to swirl ahead of the summer.
Unlike last year, this season's January window was relatively subdued, which means that several clubs are holding off until June to make big-money moves in the market.
We did have our fair share of big transfers last month, with Christian Pulisic moving to Chelsea for €64 million from Borussia Dortmund. Barcelona also signed long-term target Frenkie de Jong for €75 million from Ajax.
Many youngsters like 21-year-old de Jong have been making waves and turning heads in Europe over the last couple of seasons. A lot of them are likely going to swap clubs in the summer, and if recent trends are anything to go by, they won't come cheap.
Let's take a look at five such wonderkids who are being targeted by multiple clubs:
#5 Cengiz Under (Roma)
Roma's Cengiz Under is a right winger with a predominant left foot, who was signed by the Italians in 2017 as a replacement for Liverpool-bound Mohamed Salah.
The Turkish star is a youth graduate of Altinordu, for whom he impressed in the second division before signing for Istanbul Basaksehir. Even though the 21-year-old had expressed an interest in playing in England, he chose to sign for Roma instead of Manchester City, thanks to the promise of more playing time.
He initially found it hard to settle in Italy, finding it difficult to learn the new language. There was even talk of a loan move to Sassuolo, but coach Eusebio Di Francesco chose to keep his faith in the youngster.
That was eventually rewarded, with Under scoring seven goals and providing one assist from just 15 starts in his first Serie A season.
Known for his pace, dribbling, and finishing, Under has been targeted by Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United. The Gunners even reportedly bid €32m for him last month but were turned down by Roma who demanded €50m.
The struggling Italians will find it difficult to hold on to him for much longer, and a summer move is on the cards.
#4 Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina)
Serbian centre back Nikola Milenkovic joined Fiorentina from Partizan Belgrade in the summer of 2017 for just €5.1 million. He made only 16 appearances in his debut Serie A season but already started 19 games this term.
Milenkovic has developed a reputation as a tactically intelligent and versatile defender in Italy. Standing at 6'5", the 21-year-old rarely gets beaten in aerial duels and excels at reading the game.
He's also brilliant in one-on-one situations. His adaptability is reflected in the fact that he plays as a centre back for Serbia, but as a right back for Fiorentina, in a system that turns into a back 3 while attacking.
Milenkovic is also great on the ball, a quality that is quickly becoming a pre-requisite for any top centre back in Europe.
Manchester United, Manchester City and Atletico Madrid have been interested in signing him, and the Red Devils, in particular, were reportedly considering a £45m move for him in January.
They eventually decided not to, thanks to the brilliant form of Victor Lindelof. United still do need a centre back, and a summer move for Milenkovic cannot be ruled out.
#3 Eder Militao (Porto)
Yet another exciting young defender targeted by Manchester United, Eder Militao only joined Porto last summer from boyhood club Sao Paulo on a five-year contract.
The 21-year-old has already established himself as the first choice in Portugal, starting 16 matches for table toppers Porto.
Much like Milenkovic, Militao is a versatile player capable of playing anywhere across the back line or as a defensive midfielder. He primarily played as a right back for Sao Paulo, but currently plays as a centre back for Porto.
The Brazilian is known for his pace, aerial strength, aggressiveness, and he's comfortable on the ball.
Several clubs are reportedly scouting him - Real Madrid, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea.
According to reports in Portugal, an eye-watering sum of €75m has been quoted, which is probably why there was no attempt to sign him in January.
If he can keep up his form though, clubs might be willing to meet Porto's demand.
#2 Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)
Werner is probably the most well-known name on this list, and he's been inching towards a big-money move away from Leipzig for quite some time now.
He's still only 22, but Werner has already established himself as Germany's first choice centre forward, scoring nine goals from 23 caps.
Into his third season with Leipzig, he has an impressive return of 55 goals from 100 appearances, including 11 in the Bundesliga this season.
Werner was a part of Germany's successful Confederations Cup campaign in 2017, assisting Lars Stindl's goal against Chile in the final. In terms of trophies, it's the only major honour he's won so far, but he also holds several impressive records - like being the youngest player to reach 100 Bundesliga appearances.
Bayern Munich and Liverpool are the two major giants chasing the striker, but Leipzig seem pretty confident that they can hold on to him.
But while the Germans have done well to establish themselves in the top flight since gaining promotion, they're nowhere close to Bayern or Dortmund in terms of challenging for the title. In the end, Werner's search for silverware might lead him to a move away from Leipzig.
#1 Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax Amsterdam)
19-year-old de Ligt is probably the hottest property in Europe right now.
The youngster was only coming through the ranks in 2017 when he was thrust into the spotlight in the Europa League final against Manchester United. Since then, his career's been on an upward trajectory.
At such a young age, he already has 13 caps for the Netherlands, forming the spine of a young and exciting team. Unsurprisingly, Barcelona, Manchester City, Juventus, Manchester United and PSG all want to sign him.
De Ligt is known for his pace, positioning, passing, and maturity. Even though he doesn't turn 20 until August, many fans believed that he was ready to take a step up in January itself.
He ended up staying at Ajax, but it won't be long until other clubs come knocking. His teammate de Jong has already signed for Barcelona, and fans of the Blaugrana would love to see de Ligt follow in his compatriot's footsteps.
