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After four weeks of non-stop football in Russia, the 2018 World Cup has come to an end. France were crowned world champions for the second time, after some impressive performances in the knockout stages.
It was a World Cup with some truly memorable moments. We saw Germany become the third consecutive world champions to be eliminated during the group stage, after they were beaten by both Mexico and South Korea.
Cristiano Ronaldo produced possibly the most impressive individual display, scoring a brilliant hat trick against Spain in the group stage, including a superb last minute free kick to earn his side a point. Kylian Mbappe also produced some excellent performances, including against Argentina in the round of 16.
Hosts Russia shocked everyone with a run to the quarter finals, which saw them knock out Spain in the round of 16, before they were dumped out by Croatia on penalties. England were another team who put together a surprising run, reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 1990.
But it wasn’t just the teams who were looking to make a big impact in Russia. For a number of players, this was a chance for them to make an impression on the biggest stage of them all, and perhaps earn themselves a move abroad.
There will have been a number of eyes from the Premier League watching what was going on in Russia. And with just four weeks left in the transfer window, clubs will be looking at who impressed at the World Cup, and if they would fit into their side. Here are five men whose performances in Russia might have earned them a move to a Premier League side.
#1 Ante Rebic (Croatia)
Croatia put together an impressive run to reach the final of the World Cup for the first time in their history. This run was partly engineered by the side’s raft of top midfielders, including the likes of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Ivan Perisic. Indeed, it was Modric who took home the Golden Ball award for best player at the tournament, but it was also a competition where Rebic established himself as a key member of this midfield.
He is a slightly different player to the other men in that midfield. He is a strong, powerful runner, who has shown that he has an excellent finishing product to match. He is currently at Eintracht Frankfurt, so not one of Europe’s biggest clubs, and there will be interest in him. He has been linked with a move to Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham, and you get the feeling he would be a good fit at those clubs, as they are all teams who like to have wide players in their side. At 24, he is approaching the peak of his career, so will want to be playing week-in, week-out, so that could have a large baring on where he ends up.
#2 Yerry Mina (Colombia)
Mina’s name will certainly be one that is familiar to English fans, after the Barcelona man popped up with a last minute equaliser to take their round of 16 tie to extra time. Despite being a centre back, Mina was actually Colombia’s top scorer in Russia this summer. Along with that goal against England, he scored in the victory over Poland, and the winner against Senegal. He was an impressive performer at the World Cup, and has certainly turned a couple of heads.
He only joined Barcelona from Palmeiras in January, but having made just five appearances since that move, there are rumours that Barcelona are prepared to let him go. After Barca signed Clement Lenglet from Sevilla, Mina finds himself further down the pecking order at the Nou Camp, and with other clubs showing interest, he may feel he would be best off leaving to play regular football. There are very few clubs in the world that are as big as Barcelona though, so he may be prepared to give it another season.
#3 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Serbia)
The phrase ‘good feet for a big man’ was almost invented for Savic. At 6ft 4in, he has the build of an old fashioned centre forward, but that doesn’t mean he plays like one. Comparisons have been made to Yaya Toure and, even Zinedine Zidane. That is a lot to live up to, but if he can live up to expectations, he could be a magnificent player.
He received plenty of plaudits for his performances In Serie A for Lazio, as he helped them to fifth. He also put in some good performances in Russia, and despite his side being knocked out in the group stages, linked well with Aleksandar Mitrovic up front. He has been linked with a move to both Chelsea and Manchester United, but is likely to go for a massive fee. If he was to go for Chelsea, it would help create a pretty formidable midfield alongside Jorginho and N’Golo Kante.
#4 Domagoj Vida (Croatia)
While it was Dejan Lovren who was telling everyone who would listen that he was one of the top defenders in the world, it was actually his centre back partner who was doing a better job. While it was the midfield who were catching the eye for Croatia at the World Cup, their success was built upon a strong defence, led by Vida. He had an excellent World Cup, and has apparently caught the attention of a number of sides.
He has only been at Besiktas since January, but that hasn’t stopped the rumours emerging of a possible move to Liverpool. He has also been linked with a possible move to Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, with Besiktas likely to demand at least £30 million for his signature if he is to leave Turkey.
#5 Aleksandr Golovin (Russia)
There were rumours linking Golovin with a move away from CSKA Moscow before the tournament began, and the impressive performance he put in for the hosts has only seen those rumours intensify. After Alan Dazgoev picked up an early injury that saw him miss most of the tournament, Golovin became the most important player in that Russian team, and played a massive role in helping the hosts to the quarter finals.
Chelsea, Arsenal and Juventus have all been credited with having an interest in the Russia midfielder, but it is Monaco who have made the first move. That seems unlikely to be the end of the story though, as Golovin has a release clause of just £27 million, so wouldn’t be too expensive compared to other players of his quality. Don’t be surprised if this saga runs for another couple of weeks.
