The U21 Euros is up and running and the presence of Mykhailo Mudryk, Pedro Neto and Sandro Tonali means that there are a fair few familiar names from across the continent at this year’s tournament.
Co-hosted by Georgia and Romania, the competition comprises 16 teams, and England are rightly seen as one of the favourites, with Emile Smith Rowe, Morgan Gibbs-White and Jacob Ramsey among their ranks.
Here, Standard Sport looks at five rising stars who London’s Premier League clubs could be following closely with an eye to poaching them.
Gabri Veiga
When Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are all battling for the signature of a 21-year-old, it tends to be an indication that the player in question is destined for the top.
Veiga is a confident, raw midfielder whose 11 La Liga goals this season for boyhood club Celta Vigo outline that he has end product as well as untamed promise.
Spain won their opening game, 3-0, against Romania on Wednesday, and in a group also containing Croatia and Ukraine, Veiga has the chance to turn on the style.
Giorgi Mamardashvili
Valencia goalkeeper Marmardashvili moved up from Georgia’s U21s to their senior side in 2021, yet with Georgia at the U21 Euros this summer as co-hosts, it made sense for the 22-year-old to play in this tournament after representing the seniors against Cyprus and Scotland earlier this month.
After that double-header, he was given a rest for Georgia’s U21 opener — a shock win over Portugal on Wednesday — but will be back in for Saturday’s meeting with Belgium.
Tottenham have reportedly made contact with Valencia over a potential move for Mamardashvili, while Chelsea and West Ham are also circling with interest.
Manu Kone
A product of the Toulouse academy, Kone has turned into an excellent all-action midfielder since his 2021 move to Borussia Monchengladbach.
PSG, Liverpool and Manchester United are all keeping tabs on Kone, and his uncanny abilities to dispossess the opposition and to skilfully work his way out of tight spots are both assets that have caught the eye.
Gladbach are willing to cash in on Kone this summer, but are believed to want more than £34m for the midfielder.
Enzo Le Fee
The 23-year-old from Lorient is the perfect example of a midfielder who can do it all. He tackles, passes and dribbles forward with the ball at great aptitude, and Lorient (and France’s U21s) are immeasurably stronger when he is in the team.
His name translates into English as ‘Enzo the Fairy’, though that undersells the qualities he brings to the midfield.
He seems the ideal candidate to replace Declan Rice in West Ham’s side, but first he must show what he can do in a France shirt this summer.
Martin Baturina
A capable No10 or No8, the 20-year-old Croat scored an absolutely stunning free-kick against England in the win over Lee Carsley’s side at Craven Cottage in March.
Baturina is a technically gifted midfielder, with Opta’s data suggesting he plays similarly to Barcelona’s Pedri and RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai. That’s decent company to keep.
The Dinamo Zagreb starlet has previously attracted interest from afar from Arsenal, and there is no doubt it would cost a pretty penny for any side to bring him to one of Europe’s major leagues.
