World Cup tops and flops with Cristiano Ronaldo, Jude Bellingham and Josko Gvardiol
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Footballers don’t have a better showcase to show their talent than the World Cup and Qatar 2022 has not been an exception.
Some standout prospects have caught the eye of Premier League superpowers and other top clubs, while others may have diminished their chances of a dream move with sub-par performances.
sports mail look at those who passed the audition and others who blew it.
UPPER PARTS
MOHAMMED KUDUS (GHANA)
The 22-year-old striker was scouted at a Ghanaian academy and gained experience in the Danish league before moving to current club Ajax.
His dynamism and skill set him apart in Qatar and his two goals against South Korea brought Ghana closer to qualifying from a tough group.
Kudus could try to force a move in January with Ajax out of the Champions League and Newcastle, Liverpool and Everton are among a host of fans.
Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus saw his World Cup stock rise ahead of the January window
MOISES CAICEDO (ECUADOR)
Brighton accept that they have to sell their best players from time to time and Caicedo is the next cab in rank after some imposing midfield displays for his country.
The £60m asking price is unlikely to put off Newcastle United and West Ham also see him as a long-term replacement for Declan Rice.
Caicedo’s athleticism and ability to win the ball are well known and at 21 he will improve. He is already proving to be a goalscoring threat and scored against Senegal in the last group game.
Moises Caicedo (left) celebrates Ecuador’s goal against Senegal during the group stage
JUDE BELLINGHAM (ENGLAND)
Only the elite need to apply for the 19-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder who can stop goals, create goals and score goals, reminiscent of greats of the past Bryan Robson and Steven Gerrard.
He scored England’s first goal of the finals with a great header against Iran, while his man of the match performance against Senegal was one of the highlights of the entire tournament.
Premier League clubs may have to break Jack Grealish’s £100m transfer record to get it, but Liverpool will be in the running, particularly given their growing partnership with Jordan Henderson.
However, he will be Bellingham’s pick, every major club will want him from Real Madrid on down.
Jude Bellingham will have the selection of the leading clubs in Europe after an exceptional World Cup
JOSKO GVARDIOL (CROATIA)
Already hailed as the best centre-back in the world at the age of 20, Gvardiol was a major reason in Croatia exceeding expectations in Qatar with an aging squad.
Chelsea are hoping their chances of landing the £80m defender will increase if they get Christopher Vivell as part of their recruitment team. Vivell was previously the technical director of RB Leipzig, Gvardiol’s current team.
The youngster has seemed like a true leader for his country, defending aggressively and reading the game well beyond his years. A wise head on young shoulders.
Josko Gvardiol has been Croatia’s masked raider in his impressive World Cup career
SOFYAN AMRABAT (MOROCCO)
Morocco was the standout upset of the World Cup and their clean sheet run against big nations Belgium, Spain and Portugal was due in no small part to the work of 26-year-old Amrabat in midfield.
At 26, he is at the peak of his career and Fiorentina will have a tough job retaining him. Tottenham have been fans for a long time and Liverpool need reinforcements in that area of the pitch as well, but big Continental teams like PSG will provide tough competition.
‘He is essential for the balance of the team and a great runner. I see him as the Gattuso of Morocco”, says legendary coach Fabio Capello.
Sofyan Amrabat (No 4) was exceptional during the outstanding tournament in Morocco
HARRY SOUTTAR (AUSTRALIA))
Souttar’s club Stoke City have missed him for a year due to a cross injury sustained on international duty, but the Championship side could now turn a handsome windfall after the defender’s immense performances in the World Cup. World.
Australia’s qualification to the round of 16 at Denmark’s expense was largely down to the 6-foot-6 Souttar, who downplayed any potential rust by seeming to win every tackle and header.
Premier League clubs will be on their toes, particularly Tottenham and Everton, who were interested before his long-term injury in 2021.
Radio pundit Pat Nevin best summed up Souttar’s World Cup performances: ‘You have to absolutely love him. He looks like he has a magnet in his head and has, at times, been a one-man defense for Australia.
‘Magnet head’ Harry Souttar enhanced his reputation with his performances for Australia
DENZEL DUMFRIES (NETHERLANDS)
Already at a giant club like Inter Milan, his performances as a right-back would be of interest to any Premier League club interested in using a three-man defense in future.
Denzel Dumfries celebrates his goal for the Netherlands against the United States in the round of 16
JAMAL MUSIALA (GERMANY)
The only bright spot in a terrible German campaign.
His willingness to dribble and take on players was refreshing and while Bayern rarely let young stars go, there would be no shortage of takers if Musiala decided he wanted to return to England, where he grew up.
Jamal Musiala (left) was one of the few German players to improve his reputation here.
ISMAILA SARR (SENEGAL)
Crystal Palace have coveted him as Wilfried Zaha’s successor, but neither they nor any other Premier League club have wanted to meet Watford’s £45m asking price.
The World Cup can change that. At 24, Sarr stepped out of Sadio Mane’s shadow and added maturity to his undoubted talent.
Watford’s Ismaila Sarr impressed during Senegal’s run to the last 16 of the World Cup
FAILURES…
CRISTIANO RONALDO (PORTUGAL)
As the most famous free agent in soccer history, Ronaldo did little to convince big European clubs that it’s worth betting on at the age of 37.
Ronaldo made history by scoring in his fifth World Cup final with a penalty against Ghana, but then couldn’t find the net and lost his place in the Portugal squad.
Having parted ways with Manchester United, Ronaldo has offers from places like Saudi Arabia, but the chances of extending his Champions League career are dwindling with every tear he sheds after the shock defeat against Morocco.
Cristiano Ronaldo left the World Cup stage in tears after Portugal’s shock loss to Morocco
MATTHIJS DE LIGT (NETHERLANDS)
The most coveted of the young Ajax who reached the Champions League semi-final, De Ligt’s career has not started at Juventus and Bayern Munich and Louis van Gaal rarely used him in the World Cup.
Chelsea saw him as a potential replacement for Antonio Rudiger at one point, but they can be glad they missed out on Gvardiol now looking for a more long-term solution.
Matthijs de Ligt is defeated by Senegal’s Ismail Jakobs during their group match
YOURI TIELEMANS (BELGIUM)
In the final year of his contract at Leicester, Tielemans must have hoped that a World Cup major would have opened an auction for his services.
It didn’t work out like that with Belgium leaving early and the midfielder personally disappointing as well.
He was hooked at half time in the first match against Canada and had to accept late substitute appearances for the remaining matches against Morocco and Croatia.
Belgium fell out after the group stage and Youri Tielemans did not improve his reputation
AARON RAMSEY (WALES)
At 31, Ramsey shouldn’t be seen as old in terms of age, but he made no impact on the Welsh side who picked up just one point from their three group games.
It wasn’t long ago that Arsenal fans were angry that their club failed to secure the midfielder on a new deal, but since then, Ramsey has done little at Juventus, Rangers or Nice to suggest he may return to the Premier League.
It was significant that when goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off in the key match against Iran, Ramsey was the player sacrificed for No 1 reserve Danny Ward.
Aaron Ramsey does not seem very likely to return to the Premier League after a poor tournament
MATTEO GUENDOUZI (FRANCE)
The former Arsenal midfielder was heavily criticized by L’Equipe when he was given his chance in France’s final group game against Tunisia.
The Marseille player was withdrawn when Didier Deschamps’ team fell 1-0 and the influential newspaper’s blunt assessment was: “We don’t know in which area he was worse, with or without the ball.”
Matteo Guendouzi had a chance against Tunisia but failed to impress as France lost