Martin Ødegaard

The Norwegian wonderkid looks set to make a dream move to Spanish giants Real Madrid just a month after turning 16.

A whole host of clubs have expressed their interest in the youngster including Premier League rivals Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Southampton as well as Bayern Munich. However after Ødegaard was spotted watching a game at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, it appears he is on his way to Madrid.

Ødegaard was quickly  thrust into the spotlight after he became the youngest player to play in the Tippeligaen, the youngest player to score in the Tippeligaen and then the youngest player to feature in a qualifier for the UEFA European Championship, all at the age of 15.

Ødegaard has been highly thought of by his current club Stromsgodset IF for quite some time now. He began training with the first team in 2012 and in 2014 he fully merged with the first team squad signing his first professional contract. 

In his first full season with Stromsgodset he played 24 times and scored 5 goals along with more assists helping them to fourth spot in the league and qualification to the 2015-16 Europa League qualifying phase. Having also made 3 appearances for the Norwegian national team there is no surprise that people are saying he is the future of Norwegian football. 

His playing style is very similar to that of Juan Mata's only it appears that Ødegaard has a bit more pace about him. He can play on either wing but his preferred position is in the number 10 spot behind the striker. He has fantastic close control and his first touch is something he has obviously worked on. Having said that he has exceptional natural ability. Former Blackburn Rovers player and Ødegaard's international teammate Morten Gamst Pederson said "For his age he is unbelievable and his technical skills are fantastic".

Ødegaard's footwork around the box, his vision and skill to play through-balls behind the defence and his quick bursts of speed into the box made him hot property in Europe. After Real Madrid said that he would be involved in the first team, it is likely that he will be getting the best help in mastering his skills. A little advice from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo certainly would do no harm.

Alexandre Lacazette

In-form Lacazette

Is Alexandre Lacazette the real deal or is this seasons goalscoring form an aberration.

At the half way mark in the season Lacazette has scored 20 goals in 25 games for French club Lyon. Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored as many goals as him at this stage in the last 30 years of French football. That's not bad company to be in.

Lacazette has shown real promise since the 2011-12 Ligue 1 season when he became a regular in the side. Now at the age of 23 it looks as though he is finally showing his full potential. Now he is receiving interest from some of the Premier League's top teams.

President of Lyon Jean-Michel Aulas has said on many occasions that Lacazette will not be leaving in January but he knows he will not be able to keep him in Summer if he continues to play as he is. That is the key for Lacazette. For him to get a big move this year he needs to keep scoring goals and putting in consistent performances. If his performance levels drop once the second half of the season gets under way in France then interest in the striker may not be so high.

It is likely that Alexandre is going to end up in the Premier League this offseason and teams such as Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City have sent scouts to France to observe Lacazette. Arsenal are looking for a consistent striker who will score goals on a regular basis but Man City seem to be in pole position for the striker. Manuel Pellegrini has decided to make Alvaro Negredo's loan spell to Valencia permanent and there is also rumours emerging that Stevan Jovetic is on his way to Juventus. Pellegrini has already secured the services of Wilfried Bony and is hoping to add a second striker to his transfer signings. There is also interest in France from PSG, the only French club that would be able to afford him.

Marquinhos

Marquinhos if you haven't heard of him already, will probably become the best centre-back in the game.

At the age of 19 he moved from AS Roma to Paris Saint-Germain for a whopping fee of €31.4 million, after spending just a single year at Roma who spent €3 million to acquire the teenager.

Put simply Marquinhos is the perfect centre-back. The 20 year old has everything the ideal defender needs. It is no wonder then why PSG spent so much to get him and also tied him down to a 5 year contract.

Marquinhos has pace, strength, heading and tackling ability etc. Whatever qualities you think a centre-back should have, he has. But what sets Marquinhos apart is the intangibles. The mental part of the game. Despite being so young he shows incredible temperament and the ability to remain calm and undaunted no matter what challenge faces him. His vision and anticipation of play is also extraordinary. He makes the game a whole lot easier for himself by reading the play, anticipating through balls and attackers' movements.

Moving to such a huge club for the kind of money he did can come with a lot of pressure but Marquinhos seems to handle it with ease putting in consistent performances for the French champions.

Marquinhos is certainly one of the most promising young players in Europe and has the talent to become the best in his position. Definitely one to keep your eye on.

Anderson Talisca

Talisca is a 20 year old Brazilian attacking midfielder who plays for Benfica in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

He has played in 14 games for the Portuguese league leaders and has scored on nine occasions including one goal in the Champions League against Monaco.

He is one of Brazil's brightest young stars in Europe and has already received a call up to the Brazilian national team.

Having just made the move to Benfica last summer it is highly unlikely that he will be going anywhere until at least the end of the season. However Talisca still attracts plenty of scouts to the Estádio da Luz everytime he plays.

Talisca believes himself that Benfica is a good fit for him now. He told the Portuguese newspaper A Bola, "This is the right club for me to continue to develop".

Chelsea is a club that has been strongly linked with the player as Jose Mourinho is a known admirer of him. In fact Mourinho hinted that Talisca would have been a Chelsea player this year had it not been for work permit issues. Now it seems should Benfica sell their playmaker, they will make a nice profit on their investment having spent just €4 million to get him.

Anderson can play on either wing or through the middle in a supporting role. He is a creative player that can ignite an offence. His passing ability and dribbling skills are to be admired. His style of play mirrors that of Brazilian and Barcelona legend Rivaldo, even down to the great power he can generate in his shots with very little effort.

Talisca has hit the ground running at Benfica and if he continues to perform as he has done he may quickly become a household name. With high praise coming from Jose Mourinho all signs point to future stardom.

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Devante Cole

The son of Manchester United legend Andy Cole is now one of rival club Manchester City's brightest young prospects. 

Devante Cole is following in his father's footsteps playing as a clinical striker. He was on loan at Barnsley FC until the 5th of January. He made 23 appearances for The Tykes since joining the League One side in August and provided seven goals, the second highest goal tally for the team. 

Last season, as an 18 year old he played with Manchester City's under-19 squad in the UEFA Youth League. He led the team in scoring with six goals and helped them get to the quarter finals before being knocked out by runners up Benfica. 

Devante has some characteristics in his style of play that are similar to that of his father Andy. Certainly the poacher trait has been passed on. Devante has a knack for finding himself in the right place in and around the penalty area. It's one thing to find yourself in the right spot but then Devante has the ability to finish with both feet and he his a strong aerial presence too. 

He stands at 6ft 1" and he is physically strong. His long strides contribute to what might be his biggest attribute at this time, his pace. Devante has the ability to run onto long balls and through passes with his speed. If there is anything for Devante to work on it's his hold up play and close control.

Come the end of the season it will be interesting to see where Devante is at. Can he progress through the ranks at Man City, will he be sent out on loan again or by this time next year will he be signed permanently to a new club. 

You can never know a player's ceiling when it comes to their talent but one thing is for sure, Devante Cole is cut out to be a top professional footballer.

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