AFCON trophy.
Hosted in Cameroon, this year’s African Cup Of Nations competition brought us lots of thrilling moments and lots of surprises. The month-long tournament is almost over, but it featured star players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Naby Keita, and Edouard Mendy.
While some EPL managers like Jurgen Klopp were disappointed about losing some stars, others took the chance to mold their future transfer plans. Several top players are emerging from the tournament with transfer interests, following their impressive fans on the international stage.
Here are five players that caught the interest of teams like Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United ahead of the summer transfer window. The players could make valuable additions to any EPL team that signs them and as explained here effect betting odds.
Franck Kessie
AC Milan’s midfield master Frank Kessie has been linked to moving to the EPL for over a year. The Ivory Coast international has been playing in Serie A for the last few years and could be moving to England anytime soon.
Kessie is on the last few months of his deal at San Siro, with his performance attracting the attention of Liverpool and Manchester United. However, Barcelona has verbally agreed to sign him for his subtle positioning and ability to get results despite having a weak long passing technique.
Amadou Haidara
Amadou Haidara has been on Manchester United’s Radas for quite some time. The Red Devils are still looking for a top midfielder to solve the well-documented deficiency in the engine room and the Mali international could be an excellent fit for them. Manchester United now has a great chance of signing the 23-year-old midfielder, after Mali’s AFCON elimination by Equatorial Guinea in the round of 16.
Kalidou Koulibaly
Napoli’s powerhouse Kalidou Koulably has been linked to a Premier League for quite some time and several teams might be interested in signing the Senegal international next summer. The 30-year-old is in his last 18 months at Napoli and the team could be interested in trading him for the right price. Chelsea and Manchester United have been linked with signing the center half, with the Blues poised to lose Antonio Rudiger in the summer.
Samuel Chukwueze
Samuel Chukwueze put up an impressive display during the Super Eagles 3-1 victory over Sudan, opening the scoring surge for the team. The 22-year-old Nigerian winger has scored five goals in 16 games for Villareal this season.
Chukwueze has been previously linked to transfer to teams like Liverpool and Manchester United. Liverpool is actively looking to reinforce their attacking squad, but more EPL teams might be enticed to make a move for him.
Sebastien Haller
Sebastien Haller might have endured a torrid spell at West Ham, but the 27-year-old has built a great reputation at Ajax. Haller has recorded 22 goals in 24 games with Ajax and he has put himself on the EPL clubs’ transfer radar with his impressive AFCON performance.
Earlier this month, the Red Devils hero Rio Ferdinand urged Arsenal to sign Haller if they failed to secure Dusan Vlahovic – who was the Gunners’ top priority at the time. As such, Arsenal might be considering adding him to their roster after Vlahovic snubbed them with a move to Juventus.
