Feyenoord foursome should be of interest to Premier League clubs

It may be the youngsters of Barcelona that generate the most worldwide interest, but clubs looking to build their squads for the future could do plenty worse than take note of some of the talent breaking through at Feyenoord.

Kevin Strootman’s rise to the position of captain by the age of 22 and the emergence of Nathan Ake, who started at Feyenoord, at Chelsea towards the end of last season are just two examples of the young talent coming from Holland at present.

Meanwhile, Ajax are proof of a Dutch club developing young talent, with Siem De Jong, Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld, Ricardo van Rhijn, Daley Blind and Viktor Fischer just some of the more recent names to come through their academy.

Feyenoord are following suit with their Varkenoord academy and their second and third-place finishes in the last two Eredivisie seasons are a sign of their overall development.

However, the lure of moves abroad may turn the heads of some of their younger talent and there is a real chance that some bargains can be had from within the Feyenoord ranks.

Four players particularly stand out as being worth taking a chance on and it would be no surprise to see them on the radars of Premier League clubs in the near future.

Perhaps the most well known is Bruno Martins Indi, who has already gained international recognition with Holland and been chased by AC Milan.

Versatile in that he can play at left-back or in the centre of defence, Martins Indi is physically strong and comfortable in carrying the ball forward, while positive comments from Ronald Koeman about his bright future should be taken heed of.

The Dutch have not been as successful as in the past with their development of true world-class defenders in recent years and Feyenoord appear to have another prospect alongside Martins Indi in Terence Kongolo.

He was making inroads into the first team when injuring the ligaments in his knee that saw him miss most of last season, but assuming that he bounces back to fitness, he is one to watch.

Further forward in midfield, Tonny Vilhena has already had over a year in the Feyenoord first team despite being just 18 and his close control, notable passing, vision and strength in possession arguably make him the most talented of the lot to have emerged at the Varkenoord in recent years.

Famed agent Mino Raiola, who is also responsible for the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovich and Mario Balotelli, has additionally previously stated that some of Europe’s top clubs have already enquired about Vilhena.

The final player of specific interest is Jean-Paul Boetius, who despite being a teenager has been labelled as the best winger in the Eredivisie by former Holland boss Bert van Marwijk.

His reading of the game is especially good for one so young, while his raw pace makes him a nightmare to defend against down the left flank.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.