Copa America: Three men now on everyone’s transfer radar
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While most eyes have been on France and the European Championships, across the pond, celebrations were in order as the Copa America celebrated its centenary with a special tournament held in the USA and you can be sure some savvy scouts were in attendance from Europe’s finest clubs.
Chile successfully defended their crown after a shoot-out win over Argentina, prompting Lionel Messi to announce his international retirement.
But for once, we’re not focusing on the Barcelona star.
A total of 16 teams took part in the States, and that allowed plenty of opportunity for players to impress any attending scouts in the hope of landing a move.
Naturally, we’ve been keeping an eye on things across the Atlantic too, and identified a trio of players who may be cropping up on a few more club’s radars.
Eduardo Vargas – Chile
The tournament’s top scorer, Vargas netted seven times in America, including a superb four-goal haul versus Mexico.
The 26-year-old has struggled for form at Hoffenheim, and didn’t shine during a loan spell at QPR either, but his performances this summer were a reminder of why Napoli paid over £11m for his services back in 2012.
John Brooks – USA
One of a number of success stories for the hosts, John Brooks shone for the USA and was arguably their stand-out player.
The Hertha Berlin defender was a mighty rock as the Americans conceded just three times in their first four games. At 23 years of age, Brooks – standing at 6ft 4in – is only set to improve.
Gyasi Zardes – USA
Another who shone for the Stars and Stripes, Gyasi Zardes netted the winner in the USA’s quarter-final clash with Ecuador.
A general thorn for defenders throughout, Zardes missed just one minute of the campaign for Jurgen Klinsmann’s side. Has become a big asset for LA Galaxy, and at 24 is coming into his peak years.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
