Man Utd striker and Arsenal defender in top 10 Premier League stars to watch at Euro 2024
Avoiding blatantly obvious picks like Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, or Kevin bloody De Bruyne, here are 10 Premier League players we think will have a big impact at Euro 2024.
10) Jakub Kiwior (Poland)
Jakub Kiwior has not played as much as he or we would have liked in his first 18 months at Arsenal. While he has little importance in Mikel Arteta’s squad, he is a vital player for his country.
He should start every game for Poland and will no doubt put in a good account of himself, perhaps with Arsenal viewing a summer sale. He has been linked with plenty of Italian teams but could stay and fight for his place in north London. You feel that the Gunners would be happy with either outcome.
9) Armando Broja (Albania)
It was another difficult season for young Armando Broja, who will likely be tasked with leading the line for Albania at Euro 2024. They will be massive underdogs in Germany and what every underdog needs is a ruthless striker. Broja might struggle to be that guy but there is every chance he will be.
8) Ryan Christie (Scotland)
Scotland are not going to impress in Germany but on the off chance that one of Steve Clarke’s players stands out, it will likely be Bournemouth’s Ryan Christie, who had an excellent season under Andoni Iraola.
The former Celtic man performed at a level I personally didn’t think was possible, proving himself to be a bloody good defensive midfielder. His versatility as someone who can play on the right and anywhere through the middle makes him a valuable player.
7) Milos Kerkez (Hungary)
Christie’s Bournemouth teammate Milos Kerkez is a player we like. He didn’t have an outstanding debut season in the Premier League but it was far from a disappointment. All things considered, he did well in adapting quickly to the pace and physicality of English football. He will be big for a decent Hungary side.
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6) Anthony Gordon (England)
Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze was a tempting selection from the England camp but we feel like minutes will present themselves to Anthony Gordon a little more readily, though Eze should have the opportunity to impress. He was selected by Gareth Southgate over James Maddison and Jack Grealish after all.
There is a left-wing spot to be won in Southgate’s starting XI and while we think the brilliant Phil Foden will play there, that is not where the Manchester City star wants to be and if he is somewhere else on the pitch, Gordon will be the player who slots right in. It’s up to him to take his chance if put in the starting XI; otherwise, he needs to make the most of his minutes off the bench.
Having watched plenty of Gordon – a player we were very wrong about – we think his pace off the bench will be devastating for opposition defenders.
5) Cody Gakpo (Netherlands)
Cody Gakpo – who is apparently a jack of all trades, master of none – goes to Euro 2024 with the Netherlands after an indifferent season for Liverpool. He is a different player for his country though. He always seems to be full of confidence and thrives as a focal point in the attack. Louis van Gaal brought the best out of him at the 2022 World Cup and it is down to Ronald Koeman to do the same in Germany.
4) Mykhaylo Mudryk (Ukraine)
Mykhaylo Mudryk makes Anthony Gordon and his devastating pace look like Chris Brunt; that is how quick the boy is.
The Premier League experience has been very testing for Mudryk, who has struggled to live up to the £62m transfer fee Chelsea paid to sign him from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023. Having chosen to represent Ukraine at last summer’s Under-21 European Championship, the 23-year-old is clearly motivated and remains the Ukrainian starboy, though Heorhiy Sudakov has staked a claim this season.
3) Bart Verbruggen (Netherlands)
A goalkeeper? I know, right?
After a strange debut season in the Premier League for Brighton, Bart Verbruggen will not be sharing the No. 1 shirt for his country this summer. That is if Koeman resists the urge to do a Tim Krul-style substitution before a penalty shoot-out.
2) Rasmus Hojlund (Denmark)
We know Man Utd paid a fortune for him, but that does not exempt him from such a list. Rasmus Hojlund had one run of form in his debut season in the Premier League and was overall quite disappointing. He is hardly an obvious shout like your Fodens and Rodris of the world.
Hojlund will be the main man up top for Denmark as they look to repeat their 1992 heroics. We can definitely see him banging in a few goals and boosting his reputation ahead of a big 2024/25 season in the Premier League and Europa League.
📣 TO THE COMMENTS! Do you agree with our ranking? What players are missing? Join the debate here.
1) Illia Zabarnyi (Ukraine)
No attacker bias here, folks. We are inclusive at F365. We even included a goalkeeper and goalkeepers are weirdos.
Bournemouth centre-back Illia Zabarnyi completes the Cherries trifecta: something nobody saw coming. Andoni Iraola, take a bow.
So, why is Zabarnyi first? Well, because he is a bloody good defender. He made his Ukraine debut at 18 and has been a regular in the defence ever since. He was brilliant for Bournemouth in 23/24, going under the radar. And he is destined for a big move – with all due respect to Bournemouth – and a big Euros campaign could see that transfer fast-tracked. We feel he would be perfect for Newcastle but FFP and all that.
Zabarnyi got in our Euro 2024 under-21 XI, where we sang his praises some more.
👉 More: England | Euro 2024 | Every Euros squad
