Mateo Kovacic (Inter Milan)
A more defensive-minded player but one with a lot of potential. Imagine playing this guy alongside Emre Can in a few years? He had played in an advanced role as well and has even operated out wide on the left on a couple of occasions. The 21-year-old Croatian has already picked up 19 caps for his country and 76 appearances in Serie A. Inter value the player highly but could conceivably be forced into a sale following their recent problems with Financial Fair Play (via Sky Sports). Interestingly, both Roma and Monaco were also punished.
Geoffrey Kondogbia (AS Monaco)
Another comparative youngster. The 22-year-old Frenchman shot to prominence in this country after scoring against Arsenal in the Champions League earlier this season. In truth, there’s a lot more to him than that. A combative and powerful player who acts as the metaphorical engine of his current side, he’s already a three-time international and has experience of playing in La Liga, as well as Ligue 1. Having joined Monaco from Sevilla in 2013, he’s since made 46 league appearances and scored twice. He won the Under-20 World Cup in 2013.
