Lisandro Martinez (Argentina): Transfer: Ajax to Manchester United. Reported fee: €57 million. Position: Defender Age: 24. Early impressions: With United making their worst start to a top-flight season in over a century, Martinez has not been immune from the criticism that has followed back-to-back defeats by Brighton and Brentford. Martinez staked his claim for a starting spot with several assured performances during World Cup qualifying, and his versatility – as a centre-back who can also play in midfield and at left-back – is valued by coach Lionel Scaloni. It is felt, though, that he will have his work cut out to play in his favoured position, with Nicolas Otamendi and Christian Romero – starters in Argentina’s Copa America final triumph and the recent Finalissima win over Italy – seen as the established central-defensive pairing.
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Martinez's height of just 5 foot 9 inch has also been in focus since his arrival at Old Trafford and some feel it could stop him becoming a Premier League success. United's struggles against Brighton and Brentford are a bad sign but it is too soon to judge the defender.
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Darwin Nunez (Uruguay). Transfer: Benfica to Liverpool. Reported fee: €75 million. Position: Striker. Age: 23. Early impressions: After impressing as a scoring substitute in Liverpool’s Community Shield win over Manchester City and their Premier League opener at Fulham, Nunez earned his first start for the Reds on Monday evening. It ended prematurely, however, with a red card for headbutting Crystal Palace’s Joachim Andersen, leaving the Uruguayan facing a three-match ban.
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Few doubt that Nunez will eventually become Uruguay’s first-choice striker. For the meantime, though, he faces the unenviable task of dislodging two living Celeste legends in Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani – respectively, the highest and second-highest scorer in their nation’s history. To do that in time for Qatar, a spectacular impact at Anfield may be required.
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Kalvin Phillips (England). Transfer: Leeds United to Manchester City. Reported fee: €50 million. Position: Midfielder. Age: 26. Early impressions: After remaining on the bench for City’s Community Shield defeat and coming on for just a minute of their Premier League opener, Phillips picked up a minor injury that ruled him out of the club’s most recent match.
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Competition for midfield spots at City, who have made a sparkling start to the league season without him, seems to pose the greatest danger to Phillips’ hopes.
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Richarlison (Brazil). Transfer: Everton to Tottenham Hotspur. Reported fee: €71 million. Position: Forward. Age: 25. Early impressions: The Brazilian has started on the bench in both of his new club’s Premier League matches thus far. His introduction at Chelsea provided a struggling Spurs attack with some much-needed impetus though, and Antonio Conte has suggested he will see plenty of game time in a variety of attacking positions.
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Brazil coach Tite has hailed the Olympic gold medalist as his most natural No9. “He gives his heart and soul. He’s bloodthirsty. He can sniff a chance out from a long way away."
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Aurelien Tchouameni (France). Transfer: Monaco to Real Madrid. Reported fee: €80 million plus add-ons. Position: Midfielder. Age: 22 Early impressions: Tchouameni started Real Madrid’s La Liga opener at Almeria on Sunday, but was substituted just before the hour-mark with the European champions 1-0 down. His performance, and that of countryman Eduardo Camavinga, earned a rebuke from Carlo Ancelotti, who said both “did not play as they know how to do” and “can do much better”. Breaking up the Ngolo Kante-Paul Pogba partnership that powered France to glory in 2018 was never going to be easy. But with Didier Deschamps lauding him as “the complete midfielder”, a strong start to his Madrid career could well see Tchoumeni do just that.
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Vitinha (Portugal). Transfer: Porto to Paris Saint-Germain. Reported fee: €41.5 million. Position: Midfielder. Age: 22. Early impressions: It has been a positive start in Paris for the Portuguese midfielder, who has started all three of his new club’s competitive matches thus far. Already, Vitinha looks to have formed an exciting partnership with Marco Verratti, contributing plenty of creativity to free-scoring PSG’s fine start to the season. With just three caps to his name, the former Porto prodigy faces a tough task to oust the likes of Joao Moutinho, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and William Carvalho from the starting line-up. He did, however, start Portugal’s most recent match – a 1-0 UEFA Nations League defeat to Switzerland – and will surely be in contention if he holds down his place at PSG.
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