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With the European Championships set to kick off in the summer, national team managers are set to be busy in the coming months in order to finalize their squads. While several nations across the continent have relatively settled teams, a handful of sides have a large pool of players to choose from, meaning a few notable names are likely to be left out from the squad altogether.
Reigning champions Portugal have one of the strongest squads in the world, with talismanic skipper Cristiano Ronaldo all set to lead his side into the tournament. The likes of France, Spain and England have also shown flashes of their brilliance in recent years, while Italy and the Netherlands are slowly making their way back to the top after a few years in the wilderness.
With the second half of the 2020-21 season well underway, here are five players who need to secure transfers to confirm their spots in their respective national teams for Euro 2020.
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#5 Divock Origi | Liverpool, Belgium
Divock Origi has fallen down the pecking order at Liverpool after the Reds' big-money acquisition of Diogo Jota, who enjoyed a stunning start to his Anfield career before picking up a knee injury in November.
The Belgian striker is a cult hero in Merseyside for his exploits over the years, but the fact of the matter is that he is currently Jurgen Klopp's sixth choice attacker behind Robert Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Xherdan Shaqiri, Takumi Minamino and Jota.
Origi has barely featured this season and has been linked with a move to Wolves in the Premier League, who are reportedly on the lookout for a striker to deputize for Raul Jimenez.
#4 Dele Alli | Tottenham Hotspur, England
Once hailed as the golden boy of English football, Dele Alli has fallen off in recent years after a series of underwhelming displays for Tottenham Hotspur and the Three Lions. The former MK Dons star is currently out of favor under Jose Mourinho and is reportedly desprate to secure a transfer this month.
With Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele occupying the midfield spots in front of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Alli has barely featured this season. Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettinho, who recently took over the reins at Paris Saint-Germain, is reportedly keen on a reunion with the Englishman.
Negotiations are ongoing between the two clubs and it remains to be seen if he secures a move to the Parc des Princes.
#3 Julian Draxler | Paris Saint-Germain, Germany
Julian Draxler is another top player who has gone off the boil in recent months, with the German midfielder currently on the fringes of the Paris Saint-Germain squad. Mauricio Pochettino's arrival could hand the former Wolfsburg star a second chance, but he might need to secure a transfer in the coming days to force his way back into Joachim Low's Germany squad.
Draxler has a wealth of experience under his belt for club and country and could prove to be a solid midseason solution for most clubs across the world. Arsenal have been linked with the 27-year-old, with Mikel Arteta reportedly in the market to sign a creative midfielder to replace the Fenerbache bound Mesut Ozil.
#2 Antonio Rudiger | Chelsea, Germany
Another German international who has found games hard to come by this season, Antonio Rudiger has fallen down the pecking order at Chelsea after the arrival of Thiago Silva. The 27-year-old is also behind Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge and has been linked with moves to Barcelona and Juventus in the past few months.
Having signed for the Blues in a big-money deal under Antonio Conte, Rudiger has failed to produce the goods consistently at the London club and has been slated for his erratic showing at the back.
However, Low seems to value his as a squad player, and with Germany struggling to keep things tight at the back, he might well be called up regardless of a transfer materializing.
#1 Isco | Real Madrid, Spain
Isco's inclusion in the list might raise eyebrows, but the Real Madrid midfielder has been far from his best in the past 12 months and is no longer a key player for Zinedine Zidane. While he performs consistently for Spain, La Roja are blessed with a handful of gifted midfielders, due to which Isco might not come under consideration by his manager.
The former Malaga midfielder has not been at his best for a while now and is running out of time to force his way back into the plans of Zidane and Enrique. Isco has been linked with a move to Juventus in a potential swap deal. but it remains to be seen if he leaves the Santiago Bernabeu in the January transfer window.
