#3 Alen Halilovic
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Depending on whose word one takes for granted, there are countless players who could be seriously considered as the ‘next big thing’ in football. However, Alen Halilovic really does look like the real deal and he’ll be keen to have a big impact on the Euros with Croatia.
That he is the future of Barcelona, there is little doubt. However, whether he is ready to make the step up to the plate for the Catalan giants for next season, it’s not so sure.
He could return and become a bit-part player but many, much like Bleacher Report’s Rik Sharma, are convinced that he needs another season away, and at a bigger club.
Having spent a season on loan at Sporting de Gijon, the 19-year-old was allowed to spread his wings a little in La Liga but it was not the stand-out season many would have hoped for. Still, all is far from lost because it is very much early days for the youngster and with a big stage on the horizon he might just be saving his best performances for it; La Liga’s 2015/16 campaign could well have been a dress rehearsal, if you will.
Comparisons with Lionel Messi might have been well wide of the mark when he first surfaced but anyone who has seen him play will know that he has bags of potential – it’s only a matter of time before he opens them to deadly effect.
