Potential Future BPL Stars: Handanovic and Hazard

A look at the potential future Premier League players

The 2010-2011 Barclays Premier League is at its business end with Manchester United set to regain the coveted English domestic title for the record 19^th time although Arsenal fans might just tend to disagree a wee bit given the Gunners’ win over Blackpool on Sunday that reduced the points gap to seven points with seven games still to play.

Well, as the current season grinds to a halt come May why not let us venture into the unpredictable future and look at the potential stars that could set the Barclays Premier League alight in the coming season or for that matter for many seasons to come.

This article would be the first in a series that looks at the potential stars of the 2011-2012 Barclays Premier League season. We start off with a couple of young players, a keeper and an attacker, that are on the radar of the big Premier League sides for the next season.

SAMIR HANDANOVIC(UDINESE)

New star on the horizon

The highly rated Slovenian goalkeeper is one of the most sought after players in Europe at the moment. With more than 100 games under his belt for Italian Serie A side Udinese, Samir Handanovic is a potential high-profile summer target for the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Blackburn Rovers as far as the Barclays Premier League is concerned. With Udinese having set a price tag of over 15 million Euros on the shot-stopper’s head, the English suitors might just have to splash the cash come summer.

Hailing from the capital city of Ljubljana with a proud Bosnian descent, the 26-year old Handanovic is the most talented goalkeeper ever to have graced the fields of the former Yugoslavia. He is Slovenia’s undisputed no.1 keeper with his cousin Jasmin Handanovic a close second in the national team line up.

With Arsenal looking for a top class keeper for the next season and Manchester United scouting for a genuine talent to replace the irreplaceable Edwin Van Der Sar at Old Trafford, the 6ft 4ins former Lazio loanee could bring in valuable experience and strength between the sticks.

Samir Handanovic is big, brave and with 38 international caps, including an impressive 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Udinese man would be an ideal option for either Arsene Wenger or Sir Alex Ferguson. Considered a national hero by Slovenian fans for single handedly guiding his national side to a World Cup play-off win over the mighty Russians in 2009, Samir Handanovic is a sort of keeper who doesn’t really come out of his line thus forcing his defenders to defend from deep into the box yet his stunning reflexes are any coach’s dream.

Arsenal made an effort to bring the 25-year old to the Emirates last season but Udinese managed to hold on to their most prized asset but as things stand now, Handanovic’s agent Federico Pastorello has revealed that his client would be happy to move on to a new challenge if a proper offer is made and let us not forget Juventus, Blackburn and Tottenham could make life very hard for Arsenal and United when the summer transfer window gets into full gear.

EDEN HAZARD(LOSC LILLE)

Little magician

Considered to be the future face of Belgian football, Eden Hazard is sort of player that has maintained a consistent level since his debut for French side LOSC Lille in 2007 at the age of sixteen. Now 20, Hazard is already talked about in the British press to be a key attraction for Premier League sides Arsenal and Chelsea come the summer transfer window. Belgian international Eden Hazard is the main man behind Lille’s impressive attacking display this season that could see the Northerners clinch the Ligue 1 title for the first time since 1954.

An attacking forward by nature, Hazard is the driving force in Lille’s 4-3-3 formation. Rudi Garcia’s side have utilized the Belgian’s talents to the fullest by using him as a left winger with freedom to operate behind the two strikers. With a God gifted vision, Hazard has already been described as the league’s best dribbler with around fifteen assists to his name this season.

Not known to score a lot of goals, Eden Hazard has the talents to get into any top European side, most notably Arsenal, Real Madrid and Barcelona. Arsene Wenger is reportedly a fan of Hazard and has admitted his desire to bring the player to the Emirates next season. The Belgian has spoken of his desires or dreams to join up his international team-mate and captain Thomas Vermaelen at N5 and Arsene Wenger was quoted in January as saying, “Let us try to make his dream come true”.

His style of play and natural instincts to take on defenders in crucial areas make him a perfect fit for the Arsenal philosophy of attack, ball possession and attractive approach. With Stan Kroenke taking over the ownership of the Gunners and the likes of Niclas Bendtner, Tomas Rosicky and Andrei Arshavin reportedly on their way out of North London, Eden Hazard’s arrival at the Emirates looks inevitable although Real Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool could pour water into the Arsenal plan with their lure of European pedigree.

According to the Belgian U-21 coach Jean-Francois De Sart, Hazard, along with Thomas Vermaelen and Romelo Lukaku, is set to become one of Belgium’s key players. In the words of Mr. De Sart, “Hazard has everything he needs to make the grade at the highest level. The French league is indisputably a good school, however it is not the top. When I think about his future I think about Real Madrid, Arsenal or Barcelona.”

With a historic title triumph on the horizon, LOSC Lille’s Hazard is ready to get into the next level of international recognition by taking up a new challenge in either England or Spain.