World Cup 2018: 5 players who probably have earned transfers to top clubs with their performances

The group stage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia has been concluded, and what a couple of weeks it has been. It may have started slowly, but we have had some memorable moments as far as the group stage is concerned, and there is still a lot more to come.

The world champions Germany were dumped out at the first time of asking after shock defeats to Mexico and South Korea. Argentina, the runners-up from four years ago just about snuck through to the round of 16 thanks to a brilliant volley from Marcos Rojo, but it still looks like they’ve got a lot of work to do.

We saw Spain and Portugal battle it out in arguably the best game of the tournament so far (at the time of writing), with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a superb tournament to get himself up and running in Russia. Both eventually went through, but they both suffered scares against Morocco and Iran.

France and Brazil also secured progression to the round of 16, but despite having two of the strongest squads on paper at the tournament, you feel both are yet to hit top gear. If they do, they will be tough to stop.

Then to England. The hope of a nation has grown after an impressive group stage, and by finishing second in the group, they are in what appears to be the weaker half of the draw.

The debate about VAR rages on. We’ve seen it work well, such as to allow the goal that knocked out Germany, and we’ve seen it work badly, like when awarding Iran a last-minute penalty against Portugal for a dubious handball.

We have also seen some excellent individual performances, and for many this will be the only real chance they get to show their talent on the world stage, some may wish to take this chance to earn a move to a bigger club.

Here are five players whose performances may have caught the eyes of the big boys.

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#1 Aleksandr Golovin (Russia)

Aleksandr Golovin

There were rumours before the tournament that some of Europe’s biggest clubs were lining up bids for Golovin, and his performances this summer won’t have done anything to put them off.

He has stepped up after Alan Dzagoev's injury in the first game against Saudi Arabia, and has been Russia’s best player ever since.

He is an exceptionally gifted player in the centre of the park, and has showed off his talents at the World Cup.

He scored a superb free kick against Saudi Arabia, and ran the show when they took on Egypt. Reports suggest that Chelsea are now leading the chase for Golovin, and it is the sort of move he deserves if his World Cup performances are anything to go by.

#2 Hirving Lozano (Mexico)

Hirving Lozano

Lozano set the World Cup alight with a superb performance for Mexico in their opening game against Germany, scoring the winning goal. His talents are perfectly suited to the Mexican style of play, soaking up the pressure before hitting teams on the break.

His pace and directness on the ball has been crucial to the way they have played, and he has been a big part of the success they have had in Russia.

The PSV winger wasn’t a man particularly well known across the continent, but he has turned heads with his performances in Russia. There have been rumours of interest from Barcelona, but we will have to wait and see what becomes of that when Mexico’s tournament is over.

#3 Ahmed Musa (Nigeria)

Ahmed Musa

The World Cup has come at the perfect time for Musa, who will have been looking for a chance to show off what he can do after two difficult years in England.

He moved to Leicester City after their historic Premier League title win in 2016, but never really hit top form with the Foxes, and spent the second half of last season on loan in Russia at CSKA Moscow.

He has reminded the world of what he is capable of at the World Cup though, scoring two superb goals against Iceland.

Nigeria missed out on qualification to the round of 16 after a late defeat to Argentina, but Musa took his chance to show what he can do, and will hope that clubs were watching.

#4 Juan Quintero (Colombia)

Juan Quintero

James Rodriguez’s injury has come as a blessing in disguise for Quintero who probably wouldn’t have had much of a look in during the tournament had Rodriguez been fit.

Technically, there is no doubt about his quality, but it has been his attitude that has let him down at times during his career. He is currently contracted to Porto, but hasn’t played for the Portuguese giants since 2015, spending time on loan in France, Colombia and Argentina.

He is similar to Rodriguez in style, and suits the way this Colombian side plays. He is comfortable in possession of the ball, and his passing and dribbling ability stands out. He started the tournament with a brilliant free kick in their defeat to Japan, and played a key role in their 3-0 win over Poland.

#5 Ante Rebic (Croatia)

Ante Rebic

Croatia were perhaps the strongest team in the group stage, with their star-studded midfield earning the plaudits.

The likes of Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic are already with two of Europe’s biggest clubs, but Ante Rebic is probably the one unknown quantity in this Croatia midfield.

He has been excellent though, and he gives this Croatia team a good balance with the width he offers. He has the finishing product to match too, having scored an excellent volley in the win over Argentina.

He is currently at Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, but will hope he has shown enough in Russia to earn himself a move.