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Sven Botman, 20, NetherlandsPossibly the highest-rated of the current crop of Dutch prospects, Botman was heavily linked with a move to Anfield in the wake of the season-ending injury to Van Dijk. It is easy to see why Jurgen Klopp would consider the left-footed centre-back a true talent, with the potential to become a figure head for the Dutch national team and follow in the footsteps of compatriot Matthijs de Ligt and star on the biggest stage for any of Europe’s elite clubs.Botman joined Ajax aged nine, progressing through the ranks, although, he failed to make the grade at Ajax, never making a competitive first-team appearance for them, his performance for Jong Ajax (the reserve team of Ajax) have led to him representing his country at every youth level, from Under-15s to Under-21s.Unable to gain a place in the starting eleven, he left Ajax on-loan 2019-20 for fellow Dutch top-flight side Heerenveen in search of first team football. The move proved successful as he became a mainstay, playing every minute of the 26 Eredivisie games, prior to completing a move to Lille in the summer. Botman has settled in quickly and has played a key role in Lille, conceding just 19 goals so far this season, the fewest in France’s top tier.Botman’s imposing physical traits have seen him win 71% of his duals, the highest success rate across Europe’s top five leagues, which may not be a surprise, as he is just shy of 2 metres tall and is incredibly strong in the air. Coupled with the fact he is clearly comfortable with the ball at his feet, with a pass completion rate of 86% and having completed the third-most passes in Ligue 1, it’s clear that Botman is so much more than a defensive bully.His ability has led to a call-up to Frank de Boer’s squad for Nations League games against Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina in November 2020, and he will be hoping his performances will highlight his ability to fill the gap created by Van Dijk’s injury, in the coming weeks, and cement a place in the senior squad for the main Euros come the summer.Fedor Chalov, 22, RussiaHaving played 115 Russian Premier League matches, scoring 40 goals and appearing in the UEFA Champions League for arguably the biggest team in Russia, Chalov comes into the Euros as one of the most experienced players in the tournament. He is unlikely to be phased by the occasion having represent the Russian senior side, making his debut for the team in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier against Belgium a far back as March 2019.Although the goals have dried up, with just 5 goals from 28 appearances so far this season, the standard of his performances still caught the eye of several Premier League clubs in January.With Chalov a former winner of the Russian league’s top goal scorer award who boasts a hit-rate of a goal every in three games and has had involvement in 60 goals since his debut in November 2016, he has an impressive tally for such a young player and the third highest overall in the league. If Chalov can find his form early in the tournament, he is an outside bet for Golden Boot.With the strong Russian links at the club, it is no surprise that Chalov has been linked with a potential move to Chelsea. However, a strong tournament here for the vastly experienced 22-year-old, could see a host of top European Clubs lining up to try and prise the jewel of Russian football away from CSKA Moscow.Sandro Tonali, 20, ItalyTonali’s inclusion on this list comes as no surprise to anyone who has seen the man dubbed the next Andrea Pirlo make thinks tick at Brescia last year and is now starting to settle into life at Italian giants AC Milan (especially, as I have tried to avoid having two keepers on here, and therefore ruled out his club and country teammate Donnarumma).Having impressed with Brescia during his debut season, building a reputation for his close dribbling and passing ability; assisting seven and scoring one, Tonali completed a move to AC Milan. Initially a one-year loan, but with an option to buy, for a fee rising to in the region of £27m, the 20-year-old has become a fan-favourite, having openly snubbed their close rivals Inter, in favour of joining the Rossoneri.A regista; possessing the ability to direct play from his deep midfield role, his excellent movement, technical qualities, long range shooting and an elegant range of passing will lead Tonali to stand out as the talent of the tournament.With a maturity beyond his years, and already showing glimpses of becoming Steven Gerrard and Luka Modrić all rolled into one; Sandro Tonali has already made the step-up to gain four caps for the national senior squad, and he will be one of the key players for Italy this month and in the coming years for AC Milan.Are there any that have been missed? Let us know in the comments below!Written by Lewis Done – @lewis_done
