The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsThe 2016/17 Premier League campaign kicks off on Saturday afternoon with defending champions Leicester City squaring off against newly promoted Hull City at the KC Stadium. Their star midfielder Riyad Mahrez won the PFA Players Player of the Year award last season after a stunning campaign with the Foxes. 20 teams will have a go at the title once again this season and their players will try to stand out amongst the others. Here’s 6 players who could displace Mahrez as England’s most elusive.
Kevin de Bruyne – Manchester City
The Belgian enjoyed a stellar debut campaign in England and had a fine campaign at the Euros in France. He’ll be looking to do better this time by winning the Premier League and becoming the most dominant midfielder in England. Under new manager Pep Guardiola, he’ll be confident of improving on last season as Guardiola is well-known for bringing out the best from his midfielders. 16 goals and 14 assists in 41 appearances in all competitions ranked de Bruyne as the Citizens’ best player along with Aguero and he can excel even further in the upcoming campaign.
Andre Ayew – West Ham United
West Ham are set to begin their new era at their new stadium. The Hammers want to send out a statement to the rest of the country and want to better their 7th placed finish from last season. They’ve made a move for Swansea’s Andre Ayew, in a deal that is the most expensive in the club’s history (£20.5 million). Ayew had an impressive debut campaign for the Welsh side bagging 12 goals and 5 assists for the Swans. A player of his quality, who can play across the midfeld will be a vital asset for West Ham and a complement to star man Dimitri Payet.
Vincent Janssen – Tottenham Hotspur
A forward of sheer quality and explosiveness, Janssen signed for Tottenham this summer from AZ to bolster Spurs’ attacking line and provide support to last season’s top scorer Harry Kane. 32 goals last season encouraged manager Mauricio Pochettino to pay up nearly £19 milion for him and he’ll be hoping his acquisition is worth the fee. The Dutchman, who played for lowly Almere City before signing for AZ has had quite a staggering story and he looks set to reach new heights in North London.
Anthony Martial – Manchester United
After handling the pressure of his price tag fairly well in his first season, Anthony Martial will be looking to go one better and win the Premier League and also, get a few personal honours. The Frenchman scored 17 times in all competitions in his debut campaign, after featuring on the wings and his preferred central striker position. The arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic suggests he’s set to feature on the wings more prominently. His abitlities on and off the ball can certainly power him to be England’s best player no matter where he’s played in attack.
Juan Cuadrado – Chelsea
A pick that could vary upon the sides new manager Antonio Conte picks, Cuadrado has the pace and skill to provide problems to full-backs of the Premier League. Cuadrado hasn’t had the best time since his move to the Blues, featuring sporadically. A positive loan spell at Italian champions Juventus and the arrival of Conte, who utilizes his wingers to their maximum potential could see the Colombian be an important figure for the London club and help them return to where they belong.
Alexis Sanchez – Arsenal
Brave, strong, persistent. Just few of the terms to describe the talents of Alexis Sanchez, a man who will be influencial if Arsenal are to challenge at the highest level this season. 42 goals in 93 appearances since he moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2014 is a sensational record in one of the toughest leagues. At only 5 feet and 6 inches, the attacker uses his skill in the best way to terrorize opposition defences and creates chances at a frequent rate. Finishing 2nd last season was a positive for the Gunners and the form of Alexis Sanchez will be crucial if Arsenal are to improve on their finish and become Premier League champions for the first time in 13 years.
