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With this year’s European Championship only around the corner, we take a look at three Serie A stars to watch out for in France this summer.
Paul Pogba – France and Juventus
Pogba is a central midfielder with pace and power and an eye for goal. At just 23 years old, he is arguably still in his formative years and, despite his relatively young age, this will be his fourth season with Juventus. However, he still looks set to deliver Juve another Serie A title, with the Old Lady at the time of writing at 1/500 to be crowned champions, according to the Bet365 Scudetto odds.
His talent was spotted early and he signed for Manchester United aged just 16, a year after he began to represent the French national team at under 16 level. For whatever reason, things didn’t pan out the way they were intended at Old Trafford and after just seven senior appearances he left to join Juventus in 2012.
He has been a regular performer for Juve and has scored 34 goals for them in 181 appearances. He is also a mainstay for the French national team, winning 29 caps so far, and will be one to watch as France bid to become the first home nation to win the European Championship since Les Bleus in 1984.
Stephan El Shaarawy – Italy and Roma
Billed as an up-and-coming world talent, Stephan is primarily a left winger but is equally at home as an attacking midfielder or centre forward. He began his career with Genoa, becoming the fourth youngest player in Serie A history when he made his debut aged 16. Milan signed him in a deal worth €20 million in 2011 and, in his first season, he won the league’s young player of the year award. He was also picked for the Italian national side for the first time, having represented them at all levels from under 16.
He signed a five-year deal at Milan in 2013 but then spent the next two years battling against injury. He has now fully recovered and Milan sent him out on loan to Roma in January 2016 to the end of the current campaign for a loan fee of €1.4 million. So far with Roma he has scored six goals in ten games as they chase a place in the Champions League for next season.
On international duty he has scored three times in 18 appearances but may be the ace in the pack for the Azzurri as they attempt the lift the European Championship for the first time since 1968.
Sami Khedira – Germany and Juventus
Sami is an experienced midfielder who is an important part of the German side which won the last World Cup in 2014. After beginning his career with Stuttgart, he shot to fame following a move to Real Madrid in 2010.
He won every trophy going during a five-year stay at the Bernabeu, including the Champions League in 2014. He joined Juventus on a free Bosman transfer a year later and is now helping them to another title. Still only 29 years old, he is at the peak of his powers and there are many more international caps to come to add to his 58 to date.
If Sami is on form, it will be hard to bet against Germany winning the European Championship for a record fourth time.
