Daily Nation Newspaper

WORLD CUP 2018: THE PLAYERS WHO MIGHT HAVE EARNED A MOVE

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THE days of clubs signing players purely on the basis of a good World Cup are mainly in the past.

But a good tournament cannot hurt.

BBC Sport looks at 10 players who might get a move following an impressive showing in Russia - and lets you know their average score from the player rater our readers used for each game.

Aleksandr Golovin (Russia midfielder)

Club: CSKA Moscow Age: 22

Linked with: Arsenal, Chelsea, Juventus Average rating: 6.88 World Cup 2018 highlights: Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia

Golovin, who has spent his career to date with CSKA, impressed at his home World Cup - scoring one and assisting two in their opening 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia.

That was the most goals a Russian has been involved in during a World Cup game since Oleg Salenko scored five and assisted one against Cameroon in 1994.

He did not have a direct hand in any other goals during Russia's run to the quarter-finals but still impressed. Hakim Ziyech midfielder)

Club: Ajax Age: 25 Linked with: Liverpool, Roma

Average rating: 6.59 Ziyech looked good in the group stages as Morocco were one of the unluckiest teams in the tournament - losing to an injury-time Iran goal, an early Portugal goal and being denied by a 91st-minute Spain equaliser.

He created six chances in the group stage, more than any other player for Morocco. Ziyech has never played outside the Netherland­s, where he was born, but that could change this summer.

Benjamin Pavard (France defender)

Club: Stuttgart Age: 22 Linked with: Tottenham, Manchester City, Arsenal, Bayern Munich

Average rating: 5.69 'Glorious' Pavard strike brings France level

Pavard, who played at rightback but can also feature at centre-back or in midfield, scored one of the goals of the tournament against Argentina with a fantastic spinning 20yard strike.

That made him the first (Morocco French defender to score at a World Cup since Lillian Thuram in the 1998 semi-finals. He only made his internatio­nal debut in November, having been a German second division player in 2016-17, and is now a world champion.

Andre Carrillo (Peru winger) Club: Benfica Age: 27 Linked with: Everton, Fulham Average rating: 7.37 Carrillo volley gives Peru their first goal of 2018 World Cup

Carrillo, who spent last season on loan at Watford, scored Peru's first World Cup goal since 1982 with a fine volley against Australia.

He completed 10 of his 15 dribbles - more than three times what any of his Peru team-mates managed to achieve.

Ahmed Musa (Nigeria forward)

Club: Leicester Age: 25 Linked with: Galatasara­y, Al Nassr

Average rating: 6.61

Ahmed Musa fires Nigeria into lead

Musa scored a brilliant double against Iceland - leading to adoration in Argentina as his goals gave them renewed hope of reaching the knockout stage.

He is now the third top African goalscorer at World Cups with four. Only Asamoah Gyan (six for Ghana) and Roger Milla (five for Cameroon) have managed more.

Musa spent the second half of last season on loan with former club CSKA Moscow but his World Cup exploits may help him have a career at Leicester or get a permanent move away. Hirving Lozano (Mexico winger)

Club: PSV Eindhoven Age: 22

Linked with: Manchester United, Tottenham, Real Madrid, Barcelona

Average rating: 7.37 Hirving Lozano scores 'brilliant' opener for Mexico

Lozano was excellent in Russia, scoring the winning goal against Germany and running from his own half to set up Javier Hernandez's strike against South Korea.

He had 13 shots in total - no Mexican player attempted more - and created 11 chances for his team-mates.

Cho Hyun-woo (South Korea goalkeeper)

Club: Daegu Age: 26 Linked with: Liverpool Average rating: 7.29 (including 8.85 against Germany - the second highest rating of the World Cup)

World Cup 2018: South Korea 2-0 Germany - highlights

Cho, who has spent his career so far with K League side Daegu FC, really impressed in the group stage - especially in the win over Germany where he made six saves and kept a clean sheet.

Only Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa (17) made more saves in the group stage than Cho (12).

He has previously said his dream is to play in the Premier League, but a move to Europe would be complicate­d by the fact he is due to carry out military service.

Harry Maguire (England defender)

Club: Leicester Age: 25 Linked with: Tottenham, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea Average rating: 6.51 World Cup 2018: Harry Maguire heads in the opener for England against Sweden

The only Englishman on this list - but the second Leicester player. Maguire was a colossus at the back for England and scored the opener in the quarterfin­al against Sweden, as well as assisting Harry Kane's winner against Tunisia.

Maguire won the joint second highest amount of aerial duels in the tournament (41). Moussa Wague (Senegal defender)

Club: Eupen Age: 19 Linked with: Napoli Average rating: 6.03

Wague smashes home to give Senegal lead

The teenage right-back plays for Claude Makelele’s Eupen in Belgium, only making his competitiv­e club debut in 2017. He smashed home one goal for Senegal in a 2-2 draw with Japan to make him Africa’s youngest-ever World Cup goalscorer.

Yerry Mina (Colombia defender)

Club: Barcelona Age: 23 Linked with: Everton, West Ham, Tottenham, Liverpool Average rating: 5.98 Mina’s dramatic equaliser takes game into extra time

Centre-back Mina is not thought to be in manager Ernesto Valverde’s plans at Barcelona. He had an impressive World Cup, scoring three goals - all headers - including an equaliser against England before the Three Lions’ penalty shootout win.

No defender has ever scored more goals at one World Cup than Mina’s three.

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