Atletico Madrid‘s summer recruitment drive will be made with the idea that they can go one step further next year both at home and abroad, having ended third in La Liga and runners-up in the UEFA Champions League in 2015-16.

Diego Simeone‘s men have great quality and depth throughout the squad, but there’s no question they want to add another dimension to their attacking play. Our recent look at a transfer target for Los Rojiblancos saw how Edinson Cavani would fit the team, but he’s far from the only rumoured player that the side are looking at.

Another name in the frame is Inter Milan and Croatia midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, who Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) suggested is wanted by several clubs including the Vicente Calderon outfit. The claim was that talks took place surrounding the player, with Atletico‘s Miguel Angel Gil and Inter’s Piero Ausilio involved from the clubs’ directorial boards.

Brozovic is undoubtedly a player of quality, which he’ll no doubt showcase while on duty for his nation at UEFA Euro 2016, and there’s certainly a case to make for him improving Atletico‘s overall squad.

Career path and 2015-16

Brozovic began playing senior football in Croatia at age 17, quickly moving up to the national league with a couple of moves which eventually landed him at Dinamo Zagreb, the most successful club in the top flight, the 1. HNL.

Having made his name known to the wider watching world of European football with some eye-catching performances at under-21 level for Croatia as well as in Europe with Dinamo, Brozovic was called up to the senior squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, even though he was uncapped. Since then, he has become a regular fixture in the national team, playing 17 times to date at age 23.

At club level he earned a move to Inter Milan in January 2015, though the Serie A side currently only have him on loan. Reports have been conflicting as to the specifics regarding the loan, but the most common seem to suggest Inter have an obligation to sign Brozovic permanently this summer for around €5-6 million, while Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Gazzetta World) reported recently that the deal had already been sealed.

This past season saw Brozovic play a pivotal role for Roberto Mancini, fulfilling a variety of midfield roles; early on in the campaign he struggled to find a regular spot in the team, yet from mid-November he played every Serie A match with the exception of one he was suspended for, and he played the full 90 minutes in all of Inter’s last 10 games.

Brozovic scored twice against Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-final second leg, though his team eventually lost on penalties.

Roles and traits

The term “complete midfielder” doesn’t quite apply to Brozovic, as he perhaps lacks the physicality to be a real ball-winner, but aggression and technical ability can be found throughout his game.

Equally comfortable as a box-to-box distributor of the ball or an attacking option who helps put the final touches on moves in the final third, Brozovic has played in a two-man midfield, as part of a three-man and solo as a No. 10. He can even filter out wide and be a movement-based outlet for his team in the right channel, though he certainly would never be classed as a winger.

An excellent first touch, the ability to play with his head up and a fantastic range of passes make Brozovic a standout in possession, one who thrives with movement ahead of him and within a strong tactical setup, something which hasn’t always been in evidence at ever-changing Inter.

Fitting Atletico

One area where Atletico Madrid don’t need any new faces is central midfield.

The established order at the end of last season saw captain Gabi partner either Augusto Fernandez, Koke or Saul, while Thomas Partey was the impact substitute. Tiago also returned from a long-term injury toward the end of the campaign and signed a one-year extension to his contract, while Mattias Kranevitter has so far seen limited action and may be loaned out in 2016-17, per Marca.

It’s a crowded area of the team, and while Brozovic is young and talented enough to compete for a spot, it would be a waste of investment. However, the Croatian’s versatility could come into play, along with that of the rest of Atleti‘s midfield.

Koke and Saul both regularly change positions and help balance the team out, switching easily from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3, and there’s little doubt that Brozovic would add to the fluid nature of the team.

The best example of his tactical intelligence in this sense can be seen at international level: Watch Croatia at Euro 2016, and the rotating cast of Ivan Rakitic, Luka Modric and Brozovic will be seen alternately pushing on from central midfield to support the front line, with the other two standing their ground centrally. Brozovic has no problem with adaptation in a tactical sense, and on a social level he seemed to also adapt easily to life in Serie A.

His work rate and industry should also impress Simeone.

Suitability?

It’s not as straightforward as simply saying that Brozovic would or would not be a good signing.

Yes, he has quality to shine in Atletico‘s team, and yes, he seems an attainable purchase; Brozovic himself suggested he would talk to Inter regarding his future after the Euros, according to Jutarnji (h/t Football Italia), but the likes of Arsenal have also been heavily linked by Charlie Phillippe of the Express, and Mancini rates his midfielder so highly he said the midfielder would “become one of the best,” per FourFourTwo.

To cap it off, Inter have recently sold 70 per cent ownership to Chinese group Suning Commerce, who promise an injection of funds. It’s possible they would hold out for more money or refuse to sell—though Inter have had a habit of selling their best players and failing to really build success in recent years.

There’s no doubt Atletico would be a good step up for the player himself, but Atleti must make sure they still have sufficient funds for the genuinely top-class striker they need first, as well as depth at full-back, before embarking on a chase for what might be a luxury addition in an already cluttered midfield zone.

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Liverpool are reportedly set to bid for Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs this summer, with manager Jurgen Klopp said to be keen on bolstering his options at left-back.

That’s according to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, who has stated there is a “growing likelihood” the 26-year-old will not be at the Emirates Stadium next season having fallen behind Nacho Monreal in the pecking order. Arsenal are said to want to cash in while they “can still command a high fee,” with a £12 million figure mooted.

That could potentially pave the way for the Reds to make an offer. After an inconsistent campaign for Alberto Moreno last term, it’s a position most supporters would love to see a fresh face. Football writer Seb Stafford-Bloor thinks there are other issues that need addressing at the back too:

Gibbs would be a start. While he’s not featured regularly in the first team for a while with the Gunners he is a player that has plenty of experience.

At his best the Arsenal man was pushing for a spot in the England starting XI. Gibbs is a player that has a lot of quality going forward and is able to overlap with purpose and fizz dangerous balls into the box. But he also possesses the energy to get back into defensive positions and cover his centre-backs.

He’s very much in the mould of a footballer that Klopp would like to add to his squad. Not only does he have talent to tap into, but after a spell out of the Arsenal side having lost his place, Gibbs will be hungry to prove he has what it takes to thrive at the top level.

Despite his diminished squad status, World Soccer Talk’s Chris Moore feels as though keeping the England man on board is important for the Gunners to provide squad depth:

It may not be the most illustrious name Liverpool go after this summer, but if they can get a deal done for a decent price then Gibbs could pose a swift solution to their left-back problems. For the player a fresh start at a venue like Anfield would likely be invigorating too.

Dani Alves Encourages Philippe Coutinho to Consider Exit

Philippe Coutinho should think about leaving Liverpool this summer if Barcelona make an offer for him, according to the player’s Brazil team-mate Dani Alves.

According to Paul Joyce of the Daily Express, Paris Saint-Germain and two other clubs from Europe have shown an interest in Coutinho recently, with Barcelona’s previous interest in the player noted. Alves thinks the 23-year-old has to listen if the Blaugrana do want him.

“Football is about living the moment,” Alves, who will leave the Camp Nou this summer, told Yahoo Esportes (h/t Dev Trehan of Sky Sports) “Liverpool have history but you should consider playing for top UEFA Champions League sides. He has the quality to play for Barcelona.”

Coutinho has become hugely popular at Anfield since joining from Inter Milan in January 2013. These numbers from WhoScored.com offer an insight into why:

The Brazilian would be a very tough man to replace. He can thrive in any of the three positions behind the centre-forward and under Klopp showcased a willingness to get on the ball to make key contributions in the final third. His touch, awareness and powerful long-range shooting make the Reds such a threat when putting their attacking patterns together.

But for a player in that particular mould, Barcelona is surely the best place in the world to play your football. Plus with no European football on Merseyside next season, the player would perhaps be tempted should the Spanish champions make a move. It’d take a massive amount to be bid before the Reds even consider cashing in, though.

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The USA kick off the 2016 edition of the Copa America on Friday when they take on Colombia at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

The tournament celebrates its centenary this year, and the hosts will be making just their fourth appearance alongside the giants of South American football, and they’ll be facing the team ranked third in the world by FIFA.

With Costa Rica and Paraguay also comprising the tricky Group A, a win is vital for both sides if they’re to reach the knockout phase of the competition.

Here is the schedule for the opener, complete with viewing information and the latest odds for the match, courtesy of Odds Shark:

The match can be streamed live via Fox Sports Go.

Preview

Colombia won their last two meetings with the U.S. when they met in friendlies in 2010 and 2014, but there’s little to separate them in the odds.

The USA have enjoyed a strong preparation for the tournament, winning all three of their warm-up games—including two friendlies with fellow Copa America contenders Ecuador and Bolivia.

USMNT manager Jurgen Klinsmann has brought an injection of youth into the team, and so far it’s paying off—the average age of their last eight goalscorers is 23, per U.S. Soccer. Their most precocious talent is Borussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic, who showed off his skills in the 1-0 win over Ecuador, per SB Nation:

He followed up that excellent performance with a well-taken goal in the 4-0 rout of Bolivia, per U.S. Soccer:

His form gives him an excellent chance of starting against Colombia despite his tender age, and the likes of DeAndre Yedlin and Gyasi Zardes could also feature. Per U.S. Soccer, Klinsmann has been pleased with their progress:

This is a process, and the process is never ending. But in the first couple of years when you’re a pro, it’s a big learning curve. We’ll take it one step at a time. We put the pieces together for this tournament the best way that we get the right results.

What is wonderful to see is just the growth of these players over the last one or two years, how they really improved their game, how they’re becoming more adult, obviously stronger physically but also becoming more confident.

La Tricolor also boast some outstanding youth talent, with 19-year-old Marlos Moreno catching the eye in particular.

ESPN’s Juan G. Arango ran the rule over his abilities, which Colombia boss Jose Pekerman has evidently recognised, per football writer Carl Worswick:

Colombia also have a healthy sprinkling of top European-based talent in their team, with Real Madrid star James Rodriguez, Inter Milan’s Jeison Murillo and AC Milan’s Carlos Bacca among their best and brightest.

Captain Rodriguez disappointed in last year’s Copa America and endured a poor season in the Spanish capital, so the pressure will be on for a good tournament here.

The 24-year-old played no part in the UEFA Champions League final and completed 90 minutes just five times under Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, so he should be fresh.

James has the ability to make a game-changing contribution—a sublime defence-splitting pass or 30-yard strike into the top corner—even when not playing at his best, and he’ll need to be able to produce that kind of magic for Colombia to overcome the USA, who will fancy their chances of getting a result in front of their home crowd.

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The 2015-16 season has barely ended for Spanish sides, but Barcelona are already making the first moves to defend the Liga title they won on the final day by preparing their squad for next term.

While transfer rumours will be ongoing throughout June and July as to who the Catalan outfit will bring in to reinforce one of Europe’s strongest squads, outgoing movements will be equally as important, freeing up squad spaces and wages, bringing in immediate cash for new signings and allowing Luis Enrique to shape the side for another assault on the treble.

One of the likely outgoing players is Alen Halilovic, the Croatian teenager who spent last season on loan at Sporting Gijon. While he helped Sporting avoid relegation, Halilovic is not likely to feature for the first team at Barca next season, and Valencia have made their wishes to sign him perfectly clear, per Spanish outlet Sport.

It isn’t the route to success at the Camp Nou that Halilovic would have envisaged upon when signing, but a permanent move to Los Che doesn’t have to be the end of his dream, and it could work out best for all three parties.

15-16

Halilovic spent the past year in La Liga fighting the drop, which he helped Sporting do on the final day. Throughout the campaign, he played as an attacking midfielder, often centrally in a No. 10 role, though also on the right flank from time to time.

His best traits are well known by now: dribbling and accelerating through the centre of defence and running at opposition defenders and trying to create gaps for team-mates, which he exploits with either incisive through passes or shooting from long range.

Halilovic certainly has a good strike on him, but he doesn’t always make the best choices as to when to shoot and when to release the ball early.

As a young playmaker, that isn’t exactly an exclusive trait to him, and the realisation of when to move the ball should come with further experience and game time.

Indeed, his all-round game suffers from that same inconsistency in execution, with spells of matches often passing the 19-year-old by before he can find time and space to make an impact.

There can be no doubting his commitment and aggression, as he is always willing to fight for the ball and position himself in defensive areas when required to. However, the main focus of his game is very much in the attacking half—and here he did not always shine in a team with admittedly low-quality players but plenty of pace and movement to take advantage of, from the likes of Jony at left wing and Tonny Sanabria in attack.

Barca prospects and summer

In short, Halilovic doesn’t possess the consistency in his game nor the experience in a regular role to suit the Barcelona setup.

It isn’t always easy to immediately transition from a No. 10 role to being similarly creative and influential from the sides of the attack, and while Halilovic could feasibly represent an offensive-minded central midfield option for the team, the gulf in class between himself and Ivan Rakitic is enormous.

It would represent far too big of a step-down in quality and, perhaps more importantly, assurance of a good performance for Barcelona to take that risk.

Put into context, while Rakitic will be championing Croatia’s hopes at UEFA Euro 2016 this summer, Halilovic failed to make the squad.

His agent said the player was “devastated” by the decision, per Sport, but it shouldn’t have been a shock; Halilovic played most of the year with the under-21 national team and didn’t feature in the qualifiers after a half-hour sub appearance in the third group game against Azerbaijan, back in October 2014. In 2016, he has played twice as a sub for the seniors in friendly fixtures.

Ayestaran and Los Che

Being a teenager and not quite being good enough for an international tournament or Barcelona is one thing, but Halilovic does possess talent. 

Rakitic, Luka Modric and Inter Milan‘s (on-loan) Marcelo Brozovic have plenty of talent themselves, so it’s not the be-all and end-all that he isn’t included this time around.

Plenty of other clubs would love to have him at their disposal next season, and despite not being as consistent as he could be, Halilovic showed in plenty of games during the season with Sporting that he was more than capable of having an impact in Spain’s top flight.

Valencia have a long-standing interest in Halilovic, and now that Pako Ayestaran—the club’s third head coach of 15-16—has been confirmed as permanent boss, plans can begin in earnest for next year.

Too many of the Los Che squad flattered to deceive last year, struggling in the bottom half of the table for much of it, and the creative, attack-minded players bear more than a little of that responsibility.

Dani Parejo was well below his best, Andre Gomes was even more maddeningly inconsistent than Halilovic and has been linked with a move away, per the Express, while Denis Cheryshev’s loan has ended and Sofiane Feghouli is out of contract.

A period of upheaval and revamping of the front line is to be expected, and Halilovic would be an intriguing addition to a squad that is largely youthful and exciting but in need of more determination, aggression and self-belief.

Clearly, there is no lack of any of those characteristics in Halilovic.

Future

Still regarded as one of the top young talents in Europe as he is, there’s little chance that Barcelona want to give up on Halilovic at this stage.

He is clear in wanting to be a success at the Camp Nou, too, reportedly preferring to stay as a squad option than move to be a starter elsewhere next season, but common sense must also prevail.

Halilovic simply isn’t going to start games ahead of the likes of Rakitic or Neymar at present, or even Denis Suarez if Barcelona complete that deal, as Sport expects. If Halilovic doesn’t get in his national team’s squad when playing, what are the chances of him doing so when he is benched?

The current preference for big Spanish clubs is to insert buy-back clauses into the contracts of young players sold on elsewhere, allowing a return in the future after progression has been made over a period of one or two seasons.

The upside from a permanent deal as opposed to a loan over this period is, of course, a regular home for the player rather than always looking to the future and wondering where he’ll play the following season, while the selling club—Barcelona, in this case—can immediately invest funds they otherwise wouldn’t receive.

Retaining that ability to call upon Halilovic‘s talent in future, though, seems to remain a core part of Barca‘s plans—and given the inclination of the player himself to make a success at the Camp Nou, it would be no surprise if he continued his progression at the Mestalla before returning to Catalonia after a successful couple of years away.

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Six years is a long time.

In football—a sport that often marks time in four-year World Cup cycles—it’s especially long. A lot of things can change in that period. Teams can rise and fall. Players develop, get hurt, regress, succeed or are ruined. Everything can change in six years.

No one exemplifies that better than Juventus and Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci.

Six seasons ago, Bonucci could not have been at a lower point. Now he’s at the top of his profession—and his evolution could provide be key to how successful his country is at the UEFA European Championship.

If one were to write an article about things Juventus would like to forget about Bonucci, one of the biggest entries on the list would be that he started his career at archrivals Inter Milan.

The Nerazzurri brought him into their youth system from that of his hometown team, Viterbese, in 2005. In an ironic twist, he made his debut for the Nerazzurri on the last game of the 2005-06 season—right before the Calciopoli scandal that would send his future club into its darkest days.

The next season, he didn’t appear in a single league game, although he did find the field in three Coppa Italia matches. He also led Inter’s Primavera side to the Campionato Primavera championship.

During that 2006-07 season, Bonucci was set adrift in the choppy sea of Italy’s now-defunct co-ownership system. Treviso bought half of his rights that January, and he spent 18 months there before Inter brought him back and loaned him to Pisa for another half a season.

After steadily improving, the summer of 2009 provided both a whirlwind and a breakout.

As soon as the summer 2009 transfer window began, Inter announced a blockbuster cash-plus-players deal that sent Bonucci, along with three other players and €17.7 million, to Genoa for Thiago Motta and Diego Milito. The next day, he was sold to Bari on a co-ownership deal along with four other players on various co-ownerships and loans.

Under Giampiero Ventura, he formed an incredible partnership in the center of defense with Andrea Ranocchia, one of the other members of the Genoa diaspora.  Halfway through the season, the Galletti boasted Serie A’s best defense. Ranocchia was hurt around the Christmas break, and he missed the rest of the season, but Bonucci still helped lead Bari to a 10th-place finish.

The summer of 2010 saw both of Bari’s defensive jewels hit the market. Inter, surprisingly, poached Ranocchia rather than bring back Bonucci, the player they were familiar with. Bonucci was bought by Juventus in a cash-plus-players deal that totaled €15.5 million.

He was immediately paired with Giorgio Chiellini, giving the Bianconeri the promise of a dominant defense. But it wasn’t to be—at least not right away.

Most Juventus fans try to block the 2010-11 season out of their memories. Led by manager Luigi Delneri, the Bianconeri started the season well and were as high as second after a late-December win over Lazio. But after the winter break, they collapsed. They only won seven times in the new year, falling to seventh for the second year in a row as the ramifications of Calciopoli truly caught up with them.

Bonucci did not play well. He regressed both statistically and from the eye test. According to WhoScored.com, he averaged 40 percent fewer tackles and almost 25 percent fewer interceptions than he did the year before at Bari. On the field, he looked awful. He was beaten consistently and capped the campaign with an embarrassing own goal against Genoa.

Juve fans looking for someone to blame for a second straight terrible season saw an easy scapegoat in Bonucci. The next season, it was assumed he would be the third choice in the middle behind Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli, who had impressed since arriving in January of 2011.

Then something happened that launched Bonucci to stardom.

Faced with a lack of a competent left-back and few wingers to keep the 4-3-3 formation he had started the 2011-12 season with sustainable, Delneri’s successor, Antonio Conte, took advantage of the fact he had three talented center backs on his roster and switched to a 3-5-2.

It was what Bonucci needed to break out. He slotted into the center of the trio and flourished. While still prone to the occasional mistake, he steadily improved. His new position also enhanced the one aspect of his game that was never a doubt: passing.

Bonucci grew up as a midfielder, and his distribution has always been with him. Even before his breakout over the last two seasons, you would be hard-pressed to find a better ball-playing center back.

Since Conte took over Juve from Delneri in 2011, Bonucci’s pass-completion percentage in the league has never been below 86.4. He is particularly good at long passes. Going all the way back to Bari, in all competitions for club and country, Bonucci averages six long balls completed a game.  

That skill is invaluable. If his team is losing the midfield battle, or if an opening simply presents itself, Bonucci is capable of bypassing the midfield and setting up the forwards.

Take as an example the assist he made in Conte’s first game in charge of Italy in September 2014. Bonucci took possession near the center circle and unleashed a long ball that went over everyone but Ciro Immobile, who easily rounded Jasper Cillessen and tucked home the game’s first goal.

On a team as desperate for midfield help as Italy will be during the Euros, having a defender who can pass the way Bonucci can is invaluable. There has even been talk of him moving up to take a midfield role, and the Juve man recently told Rai Sport (h/t Football Italia) he was “intrigued” by the possibility.

It’s unlikely Conte will go that route, but he will certainly rely on him to trigger attacks from the back.

Beyond what he does on the field, Bonucci has also developed as a locker-room presence. At 29, he isn’t a young man anymore. He has played 274 competitive games for Juve in all competitions and has 56 caps for the national team. He’s now a senator for club and country.

It hasn’t always been that way. For a long time, Bonucci was a follower rather than a leader. He took his cues from the likes of Barzagli and Gianluigi Buffon. His focus would slip on occasion, leading to the concession of soft goals. His mind wasn’t developing in time with his talent.

The prime example of this came in 2013, during the FIFA Confederations Cup semifinal against Spain. After 120 minutes of goalless football, both teams went six rounds in the penalty shootout without missing. Bonucci stepped up for Italy’s seventh and the look on his face told everyone what the result would be. He ballooned the shot over the bar, and Jesus Navas ended the match with the next kick.

Compare that Bonucci with the one who showed up the last two times he has been in a shootout. When the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana went to spot-kicks, Bonucci stepped up for Juve’s sixth effort and calmly blasted the ball into the top corner to keep the marathon going.

This March, after Juve nearly blew a 3-0 aggregate lead in the Coppa Italia semifinal against Inter, Bonucci stepped up for the deciding kick  He coolly made his approach and pulled up short, sussing out which direction goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo was going before rolling the ball in to send Juve back to the final.

The mental aspect of the game has finally caught up with what he can do with his feet. The mistakes that had been a regrettable hallmark of his game have all but vanished, and he’s leading from the front. He has captained Juventus several times and even wore the armband for the national team in September after Daniele De Rossi was sent off against Norway.

The national team has its leaders, especially in the likes of Buffon. But in its depleted state, it needs all the spurring it can get.

Between his leadership in the locker room and his unique skill set on the field, Bonucci is arguably the best center back in the game. On a team that will rely on its defense in order to get into the deeper reaches of Euro 2016, he’s worth his weight in gold.

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Floridsdorfer AC won only four games this season in the Erste Liga, Austria’s second division, and were rooted to the bottom of the table from the first matchday on. The club has been relegated back to the regional league from which it emerged in 2014. With the smallest budget in the league, none of this was a surprise.

Floridsdorfer could have done with some help from their most famous son: Marko Arnautovic.

The Stoke City winger’s path from a kid at Floridsdorfer to a talisman for Austria, a potential dark horse for Euro 2016 in France, has not been a simple one.

Floridsdorf is a district in the north of Vienna described by locals as “a village in a city.” Most of Vienna’s population lives south of the Danube, so those in the north—known as Transdanubians—are seen as a little bit different.

Arnautovic‘s father, Tomislav, worked in the stadium canteen at Floridsdorf. Marko spent hour after hour playing with his elder brother, Danijel, on the caged pitch on Hopfengasse, just behind the nearby sports club. Those hours did not go to waste.

Arnautovic is a true Floridsdorfer. He is different. His temperament as a kid and problems with authority almost cost him his career, which began at FAC in 1995 when he was six. He spent three years there, then three at Austria Vienna before spending a year each at First Vienna FC, back at Austria Vienna and then Rapid Vienna.

Reliant on his talent, entitled and unwilling to work, he proved impossible for any of them to handle. According to Austrian magazine Ballesterer, he was labelled “untrainable.”

He was 15 when he returned to FAC and was in the last-chance saloon.

“Every coach had said that you cannot work with him,” Othmar Larisch, a youth coach at FAC at the time, told Ballesterer. “But no one understood how to treat Marko. He came back to us because he knew me and knew that I appreciated him.”

At 16, Arnautovic was already playing for the under-23 side and helping it win its league’s title.

“He is probably the most talented player we’ve ever had,” Larisch said.

“Opinions in Austria used to be divided about Marko because he had very high expectations to live up to,” Floridsdorfer general manager Mathias Slezak told Bleacher Report. “But his performances in England for Stoke City and playing for the Austrian national team have increased the respect there is for him. He is an idol for the young players here even though they are too young to have seen him playing for FAC.”

Dutch club FC Twente wanted to take Arnautovic on trial at the end of the 2005-06 season. After discussing the move with Tomislav, Larisch and his assistant, Walter Kuensel, agreed that Arnautovic should go to the Netherlands. The Enschede club gave him a contract after just two days of a two-week trial.

“It was clear to me very quickly that this was a different type of football, but I really wanted it,” Arnautovic told Ballesterer.

The youth team romped to the Dutch title as Arnautovic scored 27 goals in 32 games. Twente’s first-team coach, Fred Rutten, took notice. The week before the player turned 18, he threw the teenager on for the last 14 minutes of a 2-0 loss at PSV Eindhoven.

“He always looked confident, but at that moment, he was very nervous, and you had to remember he was just a kid,” Rutten told Bleacher Report.

“Marko was not a worker when he was young,” Rutten continued. “That was no problem for me because to develop young players, you have to work with them. He showed a lot of skills on the training pitch, but at the beginning, it was not easy for him because talent alone is not enough. You also have to learn how to work.

“I had to teach him that if you want to be a big player, you can use talent, but also you have to put in some dirty work. At that moment, he had problems with that.”

That summer, in 2007, Austria were playing in two tournaments: the UEFA European Under-19 Championship on home soil and the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada. Austrian youth coach Hermann Stadler played Arnautovic as a second striker cutting in from the left of a 4-2-3-1, but he had a quiet first game against eventual winners Spain.

The next match was a bad-tempered 1-1 draw with Greece, and Arnautovic was sent off after a second yellow card. In the stands was senior coach Josef Hickersberger, who was not impressed. It set the player back years. He was not picked for the under-20 squad, which finished fourth in a breakout tournament for Rubin Okotie and Zlatko Junuzovic.

The following season, Rutten used the teenager sparingly, bringing him on for about the last 10 minutes of games 13 times but only giving him one start.

Rutten said Twente had a training camp in Arnhem three days before a play-off match. The coach, known for being a disciplinarian, set up two four-on-four matches on a small pitch. But he told Arnautovic that he had to watch the games and could not play in them.

“On that trip, he had only done what he wanted to do. There was no concern for the team or for anything else,” Rutten said. “I knew that he liked that particular game because there were always lots of scoring chances, but I did not let him play. He was very proud, and that made him angry. He tried to take the ball, and I said, ‘No! If you want to be a big player, you need to work.’ That moment was important for him. He will remember it, too.”

Rutten’s message finally got through, and when Arnautovic was 19, he scored three times in his first three Eredivisie appearances and became a regular. He made his debut for the Austria senior team—in a 1-1 draw in the Faroe Islands—one week before his first Twente goal. But in typical style, his path to the national team was just beginning to get complicated.

Following the draw with the Faroes, Austria suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Serbia. Manager Karel Bruckner lost his job four-and-a-half months later. His successor, Dietmar Constantini, gave Arnautovic one game, a 2-1 win over Romania, but he did not play again for Austria for 18 months, a period that included a foot injury and an ill-fated spell at Inter Milan.

But after just one season as a Twente regular, offers were coming in from big clubs abroad. In summer 2009, Twente chairman Joop Munsterman accepted a bid from Chelsea. Arnautovic went to England but failed a medical, which showed he had a fractured foot. Instead, he moved to Inter on a one-year loan with an option to purchase.

The injury slowed his adaptation into the squad, and his behaviour was no help. In a typical incident, he told a Vienna policeman: “Shut up. I earn so much I can buy your life.”

He made three appearances as a substitute, none in Europe, in Inter’s historic treble-winning season. The competition was tough: Diego Milito, Samuel Eto’o, Goran Pandev and Mario Balotelli were in front of him.

Werder Bremen paid €6.5 million for him in summer 2010, and though his time in Germany was peppered with controversy—the last of several incidents that earned the wrath of management was when he called the city “a dump” on TV—it was the period in which he made his mark for the national team.

With Constantini in charge, Arnautovic scored his first two international goals in October 2010 against Azerbaijan. The same month, he scored for Bremen in a UEFA Champions League tie at Twente. In February 2011, he scored for Austria in a loss in the Netherlands.

He has kept his place in the national side ever since and developed a dangerous partnership with captain Christian Fuchs on the left flank of the 4-2-3-1 system under Marcel Koller.

“I know a lot of players with his talent that have not made it,” said Rutten, his first club coach. “But you can see now what he is capable of doing. He can score, create and make things happen. But he also plays with responsibility. He can do big things this summer, and I think he’s ready for a Champions League team as well.”

Arnautovic said that fatherhood—his daughter, Emilia, will be four in July—and the move to England have calmed him down. He joined Stoke for a reported £2 million in summer 2013 and since then has only appeared in newspapers for the right reasons.

“I think if you’ve never met me, then you’d think I was hard work,” he told SoccerBible magazine recently. “People used to say I was arrogant and unfriendly, but now I am friendly and happy to help out.”

Said Rutten: “What has surprised me is that he has become so consistent. In the past, that was harder for him. When I watch him play now, I can see that he’s grown up. It’s nice for me to see a player I worked with become the player I hoped he might be. That makes me proud.”

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Inter Milan centre-back Jeison Murillo has reportedly joined the list of defenders Arsenal will target during the summer transfer window, joining the likes of Napoli‘s Kalidou Koulibaly and Chelsea‘s Kurt Zouma.

That’s according to Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Daily Star‘s Rhys Turrell), who report manager Arsene Wenger wants to add another strong centre-back to his squad during the summer.

Per Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia), the Nerazzurri have to sell in order to comply with financial fair play restrictions, and Murillo and Marcelo Brozovic are the two players most likely to exit San Siro.

Murillo only joined the club from Granada last summer, but after an impressive debut campaign in Serie A, his value has gone through the roof. According to Tuttosport, he could move for a sum around £15 million.

The Colombia international formed a strong partnership with former Atletico Madrid star Miranda at the heart of Inter’s defence, starting 32 Serie A contests, per WhoScored.com. Here’s a look at some of his highlights:

The 24-year-old is tough as nails and displays remarkable athletic ability and passing range for a centre-back. He routinely contributes in the attacking third, and while he’s not a huge threat on set pieces, his defensive prowess and smart movement off the ball make up for that.

Discipline proved an issue last season―he was sent off three times in Serie A, per WhoScored.com―but a lack of strong play from Inter’s defensive midfielders contributed to those numbers.

His ability to distribute the ball makes him a perfect fit for Wenger‘s Arsenal, and his strong physical skills would be a welcome sight at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal fans watched Per Mertesacker get beat for pace too often last season, and that’s unlikely to happen much with Murillo.

What makes the Colombian such an appealing target is his apparent availability, however. The rumoured links with Zouma seem flimsy at best, as Chelsea are unlikely to sell the star youngster to a direct rival, and Koulibaly will likely cost the club a lot more than Murillo.

Per Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), Napoli turned down an offer from Bayern Munich worth more than £30 million―twice what it will likely cost to bring Murillo to the Emirates Stadium.

Koulibaly was the revelation among Serie A defenders last year, and like Murillo, his ability in the passing game is a major bonus, per WhoScored.com:

Unlike Inter, Napoli have no need to sell―the Partenopei are ambitious, and if anything, they’re more likely to spend during the summer and keep hold of their star performers. That certainly includes Koulibaly, who proved a huge weapon in the defensive-minded Serie A.

Here’s a look at why the Senegal international is such a wanted man:

Between the two, Koulibaly is undoubtedly the stronger aerial presence, but Murillo doesn’t lag behind too much in just about every other department. For half the price and with the club seemingly willing to cash in, it’s a deal Wenger should try to complete before other teams try to hijack it.

Per Turrell, Premier League champions Leicester City have been linked with Murillo as well, while Tuttosport add Stoke City, Everton and Zenit St. Petersburg to the mix.

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