World Cup: Gakpo, Mac Allister and Amrabat amongst 10 players destined for big moves after Qatar

Lionel Messi brought the curtain down on an unforgettable World Cup in Qatar by finally holding the famous trophy aloft on Sunday night. 

Yet while it was Argentina who prevailed in a dramatic final against France, Messi and Co are not the only players set to profit from the Middle Eastern showpiece.

Before being dumped out of the competition, a number of stars produced some scintillating displays and put themselves in the shop window as a result, meaning they could be in line for big-money transfers next year.

Whether it was a familiar name rising to the occasion like never before, or a hidden gem introducing themselves on the world stage, there were plenty of standout performers in Qatar who are now likely to attract widespread attention.

Sportsmail has picked out 10 players who look destined for pastures new after impressing at the World Cup, which includes two current Premier League men. 

Alexis Mac Allister

One of those Premier League representatives was Mac Allister, who proved one of the unsung heroes of Argentina’s World Cup-winning campaign.

The Brighton midfielder went on to become a mainstay in Lionel Scaloni’s side after initially failing to make it off the bench in their opening defeat by Saudi Arabia, having replaced Papu Gomez for their second group outing against Mexico.

Over their next six outings in Qatar, Mac Allister proved a crucial member of the Argentina midfield, forming a successful partnership with Rodrigo De Paul and Enzo Fernandes and even getting on the scoresheet in their 2-0 group win over Poland. 

After playing such a key role in his country’s first World Cup win for 36 years, Brighton will be bracing themselves for heavy interest in their star midfielder both at the turn of the year and next summer.

Tottenham, Juventus and Inter Milan are all being linked with moves for Mac Allister, who will likely command a hefty transfer fee given he still has two-and-a-half years remaining on his deal at the Amex. 

Cody Gakpo

Many tipped the Holland star to be one of the stars of the tournament and, prior to their quarter-final exit, Gakpo justified such a billing with a series of electric performances.

He scored the opening goal in their first two group outings against Senegal and Ecuador and was generally Louis van Gaal’s most dangerous threat in the final third, which helped them reach the last eight.

Gakpo attracted attention from Leeds and Southampton back in the summer but turned down potential transfers to both clubs while holding out for a bigger move. And now Manchester United are understood to be preparing a £43million bid for Erik ten Hag’s compatriot.

According to The Telegraph, Ten Hag has identified the 23-year-old as his preferred replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, and United are expected to submit an offer ahead of the January transfer window. 

Sofyan Amrabat

Morocco’s historic run to the World Cup semi-finals, the first time an African nation has ever reached that stage of the competition, was undoubtedly the greatest surprise that Qatar 2022 conjured up.

And Amrabat was at the heart of the Atlas Lions’ astonishing feat, showcasing his terrific ball-winning abilities and engine in Walid Regragui’s midfield.

The Fiorentina star was instrumental in Morocco upsetting Belgium, Spain and Portugal on their way to the semi-finals, where they were ultimately undone by former world champions France.

Following his Qatar heroics, Amrabat has emerged as a top transfer target for Liverpool amid Jurgen Klopp’s search for a new midfielder, reports Foot Mercato.

Klopp is likely to have been won over by the defensive qualities he displayed at the World Cup, yet while under contract Fiorentina until 2024 the 26-year-old is expected to generate a transfer fee upwards of £40million.

Mohammed Kudus

Another player that shot to stardom in the Middle East was Kudus, who gained plenty of admirers before Ghana failed to make it out of the group stage.

While the Black Stars only enjoyed three matches, that was more than enough time for their 22-year-old forward to leave fans on the edge of their seats, with his match-winning brace in a 3-2 victory over South Korea catching plenty of eyes in world football.

Kudus, who has spent the last three years at Ajax, has now moved himself in line for a lucrative January transfer to one of Europe’s elite-level teams.

Manchester United are understood to be circling, while Barcelona sporting director Jordi Cruyff recently revealed the Spanish club have been tracking him for a number of years.

Harry Souttar

Despite currently plying his trade in England’s second tier with Stoke, the Australia defender performed out of his skin to help his country secure vital clean sheets in group victories over Tunisia and Denmark and progress to the last 16.

The Socceroos were beaten there by eventual winners Argentina, but Rio Ferdinand believes Souttar’s stock has now risen on the back of his dominant displays at the heart of their defence.

Speaking on BBC ahead of Australia’s last-16 tie against Argentina, Ferdinand suggested the 24-year-old will be on numerous Premier League radars after impressing out in Qatar.

The ex-England defender said: ‘[Souttar] is a huge presence at 6’6. He is very good with the ball with his distribution. He is good at defending those spaces in front of the middle of goal.

‘Before his injury he had [Premier League] interest and I am sure his stock is rising with his performances here.’

Goncalo Ramos

You could hardly blame any player for wilting under the pressure of replacing Cristiano Ronaldo, let alone a 21-year-old making his full international debut in a World Cup knockout game.

Yet Ramos had other ideas. In his first start for Portugal, the Benfica striker overshadowed Ronaldo’s newsworthy demotion to the bench by scoring an outstanding hat-trick in their 6-1 last-16 victory over Switzerland. 

Few were aware of the breathtaking ability Ramos obtains prior to his treble against the Swiss, but expect his name to dominate the next two transfer windows if he doesn’t earn a move in January.

Ironically, Manchester United are believed to be interested in emulating Portugal by replacing Ronaldo with the youngster, while Arsenal and Chelsea have also been touted as potential suitors.

Unfortunately for all three interested parties, however, Benfica will be in the driving seat in negotiations given Ramos has a £105million release clause included in his contract. 

Emiliano Martinez 

Messi has understandably dominated the headlines since Sunday night, yet it was Martinez who proved Argentina’s hero in the shootout against France.

The Aston Villa goalkeeper first denied Kingsley Coman from the spot and, while the effort went wide, later toyed with Aurelien Tchouameni by chucking the ball away just before he sent his penalty flying past the post.

Throughout Argentina’s World Cup campaign Martinez was one of Scaloni’s most important men, also helping them win another penalty shootout against Holland in the quarter-finals.

As a result, Villa are bound to receive offers for their 30-year-old shot-stopper, and his agent has already hinted that he could be on the move in January.

‘There are few clubs right now who could afford a goalkeeper like [Martinez]. But Serie A, why not?’ Gustavo Doni told Tuttomercatoweb. ‘Clearly, he is aiming high and targeting the Champions League.’

Bayern Munich and Manchester United are said to be eyeing Martinez, who still has four-and-a-half years to run on his deal at Villa. 

Youssef En-Nesyri 

Another key cog in the Morocco machine, En-Nesyri led the line for Regragui’s men and bagged a couple of crucial goals on their unlikely run to the semi-finals.

The Sevilla forward netted the winner in their final group victory over Canada before going on to break Cristiano Ronaldo’s heart with the decisive strike in their 1-0 quarter-final win against Portugal.

At 25, he still has his best years ahead of him and therefore represents an intriguing transfer option for Premier League clubs and other top sides in Europe.

West Ham appear set to come back in for En-Nesyri next month after reportedly seeing a £34million bid rejected by Sevilla over the summer, with the Spanish club in control of negotiations given he is under contract with them until July 2025.

Inter Milan are believed to have shortlisted him as a potential target in January, while Arsenal have also been linked with a move.

Josko Gvardiol

Up until he ran into Messi – or perhaps more fittingly, got run ragged by Messi – the Croatia star was heralded by many as the best defender at the tournament.

He helped his country pick up two clean sheets in the group stages and navigate past Japan and Brazil on penalties to reach the last four for the second successive World Cup.

It was there where Gvardiol, 20, was turned inside out and left for dead by Messi in Croatia’s 3-0 semi-final defeat at the hands of Argentina, though that should not take away from the handful of majestic defensive showings which came before it.

Chelsea were heavily linked with the RB Leipzig man back in the summer and are expected to renew their interest at some point next year, although they could face competition from a number of Premier League rivals.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham have also been mentioned as potential suitors for Gvardiol, who still has four-and-a-half years remaining on his contract at Leipzig.

Enzo Fernandez

The 21-year-old midfielder was left out of Argentina’s starting XI for their opening two fixtures, yet by the end of Sunday’s final he was lifting both the World Cup and Young Player of the Tournament award after becoming a mainstay in Scaloni’s side.

Strong, energetic and technically superb – as he showed with his terrific strike in their 2-0 win over Mexico – Fernandez looked the complete package at times in Qatar and will not be short of suitors heading into the January window.

Early reports indicate that Liverpool are the frontrunners to sign him at some point next year, whether that’s in January or the summer, though having only moved to Benfica from River Plate in July it could be tough to convince the Portuguese club to sell.

Fernandez is under contract at the Estádio da Luz until the summer of 2027, meaning Liverpool or any other interested party will need to stump up the cash to add him to their ranks.

Nevertheless, Argentine publication Diario La Capital claim the Merseyside team already have an agreement in place with Benfica, who could agree to an £80million deal which would see Fernandez remain with them until the end of the season.