Group A Players to watch

There are a few players from the Premier League, former players and players we have been linked to in this group so there is plenty to watch from a Spurs point of view.

The image below shows you where Albania and Romania are, I'm sure you all know where France is


ALBANIA

No English league interest and nobody we have been linked to.

Goalkeepers:
Etrit Berisha (Lazio), Alban Hokha (FK Partizani), Orges Shehi (Skenderbeu)

Defenders: 
Arlind Ajeti (Frosinone), Naser Aliji (Basilea), Mergim Mavraj (Keln), Lorik Cana (Nantes), Elseid Hysaj (Napoli), Ansi Agolli (Qarabag), Frederic Veseli (Lugano)

Midfielders: 
Ledian Memushaj (Pescara), Ergys Kace (PAOK Salonicco), Andi Lila (PAS Giannina), Migjen Basha (Como), Odise Roshi (Rijeka), Burim Kukeli (Zyrih), Ermir Lenjani (Nantes), Taulant Xhaka (Basilea), Amir Abrashi (Friburgo)

Attackers: 
Bekim Balaj (Rijeka), Sokol Cikalleshi (Medipol), Armando Sadiku (Vaduz), Shkelzen Gashi (Colorado Rapids)



FRANCE

Plenty of interest in the French squad, not least French captain Hugo Lloris. Patrice Evra will be a familiar name and he has had an excellent season for Roma being ranked one of the top five defenders in the league this season.

Arsenal centre-back Laurent Koscielny, Manchester City central defender Eliaquim Mangala, Manchester City right-back Bacary Sagna, midfielders Yohan Cabaye of Crystal Palace, former Tottenham target  Morgan Schneiderlin of Manchester United, Dimitri Payet of West Ham, attackers Olivier Giroud  from Arsenal and Anthony Martial from Manchester United provide further interest.

There are a few players we have been linked to Samuel Umtiti, the central defender from Lyon, tentatively to Leicester City midfielder N'golo Kante and Moussa Sissoko of relegated Newcastle United.

Goalkeepers: 
Benoit Costil (Rennes), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Marseille) 

Defenders: 
Lucas Digne (Roma), Patrice Evra (Juventus), Christophe Jallet (Lyon), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City), Samuel Umtiti (Lyon), Bacary Sagna (Manchester City), Adil Rami (Sevilla)

Midfielders: 
Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace), Morgan Schneiderlin (Manchester United), N'golo Kante (Leicester City), Blaise Matuidi (PSG), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle United)

Attackers: 
Kingsley Coman (Bayern Monaco), André-pierre Gignac (Tigres), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Dimitri Payet (West Ham United)



ROMANIA

The calamitous defending of Vlad 'Panic' Chiriches will be on show, a defender who seems to think risk taking is helpful to his side. He conned a few Spurs fans when he arrived while the rest of us, including Ledley King, saw the flick over the head of the attacker as a disaster defender waiting to happen. Sure enough, he turned into what we were expecting, a liability.

many of us thought he would be better shuffled out to right-back and many of us thought the slower Italian league would suit him. He will be in the UEFA Champions League next season with Napoli who finished second, however, he only played 698 Serie A minutes across 8 games.

Former Manchester City and now Watford goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon provides the only other Premier League interest and there are no players in the squad we have been seriously linked to.

Goalkeepers:
 
Ciprian Tataruşanu (Fiorentina), Costel Pantilimon (Watford), Silviu Lung (Astra Giurgiu).

Defenders: 
Cristian Sapunaru (Pandurii Targu Jiu), Alexandru Matel (Dinamo Zagreb), Vlad Chiriches (Napoli), Valerica Gaman (Astra Giurgiu), Cosmin Moţi (Ludogorets), Dragos Grigore (Al-Sailiya), Razvan Raţ (Rayo Vallecano), Steliano Filip (Dinamo Bucarest)

Midfielders: 
Mihai Pintilii (Steaua Bucureşti), Ovidiu Hoban (Hapoel Beer Sheva), Andrei Prepeliţa (Ludogorets), Adrian Popa (Steaua Bucarest), Gabriel Torje (Osmanlıspor), Alexandru Chipciu (Steaua Bucarest), Nicolae Stanciu (Steaua Bucarest), Lucian Sanmartean (Al-Ittihad)

Attackers: 
Claudiu Keșeru (Ludogorets), Bogdan Stancu (Gençlerbirligi), Florin Andone (Cordoba), Denis Alibec (Astra Giurgiu)



SWITZERLAND

The only real player to watch from a Spurs point of view is FC Basel striker Breel Embolo who we have been linked with for several windows, He continues to impress in a weak Swiss league, but talk in Germany is that he has agreed a move to FC Leipzig who are newly promoted from Bundesliga 2. It is the feeling that he wants guaranteed football in a stronger league for his development before he moves onto a big club.

Stoke City and Watford have a player in the squad, both midfielders, one time Tottenham linked Xherdan Shaqiri and also one time Tottenham linked Valon Behrami. Left-back  Ricardo Rodríguez, another player we were linked to in the past is rumoured to be a target for Arsenal, not much chance of Englishman Kieran Gibbs getting a look in if Rodríguez arrives next season.

Goalkeepers:
 
Roman Bürki (Borussia Dortmund), Marwin Hitz (Augsburg), Yann Sommer (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Defenders: 
Johan Djourou (Hamburg), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Monchengladbach), Michael Lang (Basel), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), François Moubandje (Toulouse), Ricardo Rodríguez (Wolfsburg), Fabian Schar (Hoffenheim), Steve von Bergen (Young Boys)

Midfielders: 
Valon Behrami (Watford), Blerim Dzemaili (Genoa), Gelson Fernandes (Rennes), Fabian Frei (Mainz), Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City), Granit Xhaka (Borussia Monchengladbach), Denis Zakaria (Young Boys)

Attackers:  
Eren Derdiyok (Kasımpasa), Admir Mehmedi (Bayer Leverkusen), Breel Embolo (Basel), Haris Seferovic (Frankfurt), Shani Tarashaj (Grasshoppers)