Connor Wickham and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Here are two reviews of two of the hottest talents outside the Premier League that I wrote for Euro-Eleven a few months ago. I feel they have become relevant once again with the opening of the transfer window and expect both of them to move to the Premier League, with Wickham closely linked to Tottenham and Liverpool and Oxlade-Chamberlain to Arsenal or Man Utd. Both are a little out of date but I didn't have time to change them and thought the blog needed new content. See what you think.



Who is Connor Wickham?

He’s one of the hottest properties outside the Premier League, has already been linked with some of the biggest clubs in England and has been labelled the next Wayne Rooney. All this at the tender age of just seventeen years old; Wickham must be doing something right.

Wickham currently plies his trade for Ipswich Town and has established himself comfortably as their first choice striker and justifies the number nine on his back. At 6’3″, he is as comfortable at scoring with his head as he is with his feet and plays with a maturity beyond his years. He has ignored the mounting speculation of big-money moves, most notably to Tottenham or Arsenal, while Manchester United and Liverpool are also reportedly linked.

Wickham, who turns eighteen on Thursday, has been a key member of the Ipswich squad for the past two seasons and has represented England at U-16, 17, 19 and most recently U-21 level. He scored the winning goal against Spain in the final of the European U-17 Championship last year, which raised serious questions whether he should be included in Fabio Capello’s England squad for the World Cup in South Africa as an outside bet.

He has recently signed a new contract at Ipswich and ruled out a move away from Portman Road. This doesn’t seem to put off his potential suitors and rumours of a bidding war this summer looks set to try and lure him away from the Tractor Boys. Time will tell where Wickham’s future lies but he does look a fantastic prospect at both club and international level.

Who is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain



While Southampton FC hope to follow Brighton into the Championship, they may face a fight once the transfer window opens on July 1st. The youngster in question this time is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and he has impressed Saints fans and a whole host of Premiership sides with his performances over the past season.

We probably shouldn’t be so surprised that Southampton’s academy has produced such a starlet. After all, this is a club who brought Alan Shearer and Matt Le Tissier through their youth set-up, not to mention once having Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale on their books.

Alongside blistering pace, fantastic ability and he is, according to club officials, ‘unbelievably level-headed.’ There is little wonder why he has already been compared to Theo. When he made his debut in March 2010, at just 16 years old and 199 days, he became Southampton’s second-youngest ever player, beaten only by… you guessed it Theo Walcott.

Southampton’s promotion back to the Championship may not be enough to keep Oxlade-Chamberlain content with life at St Mary’s with Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Fulham all keeping a close eye on the pacey winger, who has scored 10 goals in his 38 appearances this season.

He has clearly done enough to impress the England camp having already pulled on the Three Lions jersey at under-18 and under-21 level, with even Sir Trevor Brooking singling him out for success.