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Marcus Rashford to Jon Toral: Emerging stars for 2016-17
Looking for a bargain for next season's Fantasy Premier League team? These young players could fit the bill
With the season done and dusted, the thoughts of Fantasy Premier League players will quickly turn to the start of the new campaign.
The transfer window is yet to open, so it's hard to know how the teams will line up in August, but some players have used the final weeks of the season to lay down a marker for next season.
Who are the emerging stars to keep an eye on next season?
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Forget Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and his team-mate Sergio Aguero, the young Nigerian Iheanacho was the deadliest striker in the Premier League last season, with a goal every 93.88 minutes.
"He finished with a total of eight league goals from just 752 minutes of action after spending much of the season behind Wilfried Bony in the pecking order," notes the Manchester Evening News. "It's a promising record – and one incoming City boss Pep Guardiola is likely to be impressed with as he looks to reshape the Blues squad."
The academy graduate, valued at less than £5m last season, could well get a chance to shine next term and is unlikely to cost the earth.
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Divock Origi (Liverpool):
Voted the worst player in Ligue 1 in 2015 the young striker seemed set for a season on the sidelines at Liverpool this term, but ended up as Jurgen Klopp's number one choice at centre forward.
His style of play appears to suit the German and the Belgian found himself selected ahead of Daniel Sturridge despite costing half the price, before his season was cut short by injury.
Danny Ings will be available and Sturridge will hope to be fully fit next season. But Christian Benteke is set to leave and if Klopp does not bring in another high-profile striker Origi could be central to Liverpool's plans in 2016-17. The Liverpool Echo has high hopes. "The sky is the limit, watch him go next season," it says.
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United):
Unheard of at the start of the season, but part of Roy Hodgson's Euro 2016 squad by the end of it, Rashford has had a season to remember.
Whoever is in charge at Old Trafford next season, they are likely to give the youngster a run in the team. One stumbling block could be his price as he is sure to be valued at far more than the £4.7m he was deemed to be worth at the end of this season. But compared to the price on Anthony Martial he is likely to be a bargain.
Brendan Galloway (Everton):
The teenage full-back was a bright presence in the Everton side last year, but his campaign mirrored that of the Toffees and tailed off badly. Despite some excellent early-season performances, he fell out of contention once Roberto Martinez had a full set of defenders to choose from, and a knee injury effectively ended his season in March.
But it was a positive season. "Make no mistake, this has been a breakthrough campaign for the teenage defender," says the Liverpool Echo.
With a clear-out expected at Goodison Park this summer and a new manager arriving, the versatile Galloway, who can play centre-back as well as full-back, could get a run in the side next term.
Demarai Gray (Leicester):
The Leicester winger is being chased by several big clubs and is tipped as a star of the future. If he decides to stay with the champions this summer, he will surely do so on the promise of playing time.
The pacy forward may get the chance to deputise for Jamie Vardy as the Foxes face a tougher season with Champions League commitments on top of their Premier League campaign. Demarai played fewer than 200 minutes last season but that should change next term.
Jon Toral (Arsenal):
After the emergence of Hector Bellerin and Alex Iwobi this season, could Jon Toral be the next player off the Arsenal's production line to break into the first team?
Toral spent last season on loan with Birmingham City, where he scored eight goals, was voted supporters' player of the year, players' player of the year and won the goal of the season award.
With Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky leaving the Emirates this summer, Toral could get a chance next term, especially if Arsene Wenger's recent paralysis in the transfer market continues. However, he is unlikely to become a regular, so Iwobi or Bellerin may represent better value, depending on their valuations.
