Sandro Tonali and 4 more relegation-threatened stars to improve any team

 

The postponement of Euro 2020 means clubs have longer to prepare for next season, whenever that may be, and identify areas of improvement required in their respective squads. Be it through a world class star or a diamond in the rough, teams will be scouting possible targets and while a relegated performer may not be the first port of call, those who play for sides that face the threat of dropping out of one of Europe's top leagues can still do a job for a top team. 

 

Here, WhoScored.com identify a handful of players plying their trade for relegation threatened outfits that your team should be courting... 

 

Emiliano Buendia - Norwich City 

 

The Premier League has a number of top players who may yet drop out of England's top tier, notably Jack Grealish, John McGinn and Sebastien Haller, but the trio could still see their team survive relegation. For Norwich City, their fate is perhaps more certain. A 1-0 win over Leicester in the weeks before football was postponed to help combat the Coronavirus outbreak boosted their chances of survival, but the Canaries remain six points off safety. 

 

Even if they do go down, however, Emiliano Buendia is one who can be expected to keep his spot in a top league, be it in England or abroad. The Argentine is Norwich's best rated player by some distance having landed a WhoScored rating of 7.24 this term. Only Kevin De Bruyne and Sadio Mane (both 7) have earned more man of the match awards than Beundia (6) in the Premier League this season, who ranks first for accurate through balls (12) and third for successful dribbles (92) in England's top tier this term. 

 

Andrea Petagna - SPAL 2013 

 

Moving over to Italy, a 1-0 win at Parma last time out saw SPAL 2013 move to within seven points of safety in Serie A, though that result was more an exception to the rule than the rule itself. A lack of goals is proving to be their downfall, with SPAL having netted fewer goals (20) than any other side in Italy's top tier. Of those 20, 11 have been netted by Andrea Petagna. 

 

Five of those have come in his last six league outings and a WhoScored strength of 'finishing' is clearly warranted. The 24-year-old's battling showings on the frontline may land him in hot water with officials - his 1.7 fouls per game is the fourth most of all SPAL players - but a team that plays a high pressing game may benefit from a striker of Petagna's ilk in the final third. 

 

Sandro Tonali - Brescia 

 

Sitting two points below SPAL in the Serie A table, Brescia have just 16 points from 26 games to show for their efforts, but Sandro Tonali's stock continues to soar. The teenager has been courted by some of Europe's biggest clubs in recent months, with the Italian impressing in Serie B, before making the transition to Serie A with ease. 

 

Sandro Tonali and 4 more relegation-threatened stars to improve any team

 

The 19-year-old is Brescia's top rated player with a WhoScored rating of 6.96 and has had a direct hand in six of their 22 league goals, assisting five. Tonali breaks forward from midfield at a canter with his dribble success rate currently sat at a notable 80%, that the third best of the 60 players to have attempted 40+ dribbles in Serie A this season, reinforcing a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of 'dribbling'. Interest from Juventus is no shock, neither are reports that Manchester City are among a number of Premier League teams watching Tonali. 

 

Ibrahim Sangare - Toulouse 

 

Toulouse are rooted to the foot of Ligue 1, 17 points from safety, and it would take a miracle to stave off relegation now. However, while they have just 13 points to their name with 10 games still to play, that shouldn't deter potential suitors from monitoring Ibrahim Sangare. 

 

The tough-tackling 22-year-old is still highly thought of in France and even if his form has dipped a little of late, Sangare could prove a bargain buy for any elite side as and when Toulouse's relegation is confirmed. The high-octane youngster ranks sixth for tackles and interceptions combined (123) and possession won in the midfield third (101) in Ligue 1 this season and he'd be a solid pick up. 

 

Raul de Tomas - Espanyol 

 

Having struggled for game time with Benfica this season, Raul de Tomas returned to Spain in January and has excelled in front of goal for Espanyol. They have netted just 15 league goals this term, with four of those bagged by the 25-year-old since the turn of the year. As one might expect, De Tomas is Espanyol's highest rated player with a WhoScored rating of 7.55. 

 

Not given a fair crack of the whip with Benfica, where he made just seven league appearances, De Tomas is proving how effective a striker he can be in a side that averages just 11 shots per league game. Six points off the drop, it will take a monumental effort from Espanyol to avoid relegation, but with De Tomas spearheading the charge, they'll give it as good as they have. Failure to make up the six-point gap, though, is unlikely to hinder the striker's reputation as he goes from strength to strength back in LaLiga.

Sandro Tonali and 4 more relegation-threatened stars to improve any team