Premier League players who could win UEFA Nations League this year
By Evan Curnew
Spain and Croatia will faceoff at De Kuip in Rotterdam on June 18th in the UEFA Nations League Final – what Premier League players are on trophy watch?
Virgil Van Dijk, Nathan Ake, Cody Gakpo and Jorginho barely miss out on playing in the UEFA Nations League final. With Spain defeating Italy and Croatia taking care of business against the Netherlands, we are narrowed down to 5 Premier League players who could lift a trophy this summer.
Rodri (Manchester City): The month of June could get even better for the Spanish midfielder. Rodri notably buried the only goal in the Champions League final against Inter, clinching the treble for Manchester City. He was also named Player of the Match in the Nations League semi-final match against Italy.
Kepa (Chelsea): It remains to be seen if Kepa will continue being a Premier League player past this summer, but for now, he still is. After losing his starting position at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel to Edouard Mendy, Kepa has become the number one again. With that said the future of both Mendy and Kepa at Stamford Bridge remains bleak. Kepa did not feature for Spain in UEFA Nations League group stage play and was only an option off the bench against Italy. He did, however, start two matches in March for Euros qualifiers.
David Raya (Brentford): While Raya may not remain a Brentford player, he should remain a Premier League player. As reported by The Top Flight, David Raya looks close to joining Tottenham Hotspur, where personal terms are not a problem. Raya has been a regular call-up for Spain in recent times, but like Kepa, has not played a minute in Nations League action.
Ivan Perisic (Spurs): Perisic has had a lengthy international career and has been part of Croatia’s last two World Cup performances. He has also been a significant player for Croatia in UEFA Nations League play this cycle. Perisic went the complete 120′ as Croatia beat the Netherlands 4-2 in extra time. The versatile veteran joined Tottenham Hotspur last summer from Inter on a free transfer.
Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea): Much like the case of Raya, Kovacic may remain a Premier League player, but it looks likely to be elsewhere within the league. Robust reports link Kovacic to joining Manchester City this summer ahead of continued midfield revamp at Chelsea. Kovacic started against the Netherlands but went until just the 85th minute, being replaced by Lovro Majer.
Regardless of the final result on June 18th, at least two Premier League players will be lifting the UEFA Nations League trophy.