After Gold Cup win, will Europe be beckoning?

After a successful summer for El Tri in which several new faces took center stage, we ask the question, ‘should any of them be heading to Europe’?

Three members of Mexico’s Gold Cup-winning side stood out during the tournament: Monterrey’s Rodolfo Pizarro, who many deemed the player of the tournament; LA Galaxy winger Uriel Antuna, who made the El Tri roster due to an unfortunate series of injuries; and America’s shining star, Edson Alvarez.

First let’s talk about Rodolfo Pizarro. The 25-year-old playmaker was a star with the Chivas when that team won the Liga MX and Copa MX double in 2017, following that with the Concacaf Champions League title in 2018. His move to Monterrey in the summer of 2018 was widely criticized as being unambitious by fans who thought he should have made the jump to Europe.

Despite adding a second Concacaf Champions League title with Monterrey in 2019, many fans and pundits still firmly believe he needs to try his luck in Europe. This summer’s Gold Cup has only fueled these calls as he was outstanding for Mexico.

With the player himself publicly stating that a move to Europe is possible, it remains to be seen if he will actually make the move. There are unconfirmed reports that Italian Serie A side AC Milan are interested in him.

Edson Alvarez, at 21 years old, is almost universally seen as the next big star for El Tri and has cemented his place in Mexico’s line-up. He was a key part of Juan Carlos Osorio’s World Cup 2018 side and was a star of “Tata” Martino’s Gold Cup team.

An impressively versatile defensive player, Alvarez is being courted by two different English Premier League sides – Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United. His versatility, together with his eye for a good pass and comfort with possession could make him a quality player in England. His departure is almost a foregone conclusion with America and coach Miguel Herrera said Alvarez will not play in Sunday’s Champions Cup match against the Tigres so as not to risk injury before a deal is made.

Lastly we have Antuna who famously scored a hat-trick in Mexico’s destruction of Cuba in the team’s Gold Cup opener. He is actually still owned by Premier League giants Manchester City and some reports suggest that they are keen to keep him on after his loan spell to LA Galaxy has ended. If he continues to shine for club and country then it is possible that we could see him play in the English Premier League in the not too distant future.

Lastly, another player who I personally believe could do well  in England is Memo Ochoa, another star for El Tri in the Gold Cup, who despite being 34 already, is still talented enough to play for a lower Premier League side.