World Cup Players to Watch Out For

Throngs of crazed fans all over the world have been buzzing their vuvuzelas to the beat of this year's World Cup, rooting for their teams and sharing the passion of football. However, the fans are not the only ones keeping a close eye on the competition. There is a lot of money at stake on the pitches of South Africa, as we will see after the World Cup in the form of multi-million-dollar player transfers.

Football players showcase their game in the full knowledge that their performance with the ball could launch, revive or end their careers. While football superstars need to prove themselves worthy of their astronomical wages, other footballers are hoping to be the next big player. A close inspection of some of the most respected European football clubs shows an eclectic mix of nationalities and backgrounds worthy of a UN summit. It will be interesting to how the players that catch scouts' eyes in this World Cup fare next season at their new clubs.

Here are a couple of the key figures that you will probably be seeing a lot more of after the Word Cup:

Javier El Chicharito Hernandez (Mexico)

After a lengthy struggle to find a reliable forward that could score at important moments, Hernandez seems to be just what El Tri has been lacking. The 21-year-old has played well in the Mexican Bicentenario, decimating many an opposition. Scoring a total of 10 goals in 11 games for Chivas de Guadalajara and netting four goals in Mexico's pre-World Cup friendlies, the young Javier Hernandez has proven that he can deliver on his promise. His impressive performances at the World Cup - particularly his goal against Argentina - show he can keep cool under pressure. It remains to be seen if he can adapt his game to the English Premiership, but at Manchester United next season he will certainly be in the limelight.

Angel Di Maria (Argentina)

Everyone is looking for the next Lionel Messi to come out of Argentina. Not many remember, however, that it wasn't Messi but Angel Di Maria who secured the Olympic gold for Argentina on the 2008 Beijing games. At the age of 22, Di Maria is approaching the end of a very successful contract with Benfica, which means that scouts from many teams are watching his form in the World Cup very carefully. Should he stand out in the later stages, he is likely to be an important target this summer.

Argentina, like many Latin American countries, is used to shipping its star players to the highest paying European clubs. Many players have established themselves on Argentine soil only to spend the rest of their careers in Spain, England or Italy. Not all adapt well to different playing styles and others find it difficult adjusting to life in a new country. Often, there is a big culture shock for them, including a language barrier, which they are expected to overcome so that they can talk to the coaching team and the press. Carlos Tevez, for example, has adapted exceptionally well to English football but is in need of the best English course London has to offer. It will be interesting to see which new players will be enrolling on English courses in London in August, having caught the eye of premiership clubs in the World Cup.