WITH two weeks to go until Dream Team's Euros fantasy game gets underway, it's time to highlight some players we expect to be pivotal figures.
We kicked off our EURO STAR series yesterday with a look at Cristiano Ronaldo and whether or not the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's goalscoring pedigree will prevail over his ageing legs.
At 21 years old, today's subject is at the complete opposite end of his career on a dramatic upward curve and so the question must be asked: will this be the summer of Jamal Musiala (£4.5m)?
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At the time of writing, the Germany midfielder appears in 21.7% of teams created, making him the third-most popular player in his position.
Martin Odegaard has racked up 45 Dream Team points in his last three appearances
The outlook is likely to change as more and more managers sign-up to play our Euros fantasy game across the next fortnight but it seems reasonable to assume Musiala will be among the most-selected players heading into Matchday 1.
On the surface, this may seem a tad curious as he's scored just two goals in 27 caps in senior international football.
However, it should be taken into account that 20 of his appearances came as a teenager, when he was still finding his feet at the top level; similarly Jude Bellingham (£6m) has three goals in 29 caps for England on a similar trajectory.
What's really telling is that Germany's coaches have felt that Musiala is a talent worthy of so many caps at such a young age.
And there are signs he's flicked the switch from promising youngster to a player one could build a team around.
He scored ten goals and provided six assists in 24 Bundesliga outings for Bayern Munich this season (that number restricted due to injuries) which boils down further to a goal involvement every 110.4 minutes.
Needless to say, these are the stats Dream Team bosses should be seeking from their midfielders, especially with goals and assists worth six and three points each this summer.
It's worth noting too that Musiala shone brightly in Germany's friendly wins over France and Netherlands in March, providing an assist in each fixture.
Those victories over strong opposition boosted morale among fans of Die Mannschaft after some worrying results in 2023 that led to Hansi Flick's departure.
Musiala's potential to supply goal involvements is only one element of what makes him such an appealing option in Dream Team Euros.
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As gaffers who played our regular season game will know, talented dribblers tend to earn their fair share of bonus points.
This is because each successful dribble (and foul won) counts as a player performance park (PPM), which determine how bonus points are distributed - click here for further details about our scoring system.
Despite the fact Musiala missed ten league games this term, only Leroy Sane (£5.5m) completed more successful dribbles in the top flight.
Such stats only serve to reinforce what anyone who has watched him play has observed - the kid is a natural.
In terms of pure talent, Germany's midfield crop is certainly in the top tier among this summer's trophy hopefuls.
Florian Wirtz (£4.5m), Ilkay Gundogan (£4.4m), Toni Kroos (£3.5m) and the aforementioned Sane all boast impressive attributes but it's notable that Musiala, who is capable of playing centrally or on either wing, is the most popular of the lot among Dream Team bosses at present.
Many Germany fans are imploring Julian Nagelsmann to start both Musiala and Wirtz in tandem, offset with the experience of Kroos and Gundogan.
It's not unthinkable that Sane will initially be deployed as an impact substitute - he was suspended for those morale-boosting wins over France and Netherlands when Germany looked mightily improved.
The hosts face Scotland in the opening fixture of Euro 2024, with Switzerland and Hungary completing Group A, and it will be interesting to discover which stars Nagelsmann prioritises.
But what's clear from a Dream Team perspective is that Musiala's attacking threat, coupled with his dribbling ability, makes him a seriously tempting option.
