10 Premier League Flops Who Could Become World Cup 2014 Stars

5. Giovani dos Santos - Mexico

A product of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, winger Giovani dos Santos arrived in Englan widely regarded as one of the world's top teenage talents. In the 2007-08 season he had been a semi-regular player for Barca and joined Tottenham for 6 million Euros (plus a potential 5 million more in add-ons) in the hope of holding down a more regular first team place. At White Hart Lane, however, the Mexican never seemed like making it as a first team player. Accumulating just 15 Premier League appearances in four years, manager Harry Redknapp suggested that Giovani was more keen on late night clubbing than training and sent him out on a series of brief loan spells. A return to Spain in 2012, however, has seen the forward rediscover his early promise. He finished the 2012-13 season as relegated RCD Mallorca's top scorer and moved on to Villarreal who had come up in Mallorca's place. Last year was Giovani's best season yet, scoring 12 goals and contributing 8 assists in 31 games to drive the newly promoted team to 6th. More pertinently, Giovani, like Chicharito, has always performed for the national team. Nominated for Young Player of the Tournament at the last World Cup, Giovani went on to score the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup's Goal of the Tournament to win Mexico the final against the United States and play a key part in Mexico's 2012 Olympic Gold Medal. Like the rest of the Mexico team, Giovani struggled in World Cup qualifying, but a goal in last month's comfortable 3-1 warm up win against Ecuador suggests he may be finding his best form at just the right time.