Newcastle Transfers: 10 Players From The World Cup To Sign

8. Alan Dzagoev - Russia

They say all geniuses are flawed. When Alan Dzagoev scored a sublime goal at Old Trafford in the Champions League for CSKA Moscow in 2009 at just 19 years of age, the world was at his feet. He was seen as the natural heir as the poster boy of Russian football to Andrey Arshavin, then of Arsenal. Under three years later, at Euro 2012, it seemed like his potential had been realised, scoring three times in an ultimately disappointing tournament for his country as they were knocked out in the group stages in Poland and Ukraine. Individually, though, Dzagoev was catching the eye of some of Europe's biggest clubs. So, why is he on a list of potential targets for Newcastle United? Well, now at 24, Dzagoev's career has hit a standstill. He is still as talented as ever, with a fantastic ability to dictate the pace of a game as shown by his appearance off the bench for Russia against South Korea on Tuesday evening, bringing a dull game to life that ended up finishing 1-1. However, the fact that he was even on the bench to begin with is evidence of his situation in itself. Russia coach Fabio Capello has been critical of Dzagoev for his work-rate and lack of application, and he's not the first, which has resulted in the very best teams in the world turning their noses up at him. However, his talent and creativity would make him a hit on Tyneside if he is kept motivated. His age makes him compatible with a Newcastle signing, and his price tag won't be as high as it could be, but he falls very much in the Ben Arfa mauld of player when it comes to application, so it is unlikely that Alan Pardew will go anywhere near him, which is a huge pity.