1. Charles Aranguiz (Bayer Leverkusen)
The Chilean midfielder is arguably the most exciting addition to the Champions League. Signed by Bayer Leverkusen a year ago, Aranguiz tore his knee ligaments a week later and his debut season was ruined. Now, at the age of 27, the elegant and combative midfielder (known as ‘the Prince’ in his homeland) gets his chance to shine. He was one of the best Chileans at the 2014 World Cup, and his skills will surely dazzle.
2. Marco Asensio (Real Madrid)
The multitalented midfielder announced his arrival at Real Madrid by scoring a majestic goal against Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup, and has since starred in the early stages of La Liga. The 20-year-old looks ready to take centre stage after a successful loan spell at Espanyol, but it remains to be seen whether Zinedine Zidane gives him enough opportunities in Europe.
3. Birkir Bjarnason (Basel)
Nicknamed Thor, the God of Thunder, combative Icelandic midfielder Bjarnason moved from Pescara to Basel last summer in order to play Champions League football, despite having more lucrative offers. Unfortunately for the Swiss giants (and Bjarnason), they lost to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the play-offs a year ago. Now, though, they have qualified directly for the group stages, and the scorer of Iceland's historic first goal at Euro 2016 is about to fulfil his dream.
4. Moussa Dembele (Celtic)
When Dembele signed for Fulham at the age of 16, he thought he was joining an established Premier League club. However, the Cottagers were relegated, and the Frenchman moved to Celtic this summer after netting 15 goals in the Championship. He’s made an excellent start in Glasgow, hitting a crucial goal against Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Champions League play-offs, and a hat-trick in the Old Firm derby. Now the 20-year-old is preparing himself to take on the very best – starting with Barcelona.
5. Ousmane Dembele (Borussia Dortmund)
The tricky 19-year-old was one of the top players in Ligue 1 last season, putting in some phenomenal performances for Rennes that had scouts from around Europe queuing to see him in action. Numerous pundits wanted Didier Deschamps to include him in the national team squad for the Euros – but despite missing out, he’s earned two senior caps since. Barcelona were interested in Dembele this summer but he eventually chose Borussia Dortmund, where his dazzling ball control will be highly appreciated. But can he immediately deliver in the Champions League?
6. Ganso (Sevilla)
The elegant playmaker grew up alongside Neymar at Santos, and the Barcelona star compared him to Zinedine Zidane. Ganso seemed destined for greatness, but his development was slowed by injuries and he only moved to Europe this summer, joining Sevilla at the age of 26. With the attacking tactics of Jorge Sampaoli and a lot of talented partners to play with, it might have been a great choice.
7. Jamie Vardy (Leicester)
Most of the Foxes squad are about to make their Champions League debuts, and we’re curious to watch all of them. Who is the most intriguing, though? It’s surely Vardy, because at the age of 29 he knows – having rejected a move to Arsenal – that this could easily be the only Champions League season in his career. Can the top defences in Europe deal with his lightning speed?
8. Jose Izquierdo (Club Brugge)
The diminutive Colombian winger played an important role as Club Brugge finally won their first championship title since 2005. Quick, technically sound and very dedicated, Izquierdo is difficult to mark, and it’s surprising that he still hasn't been capped by his national team yet. A good performance in the Champions League will certainly help him in that respect, and at the age of 24 time is on his side.
9. Vincent Janssen (Tottenham)
Having scored 27 goals in his debut season in the top division for AZ Alkmaar, the 22-year-old Dutchman has enjoyed a speedy ascent, won a place in the national team and drawn comparisons with Ruud van Nistelrooy. Janssen is a natural predator, and a very dedicated, disciplined learner. If everything goes according to plan, the €20 million Tottenham paid for him could be considered a bargain.
10. Nemanja Nikolic (Legia Warsaw)
Having scored 36 goals in all competitions in 2015/16, Nikolic was extremely disappointed to make just two short substitute appearances for Hungary at Euro 2016. The 28-year-old is a quality centre-forward, and several clubs (including Hull City) tried to sign him in the summer, but Legia refused to sell ahead of their first Champions League campaign in 21 years. With Nikolic, their chances of winning a few points are definitely higher.
11. Lucas Perez (Arsenal)
Paying £17 million for a 28-year-old striker with only one good season in his entire career has been a huge gamble by Arsene Wenger. Lucas was definitely very effective for Deportivo La Coruna with 17 La Liga goals last season, but does that make him a legitimate Champions League player? The question marks are big, and it's up to the Spaniard to provide the right answers for Arsenal.
12. Olcay Sahan (Besiktas)
The versatile attacker is little known outside of Turkey, but Besiktas fans adore his imagination, artistry and ball skills. Sahan is a true flair player – he might not be the most consistent performer for Turkey’s champions, but is a joy to watch when on song. Somewhat of a late bloomer, Sahan has finally won the title and will play in the Champions League at the age of 29. We might be grateful for the chance to see him in action.
13. John Stones (Manchester City)
It turned out that money can actually buy Stones, and Manchester City paid Everton £47.5million for the services of the promising 22-year-old centre-back. Stones is comfortable on the ball, and that certainly suits Pep Guardiola, but his positioning was not always perfect last season. Can he perform in a very tough group against the mighty Barcelona and the brilliant attacking line of Borussia Monchengladbach?
14. Kamil Glik (Monaco)
Italy coach Giampiero Ventura once helped Leonardo Bonucci to kickstart his career, and he is certainly good at developing centre-backs. Glik spent five years at Torino with him, and gradually became a very solid defender with a keen eye for scoring important goals. Now, after a superb personal performance at Euro 2016, the 28-year-old Polish star will be crucial for Monaco's Champions League hopes.
15. Piotr Zielinski (Napoli)
Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri knows the Polish midfield prodigy very closely – he nurtured him at Empoli during the 2014/15 season. After the 22-year-old made further progress last term he was duly brought south, where he can shine alongside fellow compatriot Arkadiusz Milik with his excellent vision and distribution. Poland have many young talents, but Zielinski could be the best of them all.
16. Oleksandr Zinchenko (PSV)
From the terrible artificial pitch of lowly FC Ufa in Russia to Euro 2016 participation and a transfer to Manchester City – the rise of the 19-year-old Ukrainian playmaker has been incredibly fast. He is definitely hyped, but his experience at the highest level is close to zero and it remains to be seen whether all the superlatives are justified. A season on loan at PSV Eindhoven is certainly a good test, especially in the Champions League.
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