Football Index Ones To Watch: Bale, Goretzka, Benrahma

The 2020/21 football seasons across Europe are set to get underway this September weekend with the eyes of the world on the lookout for the next star to break ground in the forthcoming campaign.

Here at Footy Accumulators, we've teamed up with Football Index to take a look who to keep an eye on this season with analysis from Alan McInally in episode 1 of Ones To Watch for 2020/21, along with Emma Jones.

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Said Benrahma has gripped viewers in the Championship the past two seasons and constantly flirted with the Premier League as clubs across the top tier try to prize the Brentford star away from west London.

Since signing for just £2.7m, Benrahma has been the driving force in a Brentford side that has constantly evolved and plowed forward under Thomas Frank, netting an almighty 27 goals in the last two campaigns.

At the same time time, the winger has 24 assists with the Bees, helping them to finish inside the playoffs last time out, registering another assist in the semi-finals battle against Swansea City.

It's no surprise the 25-year-old has become so desired by Premier League clubs, with McInally drawing comparisons to Felipe Anderson, who has failed to kick on from his first stellar season at West Ham United. The Scot believes Benrahma would be the perfect replacement for the struggling Brazilian.

"If we look at both of them together: Benrahma more goals, Benrahma more assists and certainly more direct and influencing the game more.

"But you have to take into account he was playing in the Championship, Benrahma. But there's no reason to think he couldn't do that in the Premiership for West Ham, for instance," McInally stated

Ahead of the 2020/21 season, the Algerian star is priced at £2.00 with Football Index (price accurate as of 09/11/20).

When Bayern Munich signed then 22-year-old Leon Goretzka from Schalke back in 2018, there was little surprise regarding the move. The midfielder was highly sought after across Europe, and as he is German, the natural move to the Bundesliga heavyweights proceeded.

Now, after a stunning year from the 25-year-old, Goretzka has become one of the main men in recording a historic treble for Bayern, dominating all of Europe by not losing a single game on route to Champions League success.

"Apart from Lewandowski, David Alaba being first on the team sheet, and maybe Kimmich, I think Goretzka is now in Hansi Flick's first XI," said McInally

Last campaign, 11 assists and seven goals would come through the German, a year after Goretzka registered seven assists and nine goals for Bayern in his debut season.

As Alan alluded to in Ones To Watch, the ex-Schalke man has came back post-restart with a new-found physique, turning him into more of a powerhouse-esque centre-midfielder, along with his brilliance on the ball.

Ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, Goretzka is set to be one of the biggest tools in Bayern's arsenal, both physically and metaphorically - he is now £1.75 on Football Index (price accurate as of 09/11/20).

Gareth Bale has become somewhat of an enigma in world football, just years after establishing himself as one of the greats by scoring crucially important goals in two Champions League finals, including that stunning bicycle kick.

In total, the Welshman has played a part in four Champions League titles, two La Liga trophies, a Copa del Rey, two Super Cup's and three Club World Cups. Now, Bale is more known for warming the bench, turning a blind eye to the on-field action, and his toxic relationship with Zinedine Zidane.

However, McInally believes the ex-Tottenham Hotspur star is one to watch ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, stating how the brilliance in his boots is still a weapon to win any club a title.

"Don't cloud yourself with things, Gareth Bale is a top international football player. A top world player.

"If someone can convince Real Madrid to let him go and get him in your football team, then your chances to win a title are 3-fold. I think he's that good still, genuinely.

"It would be lovely to see him back in England," McInally stated on Ones To Watch

Now 31, Bale is perhaps towards the end of his career and a move away certainly makes sense for both concluding his career away from the toxicity of Madrid and to reclaim the exceptional form of yesteryear.

In fact, the Los Blancos man has netted just 10 La Liga goals from 45 games in the past two seasons, including just two from 16 in the last campaign. However, the Welshman remains the highest scoring Brit of all-time in the Spanish top flight with 80 goals in 170 outings, proving that when given the minutes, he returns with a flourish of goals.

Surely it's time we saw Bale back in the Premier League - he is now a price of £2.07 on Football Index (price accurate as of 09/11/20).

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