One to watch: Philippe Coutinho

I remember a few years ago when Alex Pato made his debut for Milan, and in the same season Mario Balotelli appeared in the shirt of Inter. With both of them it was clear that their talent was a superb level, so much so that even at such a tender age they were able to make the difference at the highest level. Since then they have both made themselves household names, Pato because of his brilliance and Balotelli because of a combination of his ability and controversy. Stefan Jovetic and last season Abel Hernandez also have shown maturity beyond their years, and after watching Philippe Coutinho, just 18, play a hand in demolishing Manchester City 3-0 Saturday night I think its fair to say he is not far behind. Two years in the Brazilian Serie A with Vasco da Gama have given him playing time to adapt to the senior game, but time has been called on his loan and now he finds himself in the tough realms of European football.

However, if Saturday is anything to go by he seems to have taken to it like a duck to water. The youngster showed technique on the ball that left Manchester back line motionless at times, linking the forwards, in this case Pandev and Obinna, with the midfield and opening up pockets of space to exploit with consumate ease. Of course, this was just a friendly match but his ability suggests that he is destined for great things. The question is however, how much time will he get to show this in the coming season, and will it be at Inter. He does seem set to remain, and coach Benitez has already stated that he is the future of Inter Milan which suggests that he will have a role to play this season, even if it comes mainly from the bench. But it seems like the sensible thing to do, grooming the next set of stars at the San Siro as Ranocchia, Santon and maybe Balotelli follow a similar role.