Exclusive: All Whites defender Finn Surman targeted by top European clubs after breakout Fifa World Cup

The Herald understands that big clubs from the top five leagues in Europe are tracking Surman, along with outfits in the Championship, the second tier of English football.

The top five competitions are the English Premier League, La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), Bundesliga (Germany) and France (Ligue 1). It’s believed that one of the largest teams in France are among the potential suitors, while Premier League teams are also monitoring the Christchurch product.

Surman was one of the standouts of New Zealand’s World Cup campaign, impressing with his grit, positioning, instincts, speed and timing.

It started with a big game against England on a searing hot afternoon in Tampa, Florida, ahead of the tournament, with Surman a key part of the impressive rearguard action that day, as the galaxy of stars from the Premier League were held to 0-1.

It continued throughout the tournament proper, as Surman was a commanding presence at the back.

He was immense – defying world class attackers like Omar Marmoush, Mohamed Salah and Kevin de Bruyne for periods.

He wasn’t perfect – and was distraught in the team’s post tournament meeting after the Belgium game, feeling he could have done more to stop some of the 10 goals that New Zealand leaked across the event.

That may be so and Surman had some responsibility for a few of the concessions across the three games. But it’s equally true that without the former Wellington Phoenix captain, the scorelines could have very different.

Surman still has things to learn but his growth potential is huge, given his first extended season as a professional was in the 2023/24 campaign for the Phoenix.

An overriding memory was his presence and leadership at the back for the All Whites and his ability to be in the right place at the right time.

It was particularly evident during the first half of the Egypt match, when he shut down Marmoush, regarded as one of the top strikers in the world.

Marmoush was bought by English giants Manchester City for a reported fee of £60 million ($140m) in January last year, after time in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg and Frankfurt.

He is an imposing presence – with his pace, skill and strength – but Surman handled him like a veteran, while also scoring a thumping header to give New Zealand the lead.

Another special moment came in the Belgium match, when Surman thwarted Kevin De Bruyne at the last second, surprising the iconic midfielder to the point where he ended up in a momentary embrace with the Kiwi.

Talking to the Herald after the tournament, Surman admitted he will take plenty of confidence and belief from his performances on this stage.

“Yeah, a lot, for sure,” Surman said, as he stood in the mixed zone at Vancouver stadium, one of the last to get on the team bus.

“And there’s a lot I can learn from these last three games and that’s something I’ll try to take back into my club and take on board as personal development. There are a lot of positives and also work ons that can be taken from this tournament.”

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