ILICIC'S SEASON SO FAR GAMES PLAYED GOALS ASSISTS 26 7 2 LIKELY COST £7m VIEW FROM ITALY Kris Voakes | Goal.com International Josip Ilicic burst onto the Serie A scene in 2010 and threatened to out-Pastore Javier Pastore in his impact with Palermo. However, many Italian defences quickly came to terms with his magnificent left foot and came up with ways to quell his threat. However, this term he has occasionally shown glimpses of the old Ilicic once more, and while Palermo are looking a reasonable bet for relegation, the Slovenian is one of the few Rosanero players who can hold their heads up due to his personal displays. Best played off the lone front man, Ilicic has one of the sweeter left feet in modern football.

Standing six foot three, Ilicic is not your traditional playmaker, yet carrying so little weight gives him an elusive edge that few can match. Light on his toes and possessing a dream of a left foot, Ilicic carries a significant threat in the final third, while he has also developed a knack of scoring against Serie A's heavyweights.

The 25-year-old Slovenian developed later than most, not making his professional debut until the age of 19. Since then though, he has embarked on a rapid ascent up the football pyramid, featuring briefly for Maribor before being snapped up by Serie A side Palermo in 2010. He impressed in his maiden campaign, scoring eight times in 39 games and linking well with Javier Pastore, but the Argentine's departure badly affected his influence the following year.

Palermo may be teetering on the brink of relegation this season, but oddly Ilicic has rediscovered the form that made him such a joy to behold. He has topped the scoring charts for the Rosanero, albeit with just six strikes, and has been a rare ray of light in a side desperately short of form.

Premier League clubs could do much worse than turn to Ilicic this summer – particularly if Palermo are relegated – as for a reasonably affordable fee they will be signing a creative, forward-thinking attacker, who can produce moments of unexpected quality. You're never quite sure what Ilicic will bring, but that is part of his charm.