With Liverpool splashing the cash for Jordan Henderson and Manchester United close to Phil Jones and Ashley Young, the English summer is heating up.

By Daniel Teo

Henderson is one of the most promising English talents to have come through the Barclays Premier League in recent years. His last two seasons with Sunderland have been par excellent.

Meanwhile, Jones has been touted as the next John Terry with his towering presence at the heart of Blackburn's defence at just 19-years-old. And that is not to forget Young, who has become one of the most highly-rated wingers in the land.

But the question is: Are they really worth the exorbitant prices, given they have yet to prove themselves as world-class players?

The tide is changing. Barclays Premier League clubs are beginning to see the value and importance in getting their hands on the youngest and most promising English talents. Surely, there must be a reason why the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Kenny Dalglish - both great legends and visionaries in the English game - are willing to invest in them.

Just a few months ago, the Reds splurged a staggering £35million on Andy Carroll following the departure of Fernando Torres to Chelsea. And the former Newcastle striker has fitted into Daglish's plans in no time.

While detractors are questioning the extravagant price-tags of young English players; claiming that the values of players like Henderson and Jones are artificially inflated, they must understand the economics of it.

In the financial world, the higher the risk of an investment, the lower the price of the stock, and vice versa. Over the years, we have seen an influx of foreign players in the Barclays Premier League.

Only a handful, such as the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Eric Cantona and Thierry Henry, were truly successful. A large percentage, Andriy Shevchenko, Juan-Sebastian Veron and Diego Forlan - to name a prominent few, simply failed to adapt to the fast paced and muscular English game and ultimately ended up as flops - or failed investments.

Even with a team of world-class scouts, English clubs can never be certain over a foreign signing, no matter how brilliant the player has been in his own country.

The Barclays Premier League is a different kettle of fish as compared to the other leagues across the European continent. A promising young foreign player - regardless of how skillful and talented he is - may easily end up being mediocre in England.

So the safest bet to find a player who can seamlessly fit into a Premier League team is none other than in England, where more and more promising youngsters like Henderson and Jones are being given chances to show their quality.

While there is no doubt that English players often lack the silky skills the Spanish, Dutch or the South American players possess, what they bring to the table is the typical English physicality and mental toughness that are crucial in succeeding at the highest level. Wayne Rooney is the perfect example.

More than just keeping the English game English, managers are now increasingly beginning to appreciate local talents. Not that there are no quality foreign players around, but the fact is that defences in the Barclays Premier League are becoming increasingly difficult to break down and only wizards like Lionel Messi are capable of doing so on a weekly basis.

But how many Messis are there around? And even then, how sure are we that he will indeed succeed in the Barclays Premier League?

So why look elsewhere when what you need is right in your own backyard?