Chelsea Transfers

LAM09 · November 3, 2024

53 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

yup, and that's exactly my point: what is Maresca goal with the team?

Posh was a low block with quick transition. We seem to be moving towards a mid/high block with a bit more possession, but I wonder how much of a positional/possession buff he is. If it City style or nothing, or he will sit somewhere in between.

Which players we stick with and go for is entirely dependent on the answer above.

Maresca hasn't been in charge of a senior side for over a year, so I doubt we'll find out anytime soon, provided he's here for the long haul.

However, based on what he's had to say thus far, I'd imagine his goal would be a possession-based side with some actual presence, unlike the current makeup of City. If KDH was his sole target during the summer and can hardly get a game for us, I'd rather others make the transfer decision on this occasion.

ZAPHOD2319 · November 3, 2024

They say this….while they are talking to other clubs about your fee.

Vesper · November 4, 2024

SCOUTED50: A definitive guide to the next generation

50 breakout talents to watch in the 2024/25 season.

https://www.scoutednotebook.com/p/scouted50-2024-2025

Welcome, dear readers, to your SCOUTED50 for the 2024/25 season. We’re so glad to have you.

SCOUTED50 is our guide to scouting senior football this season. We are not trying to be prescriptive of predictive - think of it as a curated list of recommendations, by us, for you. We don’t believe ranking football players is useful for much other than having fun, but that doesn’t mean this collection is not a result of hundreds of hours of scouting. Just don’t take the final order too seriously.

To understand how we collated the list and ranked each player, please read the below blog. It will likely answer any quibbles. There’s an additional section at the end of this page for notable omissions, of which there are a few.

Explaining SCOUTED50 2024/25

If you’re new here, SCOUTED is a small, worker-owned, independent publication collectively run by a small group of friends.

SCOUTED50: A definitive guide to the next generation

Here are your 50 breakout players to watch this season.

50. Mihajlo Cvetković

0 points — 2007, FK Čukarički, Serbia

Name a better combination than Serbia and strikers…you probably can, to be fair, but you get the point. The Balkan nation have a plethora of top-level centre-forwards already, with a throng of prospects pushing up behind them, and Mihajlo Cvetković is perhaps the best of them.

Cvetković was a standout at the UEFA U-17 EURO this year — featuring in our Team of the Tournament, no less — for his bruising and relentless skillset, one with some similarities (in abrasive attitude at least) to Luís Suárez. The 17-year-old is a regular for FK Čukarički as he breaks into senior football.

49. Rokas Pukštas

0 points — 2004, CM, Hajduk Split, USA

Born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Rokas Pukštas now plays in Split as a starter for Hajduk, one of Croatia’s biggest clubs. Since his debut in 2022, the now-20-year-old has racked up well over 5,000 minutes across 71 appearances.

The USA U-20 international’s game is defined by non-stop energy — pinging between the boxes, doing a bit of everything — which isn’t surprising when you consider his father and mother represented Lithuania as a marathon runner and triple jumper respectively. This should be his final season in Croatia before making a leap of his own.

48. Matias Fernandez-Pardo

0 points — 2005, FWD, LOSC Lille, Belgium

Matias Fernandez-Pardo should probably be a little higher on this list. He only made his first top-flight start in March but ended the season with 10 goals and assists in 14 appearances for KAA Gent — and that form earned him a €10 million return to LOSC Lille, where he spent much of his junior years.

The Belgian forward is sharp off the shoulder, direct in his actions and a good ball-striker, all of which make him a dynamic threat as a secondary attacker, be it off the front or the wing. Let him find his feet in Ligue 1 and he should rattle up this ranking pretty quickly.

47. Noah Nartey

0 points — 2005, CM, Brøndby IF, Denmark

Like many others on this esteemed list, Noah Nartey is a prospect with plenty of pedigree at youth level for his national team. We first saw him for Denmark at the UEFA U-17 EURO and have been keeping tabs ever since.

It’s only this year that Nartey has made his mark in senior football, though. Since making his Superligaen debut in Febuary, the teenager has gradually leveraged his way into Brøndby’s team, culminating in a starting role to start the current season.

Everything Nartey does is clean and tight, providing his teams a valuable stability in possession. He needs to add certain elements to his game, but he’s on the right path.

46. Finn Jeltsch

0 points — 2006, CB, 1. FC Nürnberg, Germany

Finn Jeltsch has the makings of a good centre-back. The 18-year-old is a right-sided defender that fits the modern bill: he’s mobile, composed, clever, a solid technician in every respect, and possesses that all-important flexibility.

After anchoring the Germany team that won last year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, Jeltsch returned to break into the first team at boyhood club 1. FC Nürnberg, where he now plays every week in the 2. Bundesliga.

It’s just the start of a senior career that promises plenty for club and country.

45. Martim Fernandes

0 points — 2006, RB, FC Porto, Portugal

Anyone who’s played any Football Manager in the past year or two should know who Martim Fernandes is. The teenage right-back is a bonafide bargain in the game, and he’s backing that up in real life at FC Porto.

A skilled right-back with a good playmaking ability, Fernandes has been on the faster track for a while: he was playing as a 15-year-old in the UEFA Youth League a few seasons ago. Now it looks like he will be trusted as the back-up full-back for the first team after a season with the B side in the second tier.

44. Ibrahim Maza

0 points — 2005, AM, Hertha BSC, Algeria

It was not until after we picked out Ibrahim Maza for this year’s SCOUTED50 that he pledged his international allegiance to Algeria. The Berlin-born attacking midfielder featured for Germany at U-18, U-19 and U-20 level before making his senior debut for the Desert Warriors in October 2024.

Maza catches the eye due to his eagerness to engage in duels. He drives at opponents with constant dribbles and matches this output with his tackling. This combo has helped him achieve undisputed starter status for second division Hertha BSC, their fulcrum in the left half-space.

The teenager’s newfound stature as a senior international should propel him further into the limelight, which he’s already stealing in the 2. Bundesliga.

43. Kauã Elias

0 points — 2006, ST, Fluminense, Brazil

Kauã Elias understands the traditional role of a centre-forward incredibly well for his age. Especially for Brazil’s youth sides, where he is flanked by dangerous wide forwards, he revels in the selfless responsibility of creating space for his teammates.

His hold-up play, willingness to drop into the channels, and then genuine ability to carry and create play himself has underpinned his very intelligent and mature performances. He uses his body well, demands attention in the penalty box, and makes great movements in all different types of scenarios.

His football smarts and physical maturity meant a senior breakthrough for Fluminense was inevitable. Next up will be a move to Europe.

42. Samuel Gidi

0 points — 2004, CM, MŠK Žilina, Ghana

Samuel Gidi is the product of a pioneering partnership between his current club MŠK Žilina and Žilina Africa, which was founded in 2018.

Since moving from Žilina’s Ghanaian side to Slovakia, Gidi has stood out due to his obscene ability to retain possession and decent damage he can do with it. He gets on the ball at every possible opportunity, looks after it really well, but still retains an aggressive and athletic edge to his game.

The metronomic midfielder should glide past the 100 appearance milestone for Žilina this season, which would set him up well for a move to a higher level next summer — if not in the winter. Keep close tabs on him.

41. Samuel Mbangula

0 points — 2004, LW, Juventus, Belgium

If you followed Juventus’ Next Gen team closely, you probably wouldn’t have picked out Samuel Mbangula as the prospect that would burst into the senior set-up under new coach Thiago Motta. But here he is, doing exactly that.

He started and scored in his full debut in Serie A and, with a squad lean on wingers, there should be regular opportunities for Mbangula to press on with the momentum his strong early-season performances have built.

While he’s not the most dynamic winger, the Belgian is a very silky mover who makes good decisions and packs a goalscoring threat when cutting inside onto a right foot that Serie A defenders will have to respect.

40. Adam Daghim

0 points — 2005, FWD, Red Bull Salzburg, Denmark

Adam Daghim was a constant feature of our 2023/24 UEFA Youth League coverage. The Dane was completely dominant at that level: his brutal physicality was unmatched; his direct off-ball movement and pure straight-line power was game-breaking.

This has not translated to senior football — yet. Daghim has been operating from a wide right role in Pepijn Lijnders’ 4-3-3 and you can’t help but wonder whether a return to a more traditional ‘Red Bullian’ system would get the best out the Dane, partnering him with Konaté in a hard one-two punch attack.

Either way, Daghim is starting games — and it shouldn’t be long until we catch a glimpse of his UEFA Youth League prowess in senior football.

39. Ousmane Diao

0 points — 2004, CB, FC Midtjylland, Senegal

FC Midtjylland’s acquistion of second tier Portuguese club CD Mafra went under the radar, but the Danish club have already reaped rewards. Ousmane Diomandé — #5 in last year’s SCOUTED50 — never made a senior appearance for FCM before he was sold to Sporting CP in a deal that could be worth as much as €12.5 million, one facilitated by his exceptional form at Mafra.

Ousmane Diao is treading the same path as his namesake. After making just shy of 50 appearances for Mafra, Midtjylland signed the Senegalese centre-back on a permanent deal before the 2024/25 campaign. Diao is slightly shorter than Diomandé but equally as imposing in ground duels.

According to reports, Sporting CP were interested in signing Diao before his move to Denmark. Given the similarity of profile, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this move materialise should Diomandé be sold for a substantial profit.

38. Ollie Arblaster

0 points — 2004, CM, Sheffield United, England

Ollie Arblaster captained Sheffield United – his club since the age of six – at Old Trafford in only his ninth first-team start. He was 19 years old.

Even more absurd is that he had spent the first half of that 2023/24 campaign on loan in League One at Port Vale. The Blades were relegated at the end of the season, but the Championship is the perfect platform for Arblaster to parade his talent and hone his craft.

Arblaster is not dissimilar to Adam Wharton and Alex Scott who came before him. He’s the type of player who can “boss midfields” by breaking up play with assertive tackles, building possession with passes in earlier phases, and driving the game forward with line-breaking, flank-switching distribution, as well as some slinky touches or dribbles that extend into forceful carries.

Now club captain under Chris Wilder, Arblaster has played every minute he’s been fit so far this season. That says everything you need to know.

37. Reuell Walters

1 point — 2004, CB/RB, Luton Town, England

Reuell Walters was a rated prospect at Arsenal since he arrived in a somewhat unusual way — a cascade of clubs, trials and maybes that included stops at Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, all almost derailed by the 2020 pandemic — but never received the first-team appearances to reflect that. He deserved them too, not least for his status as youth team captain and a regular features in Mikel Arteta’s matchday squads.

Unsurprisingly, Walters took full ownership of his career by leaving at the end of his Arsenal contract to make a short drive up the M1 to sign for Luton Town. There, his skillset fits like a glove: Walters has all the traits you want in a back-three defender for a Rob Edwards side.

Though Luton have found their return to the Championship tricky so far, the EFL is the perfect platform for Walters to display why so many Arsenal fans were dismayed at his leaving.

36. Nathan Zézé

1 point — 2005, CB, FC Nantes, France

After impressing in the group stage of the 2023/24 UEFA Youth League, Nathan Zézé became a starter for boyhood club Nantes at the beginning of this year and hasn’t looked back since.

Interestingly, during that string of starts, he was deployed on the right side of centre-back duo or trio despite being left-footed. Although it helped develop his weaker side, he’s now operating as an orthodox left centre-back.

Zézé is very much a ground defender. He has the physical profile to compete and hold his own in the air, but thrives when covering large distances to sweep or making front-footed lunges to intercept the ball before it reaches the desired recipient.

Inter were linked in the summer, and a teenager establishing himself as an undisputed starter in Ligue 1 is usually followed by a flurry of transfer offers.

35. Matteo Dams

1 point — 2004, LB, PSV Eindhoven, Belgium

The big Dutch clubs have the relatively unique bonus of having a B team in their country’s competitive second division. The likes of PSV, Ajax and AZ utilise them as U-21 sides, bridging between junior and senior football.

Matteo Dams is another product of that pathway at PSV. Last season saw him play over 2,500 minutes in the Eerste Divisie, building toward a 2024/25 campaign in which he’s been an ever-present for Peter Bosz’s side to date.

Nominally a centre-back, Dams has been deployed as what we like to term a ‘wide defender’ in first-team football, doing the tucky-inny bits that modern full-backs do at the highest levels nowadays.

34. Jan-Carlo Simić

1 point — 2005, CB, RSC Anderlecht, Serbia

Jan-Carlo Simić earned the SCOUTED seal of approval for his performances in the UEFA Youth League. Stevie described him as “one of the few youth level centre-backs I’d trust defending for my life.”

But that wasn’t enough to earn him regular senior football for AC Milan, who made the surprise decision to sell him in the summer of 2024 to RSC Anderlecht, where he has quickly settled in as a regular starter.

His base package is everything you want in a centre-back. He’s a stocky, strong, mobile athlete that is comfortable in possession and capable of progressing play into midfield with incisive short passes, while his reading of the game defensively is fantastic.

Simić fits the archetype of the multi-tooled defender that has become very popular amongst the sport’s top coaches. We could easily see him playing one of those hybrid full-back roles that Arteta et al love to play.

But a season as an Anderlecht starter is a great place for his development.

33. Yarek Gasiorowski

2 points — 2006, CB, Valencia CF, Spain

Yarek Gasiorowski has been on the radar for a long time, regularly rocking up for youth international tournaments to represent Spain despite his very obvious Polish heritage, and regularly performing well.

He is tall, mobile, and has a nice calmness about his game. He plays with a certain maturity which was very apparent at the UEFA U-19 EURO this past summer, in which he made the SCOUTED Team of the Tournament as part of a championship-winning Spanish side.

Now, he’s stepping up at senior level with Valencia as well, having established himself as a reliable option in a very young team towards the back-end of last season. This campaign should be one of consolidation, filling in when needed and hopefully cementing himself as a first-choice.

Overall, he has the archetype big clubs hunt for — not least because he’s left-footed. You’ll be seeing this name pop up regularly over the next few seasons.

32. Luka Vušković

2 points — 2007, CB, Tottenham Hotspur (on loan at KVC Westerlo), Croatia

On loan to KVC Westerlo in Belgium from Hajduk Split, Luka Vušković is turning heads for two reasons: his goalscoring from defence, and being 1.93m tall at just 17 years old. This kid is an absolute unit, and that will be a big reason why Tottenham Hotspur fought off all the big boys to secure his signature as far back as 2023.

Vušković is very advanced for his age, possessing a number of high-level attributes, with the aforementioned imposing size the basis that allows him to dominate already. He has real potential as a ball-player too, a must-have for successful integration into Postecoglou footy. But it is his threat from set-pieces that will thrust him into the spotlight. It cannot be overstated.

After 10 games of the 2024/25 Belgian Pro League, no Westerlo player had scored more goals than Vušković. He’s also won 83% of his aerial duels. Boom.

31. Vitor Reis

3 points — 2006, CB, Palmeiras, Brazil

We couldn’t help but chuckle when the wave of stories linking Vitor Reis to the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid rolled in.

Following a treble-winning season with Palmeiras’ U-17s in 2022, he captained Brazil’s triumphant South American U-17 Championship side in early 2023 before leading them out during their run to the U-17 World Cup final later that year — in which he impressed both Stevie and Llew. This summer, the absence of first-team players at the Copa América presented Vitor with the opportunity to make his senior debut for his boyhood club.

His comfort in possession stood out, as did his authority when marshalling the defence and attacking the ball from set-piece situations. While his teammate and fellow SCOUTED50 alumnus Estêvão enjoys the freedom to express his talent afforded by his attacking role, Vitor Reis leans on a maturity and composure that belies his age to turn the heads of Europe’s elite.

30. Sindre Walle Egeli

3 points — 2006, FWD, FC Nordsjælland, Norway

First there was Andreas Skov Olsen, then there was Mohammed Kudus and Mikkel Damsgaard, then there was Kamaldeen Sulemana, then there was Andreas Schjelderup and Simon Adingra, then there was Ernest Nuamah and Ibrahim Osman, and now there's Sindre Walle Egeli.

The 18-year-old will be the latest in an exceptional succession of exciting attacking talent that have flown through FC Nordsjælland in recent years.

Plucked from Norwegian club Sandefjord a couple of years ago, Walle Egeli has excelled at U-19 level since joining — 25 goals in 25 games attests to that — and burst into the first team following the sale of Osman. He’s impacting Superligaen games on the regular this season, often flitting between both wings, impressing for his mix of athleticism, ball-striking and intelligence.

Erling Braut Haaland couldn’t believe how good the upstart was when he featured in Norway’s senior squad in September — and there’s more to come.

29. Assane Diao

3 points — 2005, LW/RW, Real Betis, Spain

While his minutes have been patchy since breaking into the senior team at Real Betis last season, Assane Diao looks like one of those players that could explode at any moment.

Gifted with size and speed to play anywhere across the front line, including up front, he has generally played his senior football out on the right wing. Diao is very different to the traditional Spanish winger archetype; he’s about 6’1”, extremely direct, and one of those players that could present as a point of difference for the national team at some point in the future.

With Betis competing in the UEFA Conference League this season, there should be opportunities for him to play some more solid senior minutes. If not, clubs should be pestering him to trust them with his development.

28. Kota Takai

4 points — 2004, CB, Kawasaki Frontale, Japan

Kota Takai is one of the most promising emerging talents in Japanese football right now. A graduate of the Kawasaki Frontale academy, he’s played almost 4,000 senior minutes for the club over the past 18 months — and doing that at his age isn’t common in the J.LEAGUE, even though you may think it is.

The 20-yer-old has played a lot for his age because he is big. His build bears some similarities to William Saliba, and he possesses a similar composure to the Frenchman that pervades every aspect of his skillset. He is a promising defender that adapts to any situation thrown at him, a rock-solid distributor from the back, and isn’t particularly flashy or fussy in the way he does either.

Expect a move to Europe to happen soon, particularly after his reputation has been plumped up further by a senior Japan debut in September.

27. Yang Min-heyok

5 points — 2006, LW, Tottenham Hotspur, South Korea

Tottenham Hotspur are establishing themselves as a big-time, elite-level talent gobbler. Their hit list includes the likes of Pape Matar Sarr, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Luka Vušković, and Yang Min-hyeok come Janaury.

The South Korean attacker has plenty of pedigree behind him having broken multiple records in the K League, from bing the competition’s youngest-ever goalscorer to being its youngest-ever fully professional player. That’s before you consider his 15 goal contributions in 33 games this season too, which is extremely impressive in and of itself.

Yang caught our eye at last year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup for a quick-footed skillset that saw him dribble past players like they weren’t there, pick clever passes around the box, and threaten the goal with snappy shooting.

It remains to be seen what Spurs have planned for him when he joins, but they have the perfect mentor in Son Heung-min to take him under his wing.

26. Valentin Atangana Edoa

5 points — 2005, CM, Stade de Reims, France

Who remembers that France team that won the UEFA U-17 EURO back in 2022? You must do if you followed our coverage, and you should do if you like your youth football. It featured — wait for iiit — Warren Zaïre-Emery, Mathys Tel, Désiré Doué, Christian Mawissa, Mamadou Sarr, Saël Kumbedi, Jeanuël Belocian and El Chadaille Bitshiabu. Pheeeeeew.

One of its unsung heroes was Valentin Atangana Edoa, a pocket-sized midfielder that packed a punch. He was a key presence on both sides of the ball as a springy ball-winner and up-tempo distributor, pouncing to regain possession then ticking it over as a passer and press-evader. Important stuff.

This season has seen him assert his status in the first team at Stade de Reims, starting every game in a new-look team under new head coach Luka Eisner, filling the role Azor Matusiwa previously held down. Like Matusiwa, Atangana has the potential to play at a European regular before too long.

25. Mathis Amougou

5 points — 2006, DM, AS Saint-Étienne, France

Mathis Amougou is already breaking out, featuring regularly as a starter for newly-promoted AS Saint-Étienne. And guess what? It’s not a surprise.

He has been a standout youth player for a long time, earning a spot in the SCOUTED Under-17 World Cup Team of the Tournament in 2023 for his excellent performances throughout France’s run to the final in Indonesia.

Amougou is a powerhouse. He can cover extraordinary amounts of ground and protect huge amounts of space in defensive transition as highly mobile midfielder that duels aggressively on the front foot. There are rough edges to smooth out in terms of his on-ball skillset, but that can be done pretty easily.

He possesses a do-it-all profile with a solid technical base that we really like, as do Bayer Leverkusen who lodged some bids for him in the summer. Look out for Amougou in Ligue 1 this season.

24. Héctor Fort

6 points — 2006, RB, FC Barcelona, Spain

Héctor Fort has progressed through the Barcelona system via the usual route, up through the all the age groups, through the UEFA Youth League, into the club’s B team in the lower leagues of Spanish football, and is now an established first teamer under Hansi Flick.

Fort is no-frills; he quietly and efficiently gets things done. He’s not hyper athletic for his age, nor overly strong, but is mature in the manner in which he goes about his work on both sides of the ball. A solid defender, his one outstanding attribute has to be his crossing — Fort is capable of whipping in brilliant deliveries from wider areas, setting up simple finishes for strikers.

The 18-year-old has become a trusted member of the first team squad over the past year, like about a million others from La Masia. His 16 appearances is a solid start to what promises to be a good senior career.

23. Adam Aznou

6 points — 2006, LB, FC Bayern München, Morocco

Adam Aznou was one of the stars of the 2023/24 UEFA Youth League. While Bayern didn’t go on to win the competition, the Moroccan went to huge lengths to elevate his own reputation, with a series of man-of-the-match performances with his mammoth offensive contribution from left-back.

Those performances took him to the brink of Bayern’s senior side. While he wasn’t able to make a senior debut last season under Thomas Tuchel, we expect it to arrive at some point this season under Vincent Kompany.

Aznou is a bit of a wildcard full-back. He’s like a dribble-coded version of Oleksandr Zinchenko or Trent Alexander-Arnold, progressing play from deep with exceptional technicals that were honed at Barça’s La Masia. His one-on-one dribbling is dynamite, he carries powerfully over big spaces, is capable of sliding inside, swinging around on the overlap, whipping in dangerous crosses, smacking in shots — the lot, the full shebang, the whole hog.

Born in Barcelona and a Spain age-group international, Aznou has decided to play for Morrocco at senior level, making his debut a month ago, which will prove to be a significant coup for the north Africans.

22. Vasilije Adžić

7 points — 2006, CM, Juventus, Montenegro

Vasilije Adžić is perhaps the biggest talent in Balkan football right now.

With almost 70 senior appearances for Budoćnost Podgorica by the age of 18, Adžić joined Juventus this past summer with the view to developing as part of their talent-developing Next Gen team. But he was too good: he immediately became part of Motta’s first-team plans instead, where he now looks set to play a fairly sizeable role for the coming season.

He can do pretty much anything you ask of him. The Montenegrin stands out for his physical presence; despite being significantly younger than almost everyone, he was one of the biggest athletes on the pitch in Montenegrin football. He has a powerful stride to carry the ball between both boxes; he’s an excellent ball-striker in both open play and from dead balls; his range of passing is pretty extraordinary. There’s a bit of Kevin De Bruyne about him.

If he can stay healthy, Adžić will very likely play plenty of minutes for Motta’s new-look Juventus team this season. Beyond that, anything is possible.

21. Nico Paz

7 points — 2005, AM, US Como, Argentina

We don’t think the Real Madrid academy gets enough credit. Obviously, they’re a superclub with a near-unique standing in the game, but many don’t realise the sheer level of talent that has come through their youth system over the past decade or two. Nico Paz is another example of that.

He cam through the established pathway of youth team progression and being a UEFA Youth League standout before getting a handful of reps of Real Madrid’s first team last season, even scoring in the Champions League against Napoli. This summer, he made the brave decision to further his career with newly-promoted Como in Serie A and is already reaping the reward.

His underlying numbers in Italy are off-the-scale good as his multi-threat attacking skillset thrives under the tutelage of Cesc Fàbregas and Osian Roberts. Real Madrid retain a buy-back clause, so don’t be surprised to see him playing a role in the club’s new generation at the Bernabéu.

20. George Ilenikhena

10 points — 2006, AS Monaco, Nigeria/France

Readers of Monday Night SCOUTED will have been anticipating the inclusion of an unnamed Power Forward in this year’s SCOUTED50. That wait is over.

The teenager, eligible for both France and Nigeria internationally, initially cut his teeth with Amiens in Ligue 2 before Royal Antwerp paid a hefty €6 million fee to get him as a 16-year-old. A year, 2,000 minutes played and 14 goals scored later, they sold him to AS Monaco for almost €20 million.

Now 18, the scourge of FC Barcelona has all the hallmarks synonymous with the emerging striker meta: he can pin, roll and blast past defenders in a foot race, best them in an aerial battle, lose them in the box with explosive movement, or tangle them with feints.

The majority of his appearances for Royal Antwerp were from the bench and a similar pattern will likely continue at Monaco in Ligue 1, at least for the this season. However, as Jhon Durán has proven, some strikers only need a few minutes a match to make a substantial impact. Ilenikhena has that knack.

19. Geovany Quenda

11 points — 2007, RW, Sporting CP, Portugal

Geovany Quenda has been a surprise package for Sporting CP this season, becoming a regular starter for the club from the jump in 2024/25, after having never previously featured for the senior team.

This rise was accompanied by a surprise call-up to Roberto Martínez’s Portugal squad in September, which itself marks a huge jump having only ever played at U-17 level for his country, starring at the EUROs in May.

Quenda is a relentless athletic force for his age. It was obvious to see in the various youth tournaments in which he played a lot of bully-ball against some smaller, less athletic players with powerful runs into spaces and explosive dribbles in closer quarters. It’s those traits which have facilitated — perhaps even necessitated — his inclusion in Rúben Amorim’s side this season, largely playing as a wider attacker in their customary 3-4-1-2 shape.

An ever-present in the Primeira Liga and Champions League so far, Quenda is an exciting player to watch with a big future ahead of him.

18. Hugo Larsson

12 points — 2004, CM, Eintracht Frankfurt, Sweden

Sweden’s new generation is exciting. It may be a little top-heavy — with the likes of Alexander Isak, Dejan Kulusevski and Viktor Gyökeres in attack, and little else at the back — but their new-age midfield is looking pretty nifty too.

Hugo Larsson will be one of its key components alongside Lucas Bergvall, a SCOUTED favourite. Like the latter, Larsson flew the Allsvenskan nest pretty quickly after establishing himself as a regular at Malmö FF. He made the move to Eintracht Frankfurt, tremendous talent developers, where he settled into the side pretty swiftly and continues to impress.

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what type of midfielder the 20-year-old will develop into, but he’s sure to be a Champions League regular for years to come.

17. Simone Pafundi

16 points — 2006, AM, Lausanne-Sport, Italy

We’ve been talking non-stop about Simone Pafundi for the last few months, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see him taking his place in SCOUTED50. The Italian left Udinese in January and has been on a tear ever since, playing some superb football for Lausanne-Sport, while putting in some scintillating performances for Italy at U-19 level, not least at the EUROs in 2024.

Pafundi is an extraordinary technical player whose talent transcends the issues that come with being a very small footballer. He’s an elite ball-striker, an elite one-on-one dribbler, and an elite final-third creator. Pick a phase of play, he can dominate it; dictate as a passer from deep, play between the lines, or get further forward and turn into a terrifying goal-scoring threat.

INEOS’ decision to sign and park him in Switzerland for the foreseeable should have Manchester United fans on alert. Pafundi is on the path to stardom… but he’s not there just yet.

16. Paul Wanner

19 points — 2005, FC Bayern München (on loan at 1. FC Heidenheim), Germany

Paul Wanner has been part of the FC Bayern München set-up since 2018 and is now making his move into first-team football. He spent last season on loan in the 2. Bundesliga at SV Elversberg, taking the step up to the Bundesliga with 1. FC Heidenheim this time around.

He has immediately raised the technical ceiling of that squad, playing a pivotal role in their early table-topping form and qualification for the UEFA Europa Conference League. While his technical quality is obvious - his passing and shooting with his left foot is extremely crisp - his sleight, lanky frame make him a nuisance for opposition players when he decides to press.

Flashes of brilliance on the ball combined with a relentless work ethic off it have the makings of a standout campaign which will set him up to make another jump next summer. It could be Bayern, it could be elsewhere.

Another thing to watch about Wanner is his international future. One of Ralf Rangnick’s first decisions as Austria manager was to involve him, but he’s since plumped for Germany.

15. Orri Steinn Óskarsson

20 points — 2004, ST, Real Sociedad, Iceland

Orri Óskarsson is yet another striker who matches the current meta centre-forward archetype. Right-footed and standing at 1.86m tall, he has a sleeper build that affords him unexpected robustness and deceptive speed. He is starting to fill out, and there is room to bulk even more.

His ability to function as a game-stretching line-leader or work in tandem with a box-crashing attacking midfielder ensured that Óskarsson was highly-coveted during the 2024 summer transfer window. Real Sociedad won the race ahead of FC Porto and other Premier League sides, completing €20m deal on Deadline Day — a club-record sale for FC København — and handing him the No.9 shirt.

Óskarsson is indexing into the role of a low-touch, high-impact forward, drawing comparisons to Erling Haaland’s role at Manchester City. Once he settles in San Sebastián, the goals will flow.

14. Andrey Santos

22 points — 2004, CM, Chelsea (on loan at RC Strasbourg), Brazil

While it looked like he may getting stuck in a funky situation with some difficult loans after joining Chelsea in January 2023, Andrey Santos has started to properly hit his stride on loan at Chelsea’s partner club RC Strasbourg since moving to France in January 2024.

Afforded quite a lot of freedom to launch forward under new coach Liam Rosenoir, Andrey kicked off the Ligue 1 season with two goals in his first two starts, underpinning the versatility of his skillset, and highlighting his innate ability to be effective in both boxes.

Andrey is a powerful runner and built very solidly for a 20-year-old, giving him the underlying athleticism to break games open as a straight line runner towards the box — this freer role, rather than playing as a true number six, may be the move that unlocks his game as a senior player in 2024/25.

And after a stint of insecurity, Strasbourg is proving to be the perfect place for the Brazilian to kickstart his development.

13. Chris Rigg

23 points — 2007, CM, Sunderland, England

We love stories like Chris Rigg. A Hebburn lad and Sunderland academy player from a very early age, he was posed with an extremely difficult decision last year with offers on the table from giants Manchester United and arch rivals Newcastle United, ultimately deciding to sign scholarship terms at his boyhood club instead.

That decision has been vindicated already with continued, consistent involvement in the first-team squad under no less than three different managers. Tony Mowbray was a big believer, taking him on pre-season tours and awarding him his senior debut as a 15-year-old in the FA Cup. And now Régis Le Bris has installed him as a starter in his table-topping midfield, playing most of every game in the Championship.

Rigg is an active, tenacious, up'n'at'em talent that shows plenty of qualities as a passer, mover and finisher. He can play deeper, higher, wider, whatever, and has been used in various different roles for club and country.

His final form is difficult to predict and depends somewhat on how he develops physically, but it will certainly be of a Premier League level.

12. Sverre Halseth Nypan

25 points — 2006, CM, Rosenborg, Norway

Sverre Halseth Nypan is a compact, athletic, two-footed, dynamic midfielder that does the basics well and can drive play between the boxes — furthermore, he played a full season for Rosenborg at 16 years old!

The Norwegian has been rising through the age groups at a rapid rate. He remains one of the youngest-ever debutants in UEFA Youth League history having debuted as a 14-year-old and is now a regular for Norway’s U-21s.

This year, his second full season in senior football, Nypan leads his team-mates for goal involvements, scoring six and setting up five in the 2024 Eliteserien. He has the power and change of pace to drive away from defenders in midfield, as well as the qualities to slip passes into runners around the box. Both skills are elevated further by his balance and two-footedness. He’s like a punchy Pedri.

A Football Manager favourite, reported real-life interest from Arsenal and Manchester United suggest you’re going to see the name Sverre Halseth Nypan plenty of times in 2025.

11. Eliesse Ben Seghir

29 points — 2005, AM, AS Monaco, Morocco

Eliesse Ben Seghir made his Ligue 1 debut towards the end of 2022 and has been a part AS Monaco’s senior squad since. Now, still only 19, he is a first-team regular and a full Morocco international.

As is the case with plenty of North African prodigies, Ben Seghir’s smooth ball-carrying is laced with a level of skill and flair that makes you giggle. Predominantly operating from the left to allow him to drift onto his right foot, he also has license to roam and play-make from central pockets with both feet, applying cerebral precision with his instep to both his weight of pass and his finesse finishing.

AS Monaco have built another super-young, super-talented squad to challenge PSG’s Ligue 1 dominance. Ben Seghir is quickly becoming its poster boy and will likely become one of its most profitable exports.

10. Dean Huijsen

30 points — 2005, CB, AFC Bournemouth, Spain

A victim of a summer of upheaval at Juventus, Dean Huijsen has nonetheless found himself a great Premier League landing spot with AFC Bournemouth.

The giraffe-sized centre-back already presents as a ready-made senior level player after his loan move with Roma last season. Not only that, he has a huge ceiling as a uniquely gifted technical player in his position, with one notable Serie A goal scored last season, in which he ran through midfield and smashed one top-bins, catching the eye.

Huijsen is tall and lanky but one of the most elegant on-ball defensive players you’ll see. He can play equally well on both sides of his body, he takes penalties, and he can carry the ball out of defence beautifully. Everything about his offensive game is outrageous. He’s a proper set-piece threat too.

Born in Amsterdam but raised in Málaga, Huijsen has switched international allegiance to Spain in the past year. That decision throws up the exciting prospect of Huijsen partnering Pau Cubarsí for years to come, building on a partnership that has already passed the hell out of Hungary at U-21 level.

Bournemouth have taken a bit of a risk, but Huijsen has a huge ceiling. If they can build him up physically and refine his game defensively, they have secured a £50+ million player for little more than £10 million.

9. Franco Mastantuono

33 points — 2007, AM, CA River Plate, Argentina

First there was Claudio Echeverri, now there is Franco Mastantuono. Before River Plate even had a chance to pawn off their prized asset to Manchester City, the latter was already breaking into the senior set-up and looking like an even better prospect.

Indeed, Mastantuono has usurped Echeverri – who has returned on loan for the season – as River Plate's go-to attacking option. His 800-odd minutes represents a solid return for his first full season of senior football in Argentina and should be a launchpad for an even bigger role next year, unless he too is pinched away by one of Europe's elite.

Like Echeverri, Mastantuono is a playmaking attacker that thrives behind a striker, picking up pockets between lines to pose a creative threat. And like Echeverri, Mastantuono will likely prove to be another top Argentinian talent produced by the prolific River Plate academy.

8. Lamine Camara

45 points — 2004, CM, AS Monaco, Senegal

Lamine Camara signed for Metz in March 2023, during the U-20 African Cup of Nations: he was named Player of the Tournament as Senegal won without conceding a goal in six games. In 2023/24, he made 31 league appearances as Metz were relegated to Ligue 2, impressing at the senior AFCON in between. AS Monaco were quick to secure his signature for €15 million this summer.

It was this move that guaranteed his SCOUTED50 status. Playing for a European contender rather than a relegation scrapper will platform his midfield skillset so much more. His limby physique will see legs and arms fly everywhere as he shuttles constantly from box to box, playing his part in every phase of play as the best midfielders always should. Camara can run, pass, tackle, dribble, shoot, much like his compatriot Pape Matar Sarr.

Expect his name to fly around social media when Monaco face Arsenal, Aston Villa and Inter in the Champions League as the 20-year-old will be a stalwart on the biggest stage this season.

7. Jamie Gittens

46 points — 2004, LW, Borussia Dortmund, England

Schooled at the academies of Chelsea, Reading and Manchester City, Jamie Gittens followed the lead of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham by moving abroad to sign for Borussia Dortmund.

In 2022, he played a key role in BVB’s U-19 Bundesliga title-winning season as well as standing out in their UEFA Youth League campaign, not least with a memorable Manchester return to sink a stacked United side. That same year, he went on to win the UEFA European U-19 Championship with England.

If not for a freak handful of shoulder injuries, the Gittens breakout would have happened much sooner. He is an explosive one-vs-one demon and a foul magnet, a prolific dribbler with smooth changes of speed and direction that angle in off the left onto his favoured right foot.

His speed and dribbling proficiency combine to create a cheat code off the bench against tired defences. In an era of football where the stigma surrounding substitutes is slowly being eroded, Gittens has the necessary tools to establish himself as one of the most destructive ‘Finishers’ in European football.

This level of game-changing impact will turn heads. BVB must trust him.

6. Samu Omorodion

72 points — 2004, ST, FC Porto, Spain

If we had asked for our expert votes two weeks later than we did, Samu Omorodion probably would have landed a place on the podium.

With elite sides beginning to prioritise big-body strikers that can dominate the penalty area, you will struggle to find a better fit than this 1.93m titan.

The Spaniard joined FC Porto in the summer as part of a convoluted deal which saw the Portuguese side pay Atlético Madrid just €15 million to secure 50% of his sporting rights. In his first six appearances for the club, he scored seven goals. This included a UEFA Europa League brace against Manchester United that showcased his ability to rag-doll opposition centre-backs.

Before that, Samu was a relatively latecomer to the elite level of youth football. Born in the enclave of Melilla, he only joined Granada in 2021, where he went on to catch the eye with 18 goals in 33 B team games in Spain’s lower leagues. A goal on his LaLiga debut forced Atleti to move, who plonked him on loan at Alavés for the season before part-selling him to Porto this summer.

His sheer strength and speed are enough to generate limitless opportunities; combine this physical foundation with smart, aggressive movement inside the penalty area and you create an near-unstoppable force.

Samu is the personification of the football’s most sought-after profile right now.

5. Estêvão Willian

93 points — 2007, RW, Palmeiras (joining Chelsea), Brazil

If there is one transfer that Chelsea have nailed in the Boehly-Clearlake era, other than Cole Palmer, it might just be Estêvão. While the Brazilian can’t move to west London until next summer, his career has gone into the stratosphere since his move to Chelsea was announced in June. He has emerged as a key player for Palmeiras, topping the 2024 Brasileirão assist charts, and received his first call up to the Brazilian national team.

Estêvão is a sublime talent, blessed with a freakish left foot, elastic athletic qualities, and a dribbling ability that makes spectators gasp and defenders quiver. Like a certain Lamine Yamal, it’s that left foot that is turning him into an immediate difference-maker at senior level, helping him to regularly contribute to goals and goalscoring opportunities at one of Brazil’s most illustrious clubs.

At last year’s U-17 World Cup, we described him as ‘a player that has the potential to be a 10-15 year needle-mover at the highest level of European football’, and he’s delivering on that talent even quicker than we could’ve expected.

Everything is primed for his big step up to Premier League football in 2025.

4. Yankuba Minteh

108 points — 2004, RW, Brighton & Hove Albion, Gambia

A rapid wide man who can play on either side, Yankuba Minteh is capable of both creating chances and getting on the end of them. But his energy is the first thing you notice — and he is one of the best dribblers in his age group in Europe to boot.

This combination of electric acceleration with great timing and weight of touch makes him a very threatening one-vs-one attacker; he is relentless and direct in his quest to enter the penalty area. This approach is what convinced Brighton & Hove Albion to part with £30 million in order to sign a then 19-year-old from a financially-stretched Newcastle United following his breakout season on loan at Arne Slot’s Feyenoord.

He has made an instant impact down south, further showcasing his ability to adapt. It mustn’t be forgotten that he only moved to Europe — Odense in Denmark, more precisely — from Gambia in 2022. His rise has been incredible.

Brighton have assembled a squad that should try to establish itself as consistent gunners of European competitions, and Minteh will have a huge say in whether they achieve that goal or not. His profile as a left-footed right winger that runs, dribbles and shoots will make him a prized asset regardless.

3. Ethan Nwaneri

112 points — 2007, AM, Arsenal, England

The youngest player in English top-flight history and the only 15-year-old to make an appearance in the Premier League, two years on from his premature bow, Ethan Nwaneri is ready.

The now-17-year-old has the technical ability and creativity to be a number ten, the burst and directness to play out wide, but also the awareness and composure to perform deeper roles. In tight spaces, he’s an escapologist. His changes of direction are razor-sharp, his turns are whiplash-inducing. He takes small touches to wriggle free before gliding away from defenders.

But the difference between Nwaneri and most of his age is the physical robustness: he is really compact, low to the ground, almost glued to the floor, making him difficult to get the better of let alone bully. This is a huge advantage when stepping into senior football, as the similarly-built Warren Zaïre-Emery has proved at Paris Saint-Germain.

This season promises to be his breakthrough. Mikel Arteta seems more ready than ever before to trust Arsenal’s own, as demonstrated by Nwaneri coming on to see out their 1-0 victory in the North London Derby. That cameo led to a first senior start (and goals) in the EFL Cup and another impressive showing as the Gunners chased a Premier League game against Leicester City.

Above all, Nwaneri is more than ready to make an impact. Slot him in and watch him go. Arsenal fans should be very excited.

2. Aleksandar Pavlović

115 points — 2004, CM, FC Bayern München, Germany

Aleksandar Pavlović almost came out of nowhere to be a regular starter at FC Bayern München.

Of course, any player signed to the Bavarian’s academy set-up is likely to be talented, but he was very much an unheralded prospect. Ask any Bayern fan about him before last year and you’d probably get nothing in response. He wasn’t on the radar of Germany or Serbia at all until his U-20 debut last November, which was quickly followed by a call-up to EURO 2024.

It was Thomas Tuchel, an unlikely ally of youth football, that first backed his ability at Bayern by involving him in their pre-season preparations and subsequence league campaign. Since then, he’s gone from strength to strength, continuing to cement his status under Vincent Kompany.

Pavlović has a physical profile very typical of a defensive midfielder: tall with an athletic frame and long levers. He is an important presence against the ball, filling the right spaces and anticipating play to close in and cut it out. His reading of the game and his reactions are quick. On the ball, he makes everything look very simple and especially swift. He can dictate a game from the base of midfield at whatever tempo he decides.

The biggest complement that can be paid to Pavlovic’s ability is that €50 million signing João Palhinha is struggling to displace this 20-year-old phenom at the heart of Bayern’s midfield. If he continues at this rate, he will lock down the same role for Die Mannschaft.

1. Pau Cubarsí

142 points — 2007, CB, FC Barcelona, Spain

European football has a new unicorn centre-back. Pau Cubarsí has arrived, and he’s going to be with us for a very long time. He has hardly put a foot wrong since stepping into the senior squad before his 17th birthday.

Similar to John Stones, not only is Cubarsí a technical and creative freak relative to his base position at the heart of the defence, but he is sturdy, mobile and calm — he executes every action without ever looking flustered.

He has no fear of the physical duel against bigger bodies, nor is he susceptible to balls being spammed over his head for runners. Just watch how he handled Victor Osimhen and Kylian Mbappé during his first two career appearances in the Champions League, dealing with the elite of the elite.

But it’s really the passing that sets Cubarsí apart. From his post on the left-side of the defensive pairing, he has already shown he has insane range, regularly finding his former academy buddy Lamine Yamal with some outrageous long cross-field passes. Beyond that, the detail and precision of his work is what truly sets him apart at the elite level.

Pau Cubarsí is the perfect exemplar of everything football is becoming, a chronistic blend of the old with the brand spanking new - a modernity that is emerging, as it so often has, from La Masia, which has produced yet another absolutely generational superstar.

He is your SCOUTED50 winner for this season, and we can’t think of anyone more deserving.

The notable omissions…

As we did in last year’s edition, we’re very keen to point out that this list isn’t an exact science and it’s very much subject to the subjectivity of SCOUTED.

Spurs fans can probably feel a bit peeved at the lack of Spurs players — you still have two technically, it’s not all that bad — but we’ll explain the reasoning behind both notable omissions.

Archie Gray first: he’s already had his “breakout” season for us, doing so at Leeds United in 2023/24. He won the EFL Young Player of the Year award and many people knew about him. He should’ve been in last year’s edition.

In hindsight, Mikey Moore has a great case to be included in this edition and probably would’ve ranked in the top 25, but we just edged him off the initial list. Don’t fret though, because it means he’ll be in the next edition with a great chance of being top 10, if not on the podium, maybe even number one.

The same logic applies to Rodrigo Mora, although we didn’t anticipate he’d be around the first team at Porto as much as he currently is. What about Kendry Páez? Maybe a bit unlucky, let’s see next year. Francesco Camarda would probably be on some people’s lists but, again, patience. This season looks to be one of consolidation in Milan’s newly-formed B team for him. Sávio is at Manchester City, who cares.

The fact is we’ve probably completely forgot about one or two that we’ll kick ourselves over, and we could be here listing names for a long time — our long list is stacked with worthy inclusions — but you’re stuck with this 50. And it’s a bloody good 50 at that. Enjoy them and all the content that’s to come.

Edited November 4, 2024 by Vesper

Vesper · November 4, 2024

The most fascinating U23 players in Europe's Next Three Leagues

A squad of 20 young players from the Eredivisie, Pro League and Primeira Liga with incredible or intriguing stats this season.

https://www.scoutednotebook.com/p/most-fascinating-u23-players-pro-league-eredivisie-primeira-liga-scouted-squad

The first time was so nice…

In the middle of October, I discovered the most fascinating U23 players in Europe’s Big Five Leagues through Stathead metrics. You seemed to enjoy it.

The most fascinating U23 players in Europe's Big Five Leagues: from an Uzbek mind-reader to a Moroccan marvel

So, to kick off November, I have started my exploration of The Other 12 and put together another SCOUTED Squad.

There is a 2007-born aerial monster in defence, a 6’3” ball-winning phenom in midfield, a Brighton loanee and a future Brighton signing out wide, a two-footed super striker up top and a 16-year-old playmaker knitting it all together.

“From where!?” I hear you ask…

Well, the 12 other domestic leagues with advanced data on Stathead are: MLS, Liga MX, Liga Professional Argentina, Brasileirão, Belgian Pro League, Eredivisie, Primeira Liga, Championship, Ligue 2, Serie B, 2. Bundesliga, Segunda División.

Initially, I was going to cover all 12 divisions in one. But then I realised we would be able to discover more players by creating a few sub-groups. So I split them into three:

The Americas: 🇺🇸 MLS, 🇲🇽 Liga MX, 🇦🇷 Liga Profesional, 🇧🇷 Brasileirão

The Next Three: 🇳🇱 Eredivisie, 🇧🇪 Pro League, 🇵🇹 Primeira Liga

The Big Five 2nd Tiers: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Championship, 🇮🇹 Serie B, 🇪🇸 Segunda División, 🇩🇪 2. Bundesliga, 🇫🇷 Ligue 2

After using a poll to ~~overcome my inability to make a decision~~ strengthen the SCOUTED community, this newsletter will focus on the Belgian Pro League, the Dutch Eredivisie and Portugal’s Primeira Liga.

Remember, these are not the 20 best young players from the selected leagues. This is the discovery of new names.

There are only two rules:

all players must be born in the year 2001 or later
all players must have played at least 270 minutes
all stats are per 90 unless explicitly stated otherwise

Across the Eredivisie, Pro League and Primeira Liga, that criteria returned 11 goalkeepers and 279 outfield players. I have whittled that down to a SCOUTED Squad of 20.

All data is via Stathead FBref and correct as of 29 October 2024, 18:00 BST

Goalkeepers

As I mentioned in the introduction, 11 goalkeepers across these three leagues match our search criteria: seven from Belgium and two each from the Netherlands and Portugal.

Senne Lammens was the immediate standout. The 2002-born Belgian has played all 12 games for Royal Antwerp and conceded just eight goals. Not only is he making an impressive four saves per 90 minutes - the second-highest from our 11-player pool - he is doing so while maintaining a staggering save percentage of 87.7% - the best in our group. There’s something about Belgian goalkeepers.

Mohamed Koné is the second pick. The reason cross-claiming is my go-to metric for goalkeepers right now because I believe it is the characteristic that separates the best from the rest - in my opinion, it was the main reason for Arsenal’s Ramsdale-to-Raya switch. Within our search, Koné is leading this metric both in terms of quality and quantity. The Charleroi goalkeeper is stopping more (1.3) and maintaining the highest percentage of crosses stopped (12.8%).

Similar to the first SCOUTED Squad newsletter, I will be providing links to the custom Stathead searches I used to investigate players. As a bonus, these will include players from all 12 leagues mentioned in the intro.

To start, here is your link for Goalkeeper Prevention stats

One goalkeeping metric / quality that is making a comeback is long-range passing. Jon Mackenzie noticed how direct elite teams are becoming in his latest thread. It would appear that Koné is well-equipped for this style.

The Charleroi goalkeeper has maintained 100% accuracy for both short and medium passes so far this season, while only the two Primeira Liga representatives in our group - Benfica’s Anatolii Trubin (70.5%) and Gil Vicente’s Andrew (64.9%) - can better Koné’s long pass accuracy (57.3%). When looking at volume, Andrew stands alone as the only goalkeeper completing more long passes than the SCOUTED Squad selection (12.1 vs. 11.1).

Your link for Goalkeeper Distribution stats

Koné also gets bonus points for his most recent exploits. The Ivorian played the second half against Charleroi’s Walloon Derby rivals Standard Liége with a broken hand. Bizarrely, he conceded more goals with two unbroken hands in the first half (2) than he did with one broken hand in the second (0). He even saved a penalty in the 81st minute.

Centre-backs

When looking for defenders, our search retuned 117 players in total: 47 from the Pro League, 39 from the Eredivisie and 31 from the Primeira Liga. All stats mentioned below are relative to that context.

As I did for the Big Five Leagues Squad, I have tried to find a variety of different profiles.

First of all, I can’t believe that Ousmane Diomande is:

still at Sporting CP
still only 20 years old

Although no defender is winning more aerial duels in our search, it would be silly to include the #5 pick from last year’s SCOUTED50 in this squad. So, I’ve plucked another man mountain from this year’s SCOUTED50 instead.

Luka Vušković not only matches Diomande’s 3.5 aerial duels won per 90, but is maintaining a staggering 81.6% success rate compared to the Ivorian’s 66.7%. The future Spurs centre-back is the third-youngest player from our 290-player search but easily one of the most fascinating. Find me another 17-year-old centre-backs that is their side’s joint-top scorer.

Your link for traditional defensive stats

Ryan Flamingo fits the fascinating criteria through his name alone. But he has also emerged as the Eredivisie’s premium ball-playing centre-back.

Comparing the per 90 stats of all 290 players across all three leagues and positions, only Zeno Debast averages more progressive passes than Flamingo (9.7 vs. 9.6), but the Dutchman ranks first for progressive passing distance (729 metres) and successful passes into the final third (13.7).

As I have now mentioned Debast and Diomande, this serendipitous aside from

Billy Carpenter
explains why I have not included any Sporting CP players in the Squad. Put simply, they are far too good.

I would not begrudge you for thinking most centre-backs could rack up these numbers on one leg due to PSV’s irrepressible dominance - they have won 10/10 league games. But there is no denying that, after spending the two previous seasons on loan and Vitesse and Utrecht respectively, Flamingo’s personal output has exploded.

He is also completing 12.3 long passes per 90 with 81.5% accuracy. The only other defender averaging 10+ in our search is Genk’s Matte Smets - the 2004-born Belgian’s success rate is an incredible 87%, so I added him as the back-up. Oh, Flamingo has also won 90% of his challenges against opposition dribblers.

Your link for ball-playing stats

For my final centre-back, I wanted an aggressive, duel-dominant trebuchet. So queried our list of 117 defenders and found:

Only two players with at least 70% long pass accuracy won at least 70% of their aerial duels and tackled at least 70% of their dribblers: Stelios Andreou and Devyne Rensch.

Only two players averaging 2+ aerial duels won, 2+ tackles made and 6+ long passes completed per 90: Stelios Andreou and António Silva.

The fact that Chaleroi’s 6’3”, left-footed Cypriot centre-back is a member of both exclusive groups means that he gets a spot.

Full-backs

These slots could easily have been filled by Jorrel Hato and Devyne Rensch from Ajax alongside either Geny Catamo or Geovany Quenda from Sporting CP - the latter is a wing-back on paper. But we know all about them already.

Archie Brown is my first alternative pick. His 4.2 carries into the final third make him statistically fascinating - no other defender manages more than 3.3 and only two players across all positions can beat it - but his career path and potential next step is the most interesting.

Brown was part of Derby County’s U-18 title-winning side in 2018/19 and featured in the club’s first-ever UEFA Youth League campaign the following season. At the start of 2021/22, he joined Lausanne-Sport without making a senior appearance for the Rams. After two seasons in Switzerland, he joined KAA Gent and became the first-ever Englishman to represent the club.

All this is to say that I would not be surprised if he returns to England soon. Choose the right move and it would not take long to get on Thomas Tuchel’s radar given the dearth of left-back options available to the new England manager.

Your link for progressive full-backs

Álvaro Carreras is another pick that stands out in his own right but has a fascinating back story. He spent three years at La Fábrica before leaving Real Madrid to join Manchester United. In 2022, he was named as the club’s U23 Player of the Year. Now at Benfica, via a few loan spells, Carreras has established himself as the first-choice left-back. The 2003-born Spaniard is 6’1” and appears to be extremely well-rounded. As a stat…

Per 90, he is the only player across all positions in our database to play 1+ pass into the final third, 1+ pass into the penalty area, make 1+ tackle, make 1+ interception, win 1+ aerial duel, complete 1+ take-on and win at least 65% of his aerial duels and dribbler challenges. Convoluted, yes. But he really does do a bit of everything.

Your link for duelists

It seemed every player I picked out was a left-back. Given the perceived lack of quality in this position in Europe’s Big Five Leagues, I found that quite ironic. That result is a SCOUTED50 2024/25 plug at right-back. Sorry, not sorry.

Martim Fernandes recently provided the assist for two of Samu Omorodion’s three goals against AVS. It should be no surprise to learn that he is the only defender averaging 2+ key passes, 2+ touches in the penalty area and 2+ tackles made per 90.

Your link for flying full-backs

Midfielders

When searching for midfielders, our search returned 134 players: 52 Eredivisie, 49 Pro League, 33 Primeira Liga.

The pick for progressive passing is Abu Francis. A product of the Right to Dream academy and FC Nordsjælland pathway, the Ghanaian is now at Cercle Brugge, averaging a database-leading 8.3 progressive passes per 90. The only midfielder averaging more passes into the final third is FC Porto’s Alan Varela (8 vs. 7.8). An added Abu bonus, he is making 7.9 ball recoveries per 90, the third-highest total in our midfielder search. Tempo-setting sorted, now for the chaos picks.

Your link for ball-playing

It was only until I started searching for more information that I clocked this next pick was on The Shortlist. On Stathead, his name appeared simply as Igor. As soon as I saw an image of his thick neck and a glimpse of Flamengo’s red and black, I realised it was the same player. It’s almost as if we are quite good at scouting.

Your link for ball-retention

The reason Igor Jesus stood out to me was because he was the only centre-midfielder with 2 take-ons and 2 fouls won per 90 and his take-on success rate was 77%. These are my Mousa Dembélé markers. If you want to read more about why he was on Nathan Joyes’ radar at Flamengo, enjoy The Shortlist interview below.

The Shortlist: Igor Jesus

Read full story

For my ball-winner, I must warn you that I am about to reel off a list of stats about a player that has played just 275 minutes. Shoot me.

Ibrahima Sory Bangoura is a 6’3” 20-year-old Guinean midfielder that plays for Genk. In his limited minutes, he is averaging 8.5 tackles + interceptions per 90, at least 1.7 more than any player from our entire pool. He also leads the way for tackles (5.9) and interceptions (2.6) as individual metrics. 1.6 of those tackles are made in the attacking third, more than any other midfielder. But the most fascinating stat of them all is that he has not lost a single aerial duel. Bangoura has contested 10 in total so far this season and won every single one of them. Watch this space.

Your link for ball-winning

The starting attacking midfielder is a 16-year-old that Llew told you to watch back in July.

Of the 279 outfield players on our list, only one is averaging more Shot-Creating Actions than Konstantinos Karetsas (6). In terms of shot involvement, which is adding shots and key passes together, only Stassin and two yet-to-be-revealed SCOUTED Squad members average more than Karetsas (6 again).

He is also averaging 33.3 touches in the attacking third, a tally only three other players can beat, while only PSV duo Ismael Saibari and Johan Bakayoko average more carries into the final third. Throw in 6.4 ball recoveries per 90 and you have a full set of numbers to complement Llew’s expert eye test.

Your link for attacking midfield stats, including all outfield players

My Karetsas back-up is a reluctant inclusion. Malik Tillman is a known quantity. He spent his youth career at Bayern and is a 16-cap USMNT international. His output is brilliant, unsurprisingly.

No midfielder in our database is completing more take-ons (2.9) and he is maintaining a 76.7% success rate. Despite PSV’s dominance, he is still averaging 5.3 tackles + interceptions per 90, ranking him in the top 10 across all three league in our search.

Finally, Tillman is one of the five players, across all positions, averaging 5+ Shot-Creating Actions per 90. Would he be able to reproduce this output for another side in a different league? Therein lies the intrigue.

With 274 minutes, Gianluca Prestianni does match the criteria and popped up plenty of times. But I did not want to go crazy with another player that only just passes the minutes threshold.

Gianluca Prestianni: the diminutive playmaker on his way to Benfica

Read full story

Beyond that, we have covered the Argentinian extensively. You will find him in SCOUTED50 2023/24 and I have included Stephen’s definitive profile on the young, small, and technically gifted playmaker above.

Wingers

Similar to attacking midfielders, I queried the entire pool of players when selecting wingers to make sure I did not miss a wing-back or attacking midfielder.

On paper, Ibrahim Osman looks like a right-footed version Yankuba Minteh. Osman is the only player averaging 4+ carries into the penalty area per 90 in our 290-player pool and is the only one attempting 8+ take-ons per 90. Forget efficiency for a moment, any winger generating that much volume in these metrics deserves attention. Don’t just take my word for it.

In 2023/24, Minteh ranked first among 2001-born players across these three leagues for touches in the opposition box per 90, carries into the box per 90 and was attempting 7.4 take-ons per 90. So, when an intelligent, well-run club like Brighton appear to be prioritising these metrics, trust me when I do, too.

Does that mean the Seagulls will sign Samuel Edozie next summer? Maybe. On loan at Anderlecht from another South Coast Premier League club, Edozie is one of the dribbliest players in our database. Edozie, the aforementioned Osman and Johan Bakayoko are the only players averaging 3+ carries into the penalty area and 3+ successful take-ons per 90. But what separates the Southampton loanee is the 2.7 fouls won per 90 - Osman averages 1.7 while Bakayoko is fouled five-times less (0.5).

Your link for ball-carriers

My back-up left-winger is Christos Tzolis, one of the players that could better Karetsas’ shot involvement output. Trust me, you’ll know when I reveal the other one.

We were big on Tzolis when he moved to Norwich City in 2021 and

Phil Costa

likened his profile to Gabriel Martinelli in a Handbook past. Now at Club Brugge, the Greek is averaging 3.8 shots and 2.6 key passes per 90 as well as 8.4 touches inside the penalty area - a tally that only Bakayoko can match and only Brian Brobbey can beat (9.9). This could be the Tzolis comeback season.

Jarne Steuckers is the fourth and final winger because of his enormous numbers. I mentioned that only one player could beat Karetsas’ 6.0 Shot-Creating Actions per 90, in truth, Steuckers blows him out of the water. The Belgian is averaging 7.3 for Genk, only 1.1 of which are from dead-ball scenarios, and is also the database leader for key passes (3.8).

Your link for playmakers

Bakayoko is the only player that ranks ahead of him for successful passes into the penalty area (4.3 vs. 3.5) but, unlike his compatriot, Steuckers does not venture into the box himself. Based on his data, it seems like he sits back and lets his wand of a left foot do the talking.

That makes him future-proof.

Strikers

There are 108 forwards in our mini database, which includes wingers, 33 from the Pro League, 45 from the Eredivisie and 28 from the Primeira Liga. Spoiler alert: Samu Omorodion - poster boy of the Power Forwards - is not included.

But Franjo Ivanović is.

I first stumbled across him when writing that Power Forward newsletter. He was not quite tall enough to ride and some metrics did not quite fit the profile. But I am delighted to have a found a new opportunity to highlight him.

Of course, we are dealing with a very sample size. But is that not what this is all about? We want to discover the outliers and find out whether they can keep going. Strap in.

After scoring three goals in the opening four games of the 2024/25 HNS season for Rijeka, USG triggered his €4m release clause. Since moving to Belgium, Ivanović has scored twice in five starts. But the underlying numbers are through the roof.

Ivanović is the only player in our database averaging 4+ shots per 90… and he’s rattling off 5.3. The most fascinating thing about his shooting is the near-perfect split between both feet. 12 of his 22 footed shots of the Pro League season have been with his favoured right, the remaining 10 with his left - two-footed shooters are a personal favourite profile. But the stats do not end there.

Combine Ivanović’s shot output with 2.1 key passes per 90 and his shot involvement reaches 7.4 per 90 minutes. No one else on our list can break the 7+ barrier. Ivanović is also the only player in our database averaging 4+ successful take-ons per 90 - bear in mind that Bakayoko, Quenda, Edozie and Osman all feature on this list. These are not just fascinating numbers, they are absurd.

Using some of my custom metrics to investigate this pool of forwards, only Samu is averaging fewer touches per shot. Samu registers an effort every 7.1 touches compared to Ivanović’s 7.3 - no other player is averaging fewer than 8 per shot.

Modern Renaissance: Inside Royale Union Saint-Gilloise

Read full story

However, one of the reasons Ivanović was excluded from the Power Forward newsletter was due to his Penalty Box Proximity. This is my imperfect term for the percentage of a player’s total touches that occur inside the opposition box. Ivanović’s BoxProx is 18.6% compared to Samu’s 22.1% - the highest percentage belongs to Brian Brobbey (27%).

Another metric that did not quite align to the meta profile was Average Shot Distance. Ivanović’s efforts are fired from 14.9 yards out on average compared to 11 yards from Samu and 9.2 yards from Brobbey. This stark difference makes the Croatian an even more intriguing prospect.

Your link for xG-busters

If your preferred currency for strikers is stats of an Expected nature, these are for you. Only Samu and Brobbey average more Non-Penalty xG per 90 than Ivanović. When combining this with Expected Goals Assisted, only one player in our search averages more than Ivanović. But he can only be included as an honourable mention.

Lucas Stassin played five games for Westerlo before AS Saint Étienne signed the 19-year-old. Why? Alongside his 1.1 NPxG + xGA, he was the only outfield player in our search averaging 3+ shots and 3+ key passes per 90 minutes. If not for that move, he would have been in the Squad as well.

I appreciate that was an extended section so I will be brief with the second striker pick. You can accuse me of a bias towards Moroccan players, but I think they are the most fascinating national team heading into the 2026 World Cup.

Your link for poachers

Amine El Ouazzani is yet to receive a senior cap but appears to be developing well since joining Braga from Guingamp this summer. Also eligible to represent France, El Ouazzani’s standout stat was an average shot distance of 7.2 yards - nearly two yards closer to goal on average Brobbey, the next closest to goal with a 9.2 yard average.

Edited November 4, 2024 by Vesper

Vesper · November 4, 2024

The Shortlist: Orri Óskarsson

A rangy, meta centre-forward for your shortlists.

SCOUTED

Sep 03, 2024

Editor’s Note: This Shortlist piece was produced just before Óskarsson sealed a milestone move to Real Sociedad on transfer deadline day. Because we have such big brains, we talked at length about those links anyway. As you were.

https://www.scoutednotebook.com/p/the-shortlist-orri-oskarsson

This is The Shortlist — the quick, digestible way to get to know football’s hottest property, as told by the scouts who’ve watched them.

Jake Entwistle is SCOUTED’s newest team-member, but he’s been working behind-the-scenes with us for years, quietly searching for the next big thing. He spent eight years leading Squawka’s social efforts.

SCOUTED: Jake, welcome to The Shortlist! For your first appearance you’ve chosen to highlight an Icelandic forward. Why are you adding Orri Óskarsson to our collection?

JAKE ENTWISTLE: Well the first reason is we’re actually talking on his birthday. He’s just turned twenty, today.

Well, that’s very exciting.

Yeah. Essentially, I first stumbled across him when I putting together a list of potential Tottenham Hotspur targets - ‘Strikers to Save Angeball’ - for Squawka. I collated a list of attributes I thought they needed in a number nine, and alongside all the usual candidates, up popped Óskarsson.

He was playing in the Danish Super League, but his output still perfectly fit the modern ‘meta’ that’s developing among strikers. He seemed like a strong generalist, someone who could hold up the ball, was quick enough to run channels, technical enough to combine with teammates, and ruthless enough to finish chances.

How long that meta will last, I don’t know. But Óskarsson is clearly the next coveted asset for teams looking for a nine to do more than just stand in the box and poach; he can be additive in and out of possession, play multiple roles and excels in all of them - from what I’ve seen, anyway.

Let’s talk about those roles. If you were talking to someone who’s never watched him play - me - how would you describe him? Paint me a picture.

I had a think about which words I’d use to describe him and I’d start with his physical build. He’s not obviously a freakish athlete, he’s not obviously a cyborg who’s been planted in the middle of the pitch like Erling Haaland, but he is 6’1” and only 20, so might grow a little more. He’s a rangy, slender build with a kind of wiry strength - if you’d say players bounce off Haaland when he’s running, players kind of ricochet off Óskarsson instead, deflect off him. He’s no beast, but he’s strong enough to hold off defenders and quick enough to escape them.

That ranginess is most defining, I think - not that he’s gangly and unco-ordinated, but he looks like he shouldn’t be as strong or as quick as he is.

So is he a guy you want in transition? Or is he a guy you want hanging around in the box? Haaland’s superpower, obviously, is he can do both.

I think he’s a bit of both, and I think that’s why he’s on a lot of club’s shortlists. He’ll enable them to change style mid-game or depending on opposition.

He’s one of those players who looks a bit awkward and bundles through challenges. Even if some of his touches look a bit clumsy, a bit heavy, he always seems to know where they’re going. He baits people into tackles while staying in control.

He’s very much capable of leading the line himself. Right now, he’s actually - it’s very early in the season, of course - indexing towards the ‘don’t touch the ball, run the centre-backs ragged, run the channels and be there for one opportunity’ kind of nine. But on tape I caught of him during earlier seasons, he did like dropping deep and combining with his teammates. He doesn’t playmake, but he does like dovetailing with a forward running ahead of him. So when looking for a system to suit him, you’re probably thinking about pairing him with a modern, box-crashing, all-the-buzzwords number ten.

But again, this season he’s not being doing that so far - he’s doing classic nine stuff, running the channels.

+ high-level generalist
+ robust frame & deceptively quick
+ anticipation & awareness

- sometimes clumsy ball-carrying

Time for the fun stuff. Can you make a contemporary comparison with a player readers might be familiar with?

I tried to avoid saying it early on, but as you’ve asked - he’s very much a Kai Havertz. He’s a generalist who, until you watch what he’s done a second time, you don’t understand how good it was. Havertz always looks awkward, you’re never sure if he actually has the ball under control, but then he’s amazing in the air, contests and wins duels, is capable of an insane Bergkamp-esque touch; he’s not an ultra-clinical finisher, but seems to find the net a lot.

I alluded to adding Óskarsson to a Tottenham striker video at the start - it was only because I didn’t want to add him to every video after that I didn’t suggest him for Arsenal, too. I’m not sure they’d want another Havertz profile, but if they do, this is the guy. Havertz works at Arsenal because he’s quick enough, tall enough, strong enough, and technical enough to do everything a top-level team. Óskarsson is a natural nine where Havertz isn’t, so might scale even better than the German.

Similar player: Kai Havertz

Ha. When you said ‘his touches look clumsy but he always seems to know where they’re going’ I knew exactly where we’d end up. Super Kai.

In the past few days, Óskarsson has been linked very strongly with Real Sociedad. But for much of the summer, quiet links with Manchester City have been bubbling away. Care to comment?

The City links have created a ‘next Haaland’ tag, because many are assuming they’re looking for his backup. And yeah, his ability to not be involved on the ball but occupy defenders physically and remain a threat in transition is there, to an extent. But Haaland at this age was a complete freak. Óskarsson is starting now for Copenhagen, but last season was his first in top-flight senior football. At twenty he’s not behind the curve, far from it, but Haaland was a different kind of animal entirely.

Óskarsson’s future lies at a Champions League club, but right now City will be looking at him as a project, or someone to fill in a gap in an emergency. He’s not Julián Alvarez just yet. That said, he’s the kind of player who will match the level of his teammates; he wouldn’t go into a bad team and massively improve them on his own, but he would look much better surrounded by better players, because he can do so many things well.

Real Sociedad aren’t in the Champions League this season - at twenty, he could be starting for a Europa League club comfortably. I think bigger clubs should wait for an outfit like Sociedad to pick him up and see what happens, rather than move for him now. Obviously I recommended him to Tottenham because he’d fit Ange’s style as a project player, but that would still be a risk.

The reason these clubs are linked is obvious, though: he’s everything clubs want in a modern nine.

Let’s go backwards, then. What do you know about his career so far?

Last season was Óskarsson’s first in top-flight football, but his story is incredible. Strap in.

He’s been playing men’s football, technically, for seven years now. He’s from Grótta, which if my knowledge of Icelandic geography hasn’t failed me, is a tiny island off the coast of Reykjavík. He made his debut for the island’s club, his boyhood club, when he was 13 years and 354 days old. That’s obviously the youngest player in the club’s history, if you couldn’t guess. He came on in the 81st minute and scored twice. Whatever the technical level of third-tier Icelandic football is, if you’re doing that at 13, such exposure to the men’s game is going to be very beneficial. You can see that experience in the way he uses his body to protect the ball. How many 20-year-olds have played against men for that long?

Perhaps that’s why he looks a bit gangly and unco-ordinated - he was clearly much better than the technical level of Iceland’s lower divisions, but had to work to catch up physically.

The story gets better. In 2019, his second full season, he scored on the final day to earn Grótta’s first-ever promotion to the top-flight - under the managerial stewardship of Óskarsson’s father, Óskar Hrafn Þorvaldsson. That’s when Copenhagen swooped and signed Óskarsson for their youth team. He was 15.

He made fleeting appearances for his new club, went on loan to the Danish second-tier, and returned to play regularly for Copenhagen last season. And his first goals came in a hat-trick against an Icelandic side called Breiðablik. Their manager? His father, Þorvaldsson. How’s that for poetry: his father gave him his career, and he repaid him by knocking him out of the Champions League.

Many will remember the rest of that campaign: Copenhagen ended up in Manchester United’s group, beat them 4-3, and qualified. Óskarsson played a small role in the United victory, but his full debut came against Manchester City at the Etihad. Some baptism of fire, that. Copenhagen lost 3-1 but Óskarsson registered an assist. It came from what I was trying to describe earlier - a nice flick in associative play. That’s happening less this season, but it’s in his locker. I’m sure that moment piqued City’s interest.

He’s always played consistently for Iceland’s youth teams and has been fairly prolific. He has eight senior caps now, too. He played 41 times for Copenhagen last term and scored 15 goals. I’d expect both those numbers to rise this year. And that’s where we are now.

You’re right. That is a great story.

Oh, one more interesting thing - Grótta had never in their history sold a player to a foreign club before Óskarsson joined Copenhagen. The island’s most famous sporting team is in women’s handball. Football is really, really far down the pecking order.

And then came Orri Óskarsson.

Quick Links: Orri Óskarsson
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bigbluewillie · November 4, 2024

Phew

Vesper · November 4, 2024

On 03/11/2024 at 01:43, ZAPHOD2319 said:

fuck this shite

King Kante · November 4, 2024

Disaster needs to be sold to Strasborg. Our only other hope is Saudi.

Vytis33 · November 4, 2024

DDA · November 4, 2024

14 minutes ago, Vytis33 said:

Say what?

Vesper · November 4, 2024

1 hour ago, Vytis33 said:

MADNESS.

Same for Disasi.

Get them both OUT of our club.

They are shit players who never should have been purchased.

🤬

mkh · November 4, 2024

Chelsea are scouting Borussia Mönchengladbach's letf-back Lucas Netz (21y).

Hmm🤔

mkh · November 4, 2024

Chelsea are following Christantus Uche (21) from Getafe closely.

The London club have even asked about the player already, reports

(@relevo)

Vesper · November 5, 2024

48 minutes ago, mkh said:

Chelsea are following Christantus Uche (21) from Getafe closely.

The London club have even asked about the player already, reports

(@relevo)

looked at Uche 2 weeks ago

forgot to post on him

Edited November 5, 2024 by Vesper

bigbluewillie · November 5, 2024

Inter Milan and Barcelona are plotting a swoop for Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, 23, whose future at Stamford Bridge looks increasingly unclear. (Sun), external

Thought they were both skint, unless of course we'll let him go for a rub of soap🤗

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SCOUTED50: A definitive guide to the next generation

50 breakout talents to watch in the 2024/25 season.

50. Mihajlo Cvetković

0 points — 2007, FK Čukarički, Serbia

49. Rokas Pukštas

0 points — 2004, CM, Hajduk Split, USA

48. Matias Fernandez-Pardo

0 points — 2005, FWD, LOSC Lille, Belgium

47. Noah Nartey

0 points — 2005, CM, Brøndby IF, Denmark

46. Finn Jeltsch

0 points — 2006, CB, 1. FC Nürnberg, Germany

45. Martim Fernandes

0 points — 2006, RB, FC Porto, Portugal

44. Ibrahim Maza

0 points — 2005, AM, Hertha BSC, Algeria

43. Kauã Elias

0 points — 2006, ST, Fluminense, Brazil

42. Samuel Gidi

0 points — 2004, CM, MŠK Žilina, Ghana

Read more about Samuel Gidi:

41. Samuel Mbangula

0 points — 2004, LW, Juventus, Belgium

40. Adam Daghim

0 points — 2005, FWD, Red Bull Salzburg, Denmark

39. Ousmane Diao

0 points — 2004, CB, FC Midtjylland, Senegal

38. Ollie Arblaster

0 points — 2004, CM, Sheffield United, England

37. Reuell Walters

1 point — 2004, CB/RB, Luton Town, England

36. Nathan Zézé

1 point — 2005, CB, FC Nantes, France

35. Matteo Dams

1 point — 2004, LB, PSV Eindhoven, Belgium

34. Jan-Carlo Simić

1 point — 2005, CB, RSC Anderlecht, Serbia

33. Yarek Gasiorowski

2 points — 2006, CB, Valencia CF, Spain

32. Luka Vušković

2 points — 2007, CB, Tottenham Hotspur (on loan at KVC Westerlo), Croatia

31. Vitor Reis

3 points — 2006, CB, Palmeiras, Brazil

30. Sindre Walle Egeli

3 points — 2006, FWD, FC Nordsjælland, Norway

29. Assane Diao

3 points — 2005, LW/RW, Real Betis, Spain

28. Kota Takai

4 points — 2004, CB, Kawasaki Frontale, Japan

Read more about Kota Takai:

27. Yang Min-heyok

5 points — 2006, LW, Tottenham Hotspur, South Korea

26. Valentin Atangana Edoa

5 points — 2005, CM, Stade de Reims, France

25. Mathis Amougou

5 points — 2006, DM, AS Saint-Étienne, France

Read more about Mathis Amougou:

24. Héctor Fort

6 points — 2006, RB, FC Barcelona, Spain

23. Adam Aznou

6 points — 2006, LB, FC Bayern München, Morocco

Read more about Adam Aznou:

22. Vasilije Adžić

7 points — 2006, CM, Juventus, Montenegro