Chelsea Transfers

[Vesper 28,975]

delete

Edited 7 hours ago by Vesper

[DH1988 1,304]

10 hours ago, KEVINAA said:

Arsenal have a kinky fetish on taking and wanting Chelsea's scraps.

 

 

He was a good player at Leicester, no reason we should cash in unless we are expecting other solid incomings, for me Santos goes on loan again but not to Ligue 1. One player I do feel for is Carney, tons of ability, injuries and seemingly no chance back in. Due to player or club? Typically I always want to lean toward it being the player when we've had a strong manager ie. Enzo calling out Noni.

[Vesper 28,975]

8 minutes ago, DH1988 said:

for me Santos goes on loan again but not to Ligue 1

on loan for 2025/26?

I think he is ready for the main team, and if Arse offer £30m or more for KDH, well bye bye

[Vytis33 1,160]

 

[Vesper 28,975]

5 minutes ago, Vytis33 said:

 

that Xtweet chops and changes his words a bit

I watched it live

[DH1988 1,304]

13 minutes ago, Vesper said:

on loan for 2025/26?

I think he is ready for the main team, and if Arse offer £30m or more for KDH, well bye bye

Who does he dislodge? Everything is risk vs reward of course, do we keep him here, learn under Enzo directly and play here and there, perhaps not at all or could we jig around premier league loand and get him to Fulham or Bournemouth. Not discounting his ability and our increased schedule/competition next year we lose that KDH type of match ( late midweeks). Tricky one, I really did rate KDH prior, still do, it's tough as it's just peaking to half a season and he is the one, oddly, that gets into the box on the late run, what Enzo is asking for. Most of the time feels like he's trying way too hard to impress, understandably, but I don't think it's a player we dump, or loan.

[Mário César 991]

lose nkunku will be harsh becaus of the lack of deep

[mkh 287]

🚨 Asked Enzo Maresca if Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could leave in January. "Unfortunately, I can't say he won't leave because anything can happen.

I am not focused on January. We are very happy with the way he is working and his performance. We don't want one of our players to leave.

With Kiernan, it's a question for him. If a player says he is not happy and wants to play more, we are not going to say you have to stay.

We are happy with Kiernan, and then in January we will see."

(via@BenJacobs)

Edited 5 hours ago by mkh

[mkh 287]

Juventus and an unnamed German club have enquired about the potential signing of out-of-favour Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi (26).

(@RMCsport)

[Vesper 28,975]

1 hour ago, DH1988 said:

Who does he dislodge?

Casadei and/or KDH

[Vesper 28,975]

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/153317391/Chelsea

• “My personal opinion is that Josh needs to stay close with us rather than going on loan,” Enzo Maresca told reporters.

• 

[TheHulk 1,879]

3 hours ago, mkh said:

Juventus and an unnamed German club have enquired about the potential signing of out-of-favour Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi (26).

(@RMCsport)

If it's a loan means fuck all. We need to get rid of him.

[Vesper 28,975]

The Transfer Radar 2025: The Athletic’s ultimate guide to players who could be on the move

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5936155/2024/12/19/transfer-radar-window-signings-guide/

Welcome to The Transfer Radar.

Each major tournament, The Athletic has built a scouting guide highlighting the players to watch. This winter, we are launching a new version of The Radar — one focused on transfers across 2025.

We began with 25 players we expect to be of transfer interest to major clubs across Europe over the January and summer windows in 2025. As of December 19, we have added three more players we expect to be of interest. This is not to say that they will move, but based on the conversations our reporters have been having, they are players that are being talked about among recruitment departments. While most fans are focusing on the January window, clubs are already having conversations about next summer.

To gather this information, The Athletic’s reporters spoke to sources who, unless otherwise noted, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships or because they did not have permission to speak when discussing players.

Within, we have the state of play for Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Benjamin Sesko, Martin Zubimendi, Nico Williams and more.

We now have 28 players in the Transfer Radar.

There are bespoke data visualisations, with all our data for our original 25 correct as of Friday, November 29. The additional three are up to date up to December 19.

Click to expand and collapse each card, and you can use the filters to sort through the players.

It’s been a huge undertaking from our brilliant team of writers, data experts, editors, designers and engineers, so thank you to everyone involved.

Our writers involved are: David Ornstein, Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, Anantaajith Raghuraman, James Pearce, Jacob Whitehead, Simon Hughes, Dermot Corrigan, Thom Harris, Joshua Kloke, Sam Lee, Mario Cortegana, Stuart James, Ahmed Walid, Tim Spiers, Mark Carey, Elias Burke, Matt Woosnam, Nick Miller, Patrick Boyland, Pol Ballus, Simon Johnson, Liam Tharme, Philip Buckingham, James Horncastle, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jeff Rueter and Ali Rampling.

Enjoy!

1

Ademola Lookman

FWD

---

 

🇳🇬

Age:

27

Club:

Atalanta

There will be suitors for Ademola Lookman in January, but Atalanta are unlikely to let him go when they’re in the Serie A title race and on course to reach the next stage of the Champions League — unless they receive an offer that proves too good to refuse.

Lookman is more likely to leave next summer when he will have two years left on his contract. The 27-year-old forward is not expected to renew, making it more plausible he will leave if suitable bids arrive.

Atalanta are expected to have an asking price of roughly £30million ($38m).

Interest is building among leading European clubs. It is not as strong from the Premier League compared to Italy and elsewhere in Europe — Paris Saint-Germain were previously interested — perhaps due to what they saw of him at Charlton Athletic, Everton, Leicester City and Fulham.

In December, Lookman was named African Football of the Year.

David Ornstein and James Horncastle

What else do I need to know about him?

Lookman wrote himself into the history books when he scored his hat-trick in the Europa League final in 2024. It was a remarkable performance, almost single-handedly ending Bayer Leverkusen’s dreams of a perfect season while also winning Atalanta their first European trophy.

It was only the sixth hat-trick to be scored in a UEFA competition final. Alfredo Di Stefano did it once. Ferenc Puskas did it twice. Lookman told The Athletic in an interview at the start of this season that he was thrilled to be the first African player to achieve it.

There is no doubt for Lookman how important he is to Atalanta and the people of Bergamo. A few days after the final, a fan, holding back tears, handed him a gift. It was a wooden square engraved with the details of that final in Dublin, the badges of the two clubs and the timing of Lookman’s three goals. He still carries it everywhere he goes, along with his shirt and boots from that game.

It has been a remarkable journey from the cages of south London — he grew up in Peckham — to being one of the most decisive attacking players in European football. “The fire still burns the same way it burned when I was seven or eight years old,” he said in August. The interesting question is where that drive takes him next.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Tell me about how he plays…

Lookman is a forward with a dual attacking threat. Step off him and he is just as likely to create for a team-mate as score himself in an Atalanta shirt.

This season, he reached double figures for combined goals and assists before the end of November, and looks set to beat his season tally in Serie A of 19 goal involvements (13 goals and six assists) during the 2022-23 season.

Lookman’s tendency to arrive in the box for a first-time finish is a skill he has honed in Italy, shown by recent goals against Parma domestically…

… and against Stuttgart in the Champions League.

“Getting into the box is key as an attacking player but I’ve always tried to arrive into those spaces, anticipating the action before it happens. It’s about being in space to arrive and finish,” Lookman told The Athletic last season.

It is a skill that will be highly coveted throughout Europe.

Mark Carey

Photo:

Christian Kaspar-Bartke - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

 

FWD

Serie A

27

2

Antonee Robinson

DEF

---

 

🇺🇸

Age:

27

Club:

Fulham

Few positions are harder to dependably fill than left-back. Consistent defenders are always in high demand, especially among a thin pool of left-footed players. A player who can pocket Bukayo Saka one week and then dish out a pair of assists against Liverpool while containing Mohamed Salah is bound to have suitors.

Antonee Robinson is in the spotlight after some top-level performances but he has long shown signs that he could reach a high level. The 27-year-old has come a long way since joining Fulham in 2020. He is now one of the most trusted members of Marco Silva’s squad and is irreplaceable for the United States. By the end of the 2023-24 season, most observers were considering him to be one of the league’s best left-backs.

If his proven track record in the Premier League wasn’t enticing enough, his years at Everton’s academy means he counts as a homegrown player. Five years after he nearly moved to Milan, steady play for club and country alike could finally see Robinson get a shot at a European giant.

Jeff Rueter

What else do I need to know about him?

Five years ago, few fans of the U.S. men’s national team would have expected Robinson to reach his current level.

Early in Gregg Berhalter’s tenure as USMNT manager, a 21-year-old Robinson had such a disastrous shift in a 1-0 friendly defeat against Jamaica that he missed the 2019 Gold Cup squad entirely.

He bounced back with a head-turning season at Wigan Athletic, turning out as one the Championship’s best players even as Wigan suffered relegation. Milan came calling on January deadline day with a reported $13million (£10m at current rates) offer that Wigan accepted, but his medical revealed a heart rhythm irregularity that scuppered the deal. His heart hasn’t proved an issue since, with Robinson (who isn’t much of a coffee drinker) chalking it up to taking caffeine shots before matches.

Robinson joined Fulham in August 2020. By the time qualifying for the 2022 World Cup concluded, however, the benefits of a season in the Premier League and another in the Championship were coming into focus. These days, he is one of only two Americans who have undoubtedly improved since the tournament in Qatar, along with frequent left-flank partner Christian Pulisic.

Robinson is an affable type, quick with a smile in a good conversation and thoughtful with his answers in a post-match mixed zone. He has carried the nickname ‘Jedi’ since his childhood when he was fond of Star Wars — he grew up as the story of a young Anakin Skywalker played out on the silver screen.

“It’s stuck so much that I introduce myself as Jedi these days just to make it easier,” Robinson told Wigan’s website. “There’s quite a bit of force in it.”

Jeff Rueter

Tell me about how he plays…

There’s a bit of force to his game, too, particularly when his opponent is on the ball. In the Premier League, 28 full-backs and wing-backs have logged at least 810 minutes this season, with Robinson a joint-leader (1,440 minutes). Of those 28 players, his 7.6 ‘true’ tackles per 1,000 opponent touches ranks seventh, with a 64.1 per cent true tackle win rate showing eagerness and effectiveness to challenge a dribbler. True tackles are defined as total tackles, challenges lost and fouls when attempting a tackle.

His 4.5 interceptions and blocked passes per 1,000 opponent touches ranks fourth. His 60.9 per cent aerial duel win rate is second-best among the lot, also suggesting he could transition to a wide centre-back role.

As Liverpool learned this month, Robinson is also lethal when he’s working up the flank. Only Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne sends in more open-play crosses per 100 touches than Robinson’s 5.77. His 1.5 open-play chances created per 100 touches ranks seventh as well. It has all added up to 0.52 open-play assists per 100 touches, top among the 28 qualifiers — yes, even Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool.

Robinson keeps stellar company in the underlying numbers. Only a handful of teams head into January with full confidence in their left-back. The rest of the league, particularly the top performers, best keep track of Robinson’s availability before someone else comes calling.

Jeff Rueter

Photo:

Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

 

DEF

Premier League

27

 

 

3

Liam Delap

FWD

---

 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Age:

21

Club:

Ipswich Town

Liam Delap is already generating interest among bigger clubs over a potential move next summer.

The 21-year-old joined Ipswich Town from Manchester City in July but he has been tracked by teams across the Premier League for a considerable time. His reputation nudged a little higher after scoring six goals in his first 11 league games this season.

Delap’s admirers include Chelsea and Manchester United. There is an expectation that if he continues to perform at or above his levels this season, he will join one of the Premier League’s top sides.

City insert matching rights or buy-back clauses in most sales, so could have a say in his next move.

Ipswich will want to keep hold of Delap but might struggle, even if they stay out of the relegation places. Retaining their Premier League status would at least help their bargaining power.

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

Delap comes from a footballing family. His father, Rory, is a former Republic of Ireland international who earned cult hero status for his long throw-ins at Stoke City (he said he knew the publicity had gone too far when he was asked to throw a Christmas pudding over a double-decker bus), while his younger brother, Finn, is on the books at League One club Burton Albion.

Both siblings were in the youth system at Rory Delap’s former club Derby County, before Liam moved to Manchester City in 2019. Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia and Oscar Bobb were among his team-mates in Enzo Maresca’s youth side, and Delap made six first-team appearances under Pep Guardiola.

Delap opted to join Ipswich over Southampton in the summer and has been trusted to lead the line in their first season back in the Premier League.

Kieran McKenna has praised the development in Delap’s off-the-ball work and tactical understanding in his six months at Portman Road, with captain Sam Morsy labelling him an “old-fashioned battering ram”. His movement in the penalty area has been highlighted as a facet to sharpen, but continue to progress and McKenna believes Delap will become a “really, really rare player”.

Ali Rampling

Tell me about how he plays

Delap’s rise has come at a time when old-school centre-forwards have made their return to the forefront of tactical approaches, with their physicality and hold-up play offering an out against the high press. Delap has both attributes and has combined that with quality shooting and dribbling and productive involvement in build-up.

As the chart below shows, Delap is an integral part of Ipswich’s attacking sequences. His build-up involvement, while low compared to his team-mates, is still sizeable and he is among their chief creators in addition to finishing those chances off.

Delap’s physical prowess and 6ft 1in (186cm) frame made adapting to the Premier League simpler, but Ipswich have benefited just as much from his technical skill and explosiveness.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

Photo:

Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

 

FWD

Premier League

21

 

 

4

Florian Wirtz

MID

---

 

🇩🇪

Age:

21

Club:

Bayer Leverkusen

Florian Wirtz is a jewel of German football and was central to Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten domestic double last season, winning the Bundesliga’s player of the year award. Alongside Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala, he has become the great hope of Julian Nagelsmann’s national team, too, and will be fundamental to Germany’s challenge at the 2026 World Cup.

His contract runs until 2027, so there is no obligation to sell but considering his close relationship with in-demand head coach Xabi Alonso, there will come a point when Wirtz, who joined Leverkusen from Koln in 2020, may also look elsewhere.

He belongs at the top of the game but his path depends on which club is willing to meet Leverkusen’s €150million (£125m; $159m) asking price. They will not get that, but the figure represents how highly Wirtz is valued.

Fernando Carro, the club’s CEO, believes he might stay beyond this season.

Seb Stafford-Bloor

What else do I need to know about him?

There’s an enigmatic quiet to him. He is understandably laconic, given the attention he receives in the German media, but is also extremely popular within the Leverkusen dressing room and fashion-conscious off the pitch, too, looking like someone on the way back from a Stone Roses gig.

Wirtz has been a star for a long time. In his early teens, there were stories of a tiny boy at Koln who might be the country’s finest talent in years. The hype was justified. What happened next, however, created acrimony that lasts to this day.

When he was progressing through Koln’s youth teams, a gentlemen’s agreement existed between several clubs in the area — Koln, Leverkusen, Borussia Monchengladbach and Fortuna Dusseldorf among them — stipulating that, for the betterment of the region, they would not poach each other’s youth players.

After he turned 17, Wirtz’s youth contract at Koln expired. The player’s parents wanted him to finish his schooling and stay close to home, so he joined Leverkusen for €300,000. His new club felt he was fair game — a senior, rather than a youth player. Koln believed differently, claiming their local rivals had violated the agreement.

Max Eberl, Gladbach’s sporting director at the time (and now Bayern’s board member for sport), was critical of Leverkusen’s conduct but Carro, who remains Leverkusen’s CEO, defended his club.

Old news, perhaps, but among Bayern’s transfer targets is — inevitably — Wirtz, which would involve a prickly negotiation.

Will he go there? Most likely not. Musiala’s contract extension is Bayern’s priority. Given the strength of his relationship with Alonso and how good his form has been under him, the smart money might be on them taking their next steps together.

Seb Stafford-Bloor

Tell me about how he plays…

On the pitch, his control, dribbling ability and creative prowess make him one of the world’s most exciting players. He can weave his way past defenders but also find team-mates with one-twos, precise passes and through balls while his off-the-ball movement and positioning regularly put him in areas to score and create.

Across his short senior career, he has featured across the front line and as a No 10. This versatility allowed Nagelsmann to successfully play him and Musiala together at Euro 2024.

Under Alonso, Wirtz’s defensive work has improved too, and he has been willing to put the hard yards in to lead Leverkusen’s press. Wirtz has lifted the floor for playing behind the striker but arguably has not reached his ceiling — that, more than anything, is a frightening prospect.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

Photo:

Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty Images

 

MID

Bundesliga

21

 

 

5

Trent Alexander-Arnold

DEF

---

 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Age:

26

Club:

Liverpool

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s situation is among the most high-profile in the market, owing to his quality and contractual status.

It is unusual for someone so young, good and heavily associated with a team — especially one of Liverpool’s stature — to be so close to the end of their terms.

The England international has shown firm loyalty to Liverpool and they are working hard to keep him, but so far there has been no breakthrough in talks.

That has fuelled interest from elsewhere and Real Madrid’s admiration is well documented. Big decisions need to be made by all sides and the clock is ticking; from January 1, Alexander-Arnold can sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs from foreign leagues.

Liverpool do not want to lose such a key figure but they will need to do what it takes to meet his wishes.

At the same time, suitors will try to entice him to leave. So it’s a live, ongoing situation that must be decided in 2025 or sooner. As things stand, we still lack a clear picture of the outcome.

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

The Liverpool-born England international, who used to peer through a hole in the wall to watch his hero Steven Gerrard train at Melwood, is passionate about his home city and the work of the After Academy, which he launched last year to create opportunities for former academy youngsters who didn’t make the grade.

He is one who did make it and he has enjoyed a remarkable rise through the ranks. He won the Champions League, Club World Cup and the Premier League with his boyhood club before his 22nd birthday. However, since the league title in 2020, silverware has been restricted to domestic cups.

Alexander-Arnold recently set his sights on winning the Ballon d’Or. Asked by The Athletic in September what will be key to his decision whether to stay or seek a new challenge in 2025, he said: “The most important thing is always trophies. I am highly motivated by winning things and being elite. That is probably the main factor.”

In response to scrutiny over the defensive side of his game, he asked new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot to be his biggest critic. The pair frequently have one-to-one meetings at Kirkby to analyse what he did well in a game and where he could have done better.

There’s no doubting Alexander-Arnold’s commitment to self-improvement and development and it will soon be time to see whether those characteristics see him gain more success at Anfield or look for a challenge elsewhere.

James Pearce

Tell me about how he plays…

The 2024-25 season has been different for Alexander-Arnold compared to his years under Jurgen Klopp. Even before Klopp began using the Englishman in midfield, Alexander-Arnold often sauntered forward, with the right-sided central midfielder covering the space he left behind.

This season, Alexander-Arnold’s role has been recalibrated (below). Slot is using him as a right-back who is more involved in build-up play. Alexander-Arnold is making fewer crossfield passes and a higher percentage of his touches come in the middle and defensive thirds rather than in the final third.

Slot’s willingness to alter his team’s shape according to game situations and opponents means that Alexander-Arnold has needed to improve defensively. Being exposed to more of these situations should help him become a better defensive presence. This will hold immense value whatever his decision in 2025.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

Photo:

Visionhaus/Getty Images

 

DEF

Premier League

26

 

 

6

Benjamin Sesko

FWD

---

 

🇸🇮

Age:

21

Club:

RB Lepizig

Benjamin Sesko was the domino at the top of the striker market last summer. Four Premier League clubs — Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Newcastle United — expressed interest. The issue? He never fell.

The Slovenia international instead chose to remain at RB Leipzig to develop for another season, recognising he needed to find consistency before going to one of Europe’s elite clubs. Those close to Sesko spoke of an awareness that the Premier League would bring a different level of pressure. Time is on his side.

His new contract lasts until 2029, but there is a gentleman’s understanding with Leipzig that they will not stand in his way if a competitive offer comes in. His extension has improved financial terms but remains below the salary he can expect in the Premier League. With only Manchester United addressing the striker position since last summer, the others interested are keeping tabs.

Jacob Whitehead

What else do I need to know about him?

Sesko’s father, Ales, was a goalkeeper at the local club in Slovenia and when he brought his similarly tall son to junior training, the coaches played him in the same position. Benjamin Sesko quickly informed them that he found the position boring, going on to score 50 goals in a single season up front.

Things have been more difficult in recent seasons. Sesko has developed a reputation for being a streaky player, lurching from bursts of goalscoring to lengthy dry spells. The search for consistency, in the comparatively lower-pressure Bundesliga, is part of why he decided to stay at Leipzig.

Slovenia’s other major team sport is basketball and Sesko swaps messages with compatriot Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks superstar. Having chosen football at 10 years old, one of Sesko’s challenges was not relying on the athleticism he displayed in an early viral video that showed him kicking a basketball wedged between the hoop and the backboard.

He wants to score more scrappy goals, not just purely spectacular strikes, and coaches are helping him find more opportunities in the box.

Having played through injury at Euro 2024, the desperation to succeed is clear — now he just needs the time.

Jacob Whitehead

Tell me about how he plays…

There is so much more to Sesko’s game than goals. He is keen to get on the ball and willing to take risks, even if his passing can be wayward.

Despite his 6ft 5in (195cm) frame, he boasts excellent close control and can dribble past defenders with a change of pace. Coupled with his proficiency in aerial duels, he is a tough assignment for centre-backs.

However, Sesko’s most important attribute is his shooting. He scores with his stronger right foot, left foot and head (as can be seen in last season’s shot map below), and his positioning and off-the-ball movement are excellent.

He has thrived when partnered alongside a pacey goal threat, be it Lois Openda at Leipzig or Junior Adamu at Red Bull Salzburg and any of the clubs interested in him would be improved with him in attack.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

Photo:

Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images

 

FWD

Bundesliga

21

 

 

7

Martin Zubimendi

MID

---

 

🇪🇸

Age:

25

Club:

Real Sociedad

Multiple well-placed sources believe Martin Zubimendi is now coming to terms with the idea of leaving Real Sociedad — and anticipate that happening next summer.

Some around the situation are less sure; they think in the end, Zubimendi will change his mind and ultimately opt to stay, as we have seen before.

But most recent conversations suggest things are different on this occasion, and that with time for him and Real Sociedad to prepare, rather than rush a decision, he will depart.

Liverpool’s attempts to land Zubimendi in the last window did not come to fruition, while Arsenal are also among multiple long-term admirers. There have been suggestions Manchester City could go for him in January to help cover the loss of Rodri, but if an exit is to materialise, it is anticipated that would more likely occur at the end of the season.

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

When Liverpool gave up on their pursuit in August, it was suggested the player decided to stay in San Sebastian after local pressure. The Basque Country is not an easy place to leave for any footballer brought up in the region.

For example, when it became clear in 2012 that Fernando Llorente wanted to leave Athletic Club and join Juventus the following summer, he spent much of his last season in Bilbao on the bench.

Identity means so much in this part of Spain, where Athletic have a Basque-only recruitment policy and Zubimendi’s Real Sociedad tend to look towards the academy for solutions rather than the transfer market.

Yet La Real’s approach to selling is different from their rivals. They are known for being more flexible, providing a player shows a determination to leave.

President Jokin Aperribay facilitated Robin Le Normand’s move to Atletico Madrid for €34.5million (£28.8m; $36.5m), roughly half his release clause. Aperribay believes more players will want to sign for Real Sociedad if they know they can use the club as a stepping stone.

Usually, it depends on how far the player wants to push it. Zubimendi was interested in joining Liverpool but was torn because it would have meant leaving La Real in the lurch, with fellow central midfielder Mikel Merino leaving for Arsenal later that summer.

Simon Hughes

Tell me about how he plays…

Zubimendi brings the press resistance and on-the-ball quality we have come to expect from Spanish ‘registas’ (deep-lying playmakers). Heralded as the heir to Rodri, who is only three years his senior, Zubimendi is one of La Liga’s best midfielders.

He can drop between the centre-backs or receive the ball on the half-turn. The archetypal midfield metronome, Zubimendi rarely errs with his passes, which are often short and connect with his team-mates in advanced positions, as seen from his passing solar graphic below.

He has worked on a perceived resistance to carrying the ball into the final third as he helps Real Sociedad offset the loss of Merino.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

Photo:

Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images

 

MID

La Liga

25

 

 

8

Mohamed Salah

FWD

---

 

🇪🇬

Age:

32

Club:

Liverpool

Mohamed Salah’s future remains uncertain with his contract expiring at the end of the season.

“I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club. I’m probably more out than in,” he told reporters following his match-winning performance in Liverpool’s 3-2 victory at Southampton in November.

As reported by The Athletic, Salah would accept a new one-year contract but is growing increasingly exasperated at the club’s handling of negotiations.

Salah’s preference is to stay at Anfield but he wants a new deal that recognises his enduring status as one of the best players in the world.

He has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League — Liverpool turned down a bid of £150million ($190m at current rates) from Al Ittihad in 2023 — but he intends to keep playing at the highest level in Europe.

His deal is worth in excess of £350,000 a week plus bonuses. Liverpool want to keep him but insist the financial framework of an extension has to make sense for them given his age.

James Pearce and Simon Hughes

What else do I need to know about him?

With his 33rd birthday approaching in June, Salah should be slowing down — but he’s still Liverpool’s most potent attacking force.

His durability is as striking as his goal-scoring prowess and it’s no fluke. He is the ultimate professional.

When he returned to Kirkby for pre-season training in July, he topped the charts in the fitness tests, outperforming players 15 years younger than him. “Phenomenal,” was the verdict of Liverpool’s first-team fitness coach, Conall Murtagh.

Salah, who is on course to break the 20-goal mark for the eighth successive season at Anfield, is a master of looking after both his physical and mental health.

His home in Cheshire is not just equipped with a gym and a pool, there are also cryotherapy and hyperbaric chambers. Cryotherapy exposes your body to extremely cold temperatures, aiding post-exercise recovery. Hyperbaric therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised environment to help heal damaged muscle tissue.

Salah puts time aside every day to do yoga. He meditates because he believes it keeps him calm and recently joked his young daughters think he is “crazy” when they find him sitting alone in silence at home.

Diet-wise, he sticks to vegetables, fish, chicken and salad, and stays away from bread, sugar and dairy products. His remarkable physique is a testament to that strict regimen.

Salah is also a keen chess player and loves the strategy involved. It’s about keeping his mind and body ready to perform at the highest level.

James Pearce

Tell me about how he plays

Everyone knows Salah’s unrelenting goalscoring threat, but some might have slept on how much his creative output has improved in recent seasons.

His rate of assists has skyrocketed this season. Looking at his expected assists — which measure the expected goals value of the shot that is assisted — per 90 minutes, last season’s 0.42 per 90 was nearly double that of five of his previous six seasons at Liverpool.

By the end of November, that saw his assist rate reach the highest level since he arrived on Merseyside.

Whatever the future holds for Salah, he has honed his craft even further in recent years. The numbers simply support what the eyes can see.

Mark Carey

Photo:

MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

 

FWD

Premier League

32

 

 

9

Nico Williams

FWD

---

 

🇪🇸

Age:

22

Club:

Athletic Club

Last summer, there was major interest from the Premier League but Nico Williams’ heart was set on joining Barcelona. He waited for them and when that did not materialise, he decided to remain at Athletic Club.

Now it appears Barcelona — with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal doing well — are not there for him, which increases the chances of a Premier League switch and he is more open to that than previously. There is a release clause of around €55million (£46m) and Athletic will only sell if that gets activated, so the fact his contract ends in 2027 is irrelevant.

Williams earns a high salary but the clause is fairly low for a player of this level, so it is probable he will move in 2025 — the bigger question is whether it will be in January or at the end of the season.

He would prefer not to move in the winter market but you never know. Either way, the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are among those who hold a long-standing admiration.

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

After winning the Copa del Rey in April and Euro 2024 in July, Williams added a further honour in October when his film ‘Los Williams’ won the Public Prize at the Basque Documentary Film Awards.

Narrated in first person by Nico and his elder brother and Athletic team-mate Inaki, its themes include identity, racism, ambition and success.

The feature-length documentary tells how their parents, Maria and Felix, travelled across the Sahara desert to the Spanish enclave of Melilla in north Africa when Maria was pregnant with Inaki (as the elder sibling described to The Athletic in 2022).

The film also sees the brothers discussing growing up black and Basque in Pamplona and Bilbao, and then representing Spain (Nico) and Ghana (Inaki) at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Including footage of the brothers visiting their family members in Ghana, the film had its world premiere at the San Sebastian International Film Festival in September.

Williams’ affection for Bilbao means he has spoken about wanting one more year at Athletic, especially since their San Mames stadium will host the Europa League final in May. He wants to win the club’s first European trophy in their home stadium.

Dermot Corrigan

Tell me about how he plays…

What you saw from Williams at the Euros — frighteningly quick feet, searing pace, and a devastating knack for the chop inside and shot — is what you get.

Despite a slight early dip in decisive goal contributions, Williams continues to wreak havoc down the left flank with his appetite for direct dribbling and one-on-one duels.

That fearlessness makes him a valuable outlet, always available for the pass down the flank, and often drawing out two defenders to keep an eye on his adventurous wing play.

Williams is not the only young, daring dribbler on the continent, but an ability to play on both sides, along with a proven track record of powering through defences with head-down running and vicious curling drives, rightly leaves Europe’s superclubs on high alert.

Thom Harris

Photo:

Ricardo Larreina/Europa Press via Getty Images

 

FWD

La Liga

22

 

 

10

Alphonso Davies

DEF

---

 

🇨🇦

Age:

24

Club:

Bayern Munich

Alphonso Davies’ contract with Bayern Munich ends in the summer of 2025, which makes him one of the most-watched players on the market.

The Athletic reported in February that Real Madrid and the player’s representatives reached an understanding on terms whereby a deal could be completed in 2024 or as a free agent a year later, with a larger signing-on bonus.

Madrid cooled their push, with their preference being to get Davies on a free in 2025. This brought the player closer to an extension with Bayern: there was an agreement in principle in June, but the board decided to hold off because of concerns over Davies’ performances.

Bayern are still not ruling out Davies staying beyond 2025 and they are trying to have a meeting with the player’s representatives.

There are also Premier League clubs interested in Davies.

Real reappeared after winning the Champions League and have been in contact since September but, despite reports in Spain, no definitive agreement has been reached.

Mario Cortegana Santos

What else do I need to know about him?

Many know the story of Davies’ upbringing: born in a Ghana refugee camp after his Liberian parents fled during a civil war, he emigrated to Canada at five and started playing football through a government program for those who cannot afford equipment and fees. Davies leapt through the Vancouver Whitecaps academy to MLS and then Bayern.

He is now a social media star, with tens of millions of followers and blends a love of being in front of the camera with a sharp and self-deprecating sense of humour.

“Goofy” is how Canada team-mate Theo Bair describes Davies. A huge sneaker fan, Davies confessed to The Athletic that he had brought five pairs to a recent Canada training camp. “Normally it’s more,” he said.

The Canada captain loves to hit the snooze button. Bair recalls how when both were in the Whitecaps system, Davies would visit him at his downtown apartment and just nap. “We’d be talking, playing FIFA, and then he would start sleeping for, like, two hours,” Bair says.

Sure enough, during a one-on-one with The Athletic, Davies’ phone alarm went off in the middle of the morning. “I was planning on going for a nap,” he said. He might be one of the most in-demand players in the world, but often, you wouldn’t know it.

Josh Kloke

Tell me about how he plays…

In an era of full-backs tucking inside and centre-backs playing out wide, Davies is a throwback to the lively left-back who gets up and down the pitch.

He combines this with prowess on and off the ball. He can hold his width on the left and overlap to create chances from wide while protecting the back line against counters with his recovery pace.

Davies can carry the ball forward with ease at a high speed, instantly turning defence into attack. This is a player with the world at his rapid feet.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

Photo:

Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

 

DEF

Bundesliga

24

 

 

11

Kevin De Bruyne

MID

---

 

🇧🇪

Age:

33

Club:

Manchester City

Kevin De Bruyne’s contract at Manchester City expires in the summer and there are three main options as things stand: renew with City for a year, move to Saudi Arabia or join Major League Soccer.

If he stays, it would likely be a 12-month extension before potentially going to a different market. This has always been a possibility and is not impacted by Pep Guardiola’s fresh terms.

De Bruyne backs himself to continue performing at the top level and knows that when he leaves the Premier League he will probably be gone for good.

The door remains open at City; he would simply need to inform them of his intentions. It has been loosely discussed, out of mutual respect, and a deal is there if he wants it.

If he switches to Saudi Arabia, it would almost certainly be a PIF-backed club; Al Nassr in Riyadh or Al Ahli in Jeddah are the prime candidates. The clubs and the Saudi Pro League itself have all made clear they want him. This is not at an advanced stage, however both parties know the chance is there if he wants it.

There have also been some conversations with U.S. sides — but predominantly through the MLS centrally — and that is another concrete opportunity.

Most teams would jump at the chance to sign De Bruyne, shifting designated players to make space for him if required.

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

“I felt I could make a difference at this level, I felt I could make a difference for this team, and as long as I feel that, that’s a good indicator that I can still play at the top level,” De Bruyne told a press conference in November.

The subject of his future was on the table, but it is hard to look ahead without establishing where things are now.

“I can help the team but you can only do so much from the side,” he said on another occasion, and it is no secret the past 18 months have been difficult.

Having played through pain at the end of 2022-23, his hamstring snapped in the Champions League final and then, after returning for the start of 2023-24, it went again, requiring surgery that left him with a huge scar.

He returned in January to help City win another title but needed 10 weeks out this season, with Guardiola likening him to a car, “When it goes to have something replaced, it is not the same car.”

De Bruyne explains: “I was kind of training but there’s only so much I could do and that’s not a nice feeling. Every time I would shoot, I would get pain.”

He is one of the best players to grace the Premier League and a true City great, but problems like those will have to clear up if he is to extend his stay at the Etihad.

Sam Lee

Tell me about how he plays…

There isn’t much to scrutinise about De Bruyne’s supreme creative ability that hasn’t already been said, although seeing it in flashes over the last two seasons — amid injuries and dips in form — has contextualised the value of his lock-picking skills.

His 16-minute cameo against Tottenham Hotspur in November provided flickers of the Belgian at his glorious best, threading the ball for Erling Haaland moments after coming on, before swinging in a first-time cross that was scuffed over the bar by a back-tracking defence.

For all the concerns surrounding fitness, no one cuts through a defensive block as reliably as De Bruyne.

Thom Harris

Photo:

ANP via Getty Images

 

MID

Premier League

33

 

 

12

Jamal Musiala

FWD

---

 

🇩🇪

Age:

21

Club:

Bayern Munich

Jamal Musiala is expected to make up his mind about his future during the winter break, when Bayern Munich hope to tie him down to a lucrative long-term contract that will underline his status as the club’s biggest asset and one of the most talented players in the world.

With 18 months remaining on his deal, Bayern know the clock is ticking and are determined to keep him. Although Europe’s top clubs are monitoring his contractual situation, Bayern are not countenancing selling.

Talks have opened between club and player about a new deal, focusing on Bayern’s vision to make him the heart of the team on the pitch and their international face off the field. In Bayern’s eyes, Musiala can achieve team success and individual acclaim at the club.

Musiala is happy in Munich, enjoys playing for Bayern and gets on well with everyone at the club. He is putting all thoughts of his future on hold until the end of December, instead concentrating on helping the team regain the Bundesliga title.

Stuart James

What else do I need to know about him?

To explain the club’s stance, it is important to understand what Musiala represents to Bayern.

He is not homegrown in the way Aleksandar Pavlovic is — born in Munich and part of the academy from early childhood — but he has an equivalent level of popularity. Musiala arrived at the club when he was 16. He was born in Stuttgart and raised predominantly in England, but left Chelsea at age 16 and helped Bayern’s reserves, Bayern Munich II, win the German third tier in the 2019-20 season.

Alphonso Davies, Angelo Stiller, Josip Stanisic, Chris Richards and Malik Tillman were also part of that squad and have since graduated into the professional game.

Bayern feel that their attachment to the academy has been lost in recent years and that without it, some of the power has diminished within their dressing room. The economics of modern football also mean that, had they not signed him as a youth player, Bayern would be unable to attract a player of Musiala’s calibre. Together, it’s quite a combination.

Seb Stafford-Bloor

Tell me about how he plays…

The familiar sight of Musiala taking small touches with either foot to leave defenders befuddled has brought joy and, more importantly for Bayern, goals.

When he is not beating opposition players with those delicate touches, Musiala seems aware of the positioning of every player from Bayern and their opponents. This informs his decision-making, which is deliberate and considered despite the speed at which the play develops around him.

Initially, he seemed more proficient at bringing his wide forwards and full-backs into play in dangerous areas. However, Harry Kane’s arrival has seen him develop a partnership with the dropping centre-forward, adding another weapon to his impressive arsenal.

Musiala, like his compatriot Florian Wirtz, can play as part of a double pivot, as a No 10 or in the wide areas.

Bayern and Germany have also benefited from his off-the-ball work. He is the real deal.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

Photo:

Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images

 

FWD

Bundesliga

21

 

 

13

Xavi Simons

FWD

---

 

🇳🇱

Age:

21

Club:

RB Leipzig

All options are available to Paris Saint-Germain on Xavi Simons. No decisions have been made regarding his future and much can change before the summer.

Simons was loaned out to RB Leipzig in the last window, as head coach Luis Enrique would not assure anyone of a starting place. But a coach’s view can change and so can a player’s.

In the Champions League particularly, PSG need extra quality so from chance creation and goalscoring perspectives, he could be that person. Simons is young and fits the new philosophy of PSG.

Come the end of this season, though, he’ll have two years left on his contract. There is no indication of him looking to sign a new deal, which means this is the point when PSG can maximise their return from a sale. Thereafter, his value will reduce and that makes a permanent exit plausible.

Some close to the situation expect this to happen and forecast a move to the Premier League or La Liga.

There is also huge interest from Germany. Leipzig want to turn the loan into a full-time switch. They lack the budget but are trying to convince him with their story and project. Bayern Munich are said to have been willing to pay €100million previously and Borussia Dortmund are admirers as well.

Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern, Liverpool and Real Madrid are seen as the most probable destinations, while Manchester United showed some interest during the previous market.

But it also depends on the player and Luis Enrique. If the coach wants to keep him and adapts approach slightly — or if Simons returns and accepts not always starting — then he could stay.

PSG view Simmons as a golden opportunity either way; they either retain a top talent or trade him at a huge profit. Unless something goes badly wrong, his anticipated transfer fee is €80million minimum.

It rests on injuries in the next six to eight months. Simons should return in January after surgery on the ankle issue he suffered against Liverpool.

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

During Euro 2024, between games of Uno and Fortnite, Simons watched Japanese anime to relax. One of his favourites is Naruto, about a young man seeking to fulfil his destiny.

When he scored his first senior Netherlands goal in a friendly against Iceland in June, he sat down and closed his eyes in a Naruto-inspired ‘sage’ celebration. For Simons, famous since he was a pre-teen in Barcelona’s academy, the weight of expectation must have been familiar.

Despite his talent being recognised early, he has fought throughout his career to eclipse shinier team-mates. At La Masia, Gavi was one year below. PSG had Kylian Mbappe. He has been shuffled across the midfield for his country.

As a teenager, he took the risk of leaving La Masia for PSG, knowing a starting spot would have to be earned. So where next? His attitude can be summarised by a Naruto quote he has repeatedly referenced on social media — “We won’t know without trying.”

Jacob Whitehead

Tell me about how he plays

Whether as a No 10, narrow forward or traditional winger, Simons can receive the ball in the tightest of spaces and dribble past opponents to create chances for his team-mates or put himself in shooting positions.

His creativity and technical ability allow him to combine through the centre or find runners around him.

Another feature of Simons’ game is his spatial awareness, which makes him a threat between the lines. He knows where to position himself to be a progressive passing option and cause the most damage when he receives the ball.

Ahmed Walid

Photo:

Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

 

FWD

Bundesliga

21

 

 

14

Jeremie Frimpong

DEF

---

 

🇳🇱

Age:

24

Club:

Bayer Leverkusen

Jeremie Frimpong is under contract until June 2028 and Bayer Leverkusen have no intention of selling him in January — it would take an offer too good to refuse for that to change.

Leverkusen prefer to do business in the summer. They already have a replacement for Frimpong lined up — my colleague Seb Stafford-Bloor has heard Arthur will be dropped into the team when Frimpong goes.

There is a release clause in Frimpong’s contract for below €40million so whether through that mechanism or not, it will take this sort of fee to sign him.

But the decision is not just up to Leverkusen. The player’s preference is key to determining what happens.

There is strong interest from the Premier League and other countries. Certain potential destinations could be determined by whether or not slots arise, depending on players leaving those clubs.

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

Frimpong’s magnetic personality shone through in Leverkusen’s double-winning season. Some of the defining images from that campaign were his appearances on live television and how he made playing professional football look fun.

There is no more popular member of the Leverkusen dressing room — but that exuberance and sense of fun mask an appetite for self-improvement. Given the chance, Frimpong will tell you at length about the areas of his game that need to evolve. Despite initial coldness in his relationship with Ronald Koeman, Frimpong’s work ethic and impact on the squad eventually won over the Netherlands’ head coach.

He is a family-orientated person. When Leverkusen completed their unbeaten league season, his brothers and friends were in the players’ tunnel with him. When the television cameras arrived, trying to capture the celebrations, he took his mother by the arm and led her front and centre, introducing her to the watching world.

Seb Stafford-Bloor

Tell me about how he plays

He is one of world football’s most exciting and productive wide defenders and was one of the driving forces behind Leverkusen’s invincible domestic season. On their team sheets, he was placed as a right wing-back, but frequently operated as a winger. It meant he ended the season with double figures for both goals and assists in all competitions.

He is a fast and confident dribbler, but an underrated quality he possesses is knowing how to win duels in any part of the pitch. He is agile and while his actions seem to occur in hyperspeed, his decision-making involves patience and composure.

Defensively, there are questions over Frimpong’s suitability in a back four. He can be overzealous in his compulsion to win the ball back, but that is partly because he has not been involved enough in defensive actions. At Leverkusen, he has the protection of three central defenders but if he regularly played in a back four, he would probably develop his defensive skills without losing the attacking contributions. Going forward, Frimpong possesses the ability to change games in a moment.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

Photo:

ANP via Getty Images

 

DEF

Bundesliga

24

 

 

15

Viktor Gyokeres

FWD

---

 

🇸🇪

Age:

26

Club:

Sporting CP

Viktor Gyokeres will almost certainly be one of the most high-profile transfers in 2025, probably in the summer.

You never know what offers may land in January but the firm expectation is he departs at the end of this season.

His €100million (£83m; $106m) release clause is well documented but Sporting CP are likely to do business for around €70m.

Strong interest is building from a host of suitors and there is heavy speculation Manchester United will be among them. Gyokeres has a close relationship with Ruben Amorim but that doesn’t guarantee he’ll favour a switch to Old Trafford.

The forward has a preference on who he would like to join, although various elements need to fall into place for it to happen. The situation is open. ⁠His camp is considering options from across Europe, including Premier League clubs, as they decide on the next step.

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

Like Luca Toni, Chris Wood and Larry David, Gyokeres has bloomed a little later in his career than most.

Why has it taken a few extra years for him to be compared to Erling Haaland, or to be talked about as a candidate to beat Lionel Messi’s single-season goalscoring record?

Well, primarily because Gyokeres, similar to Harry Kane, has needed to work hard to improve his game along a career path that has taken him from Brommapojkarna in Sweden to Sporting in Portugal, via stints at Brighton & Hove Albion, Swansea City and Coventry City.

He is pretty quick but not especially rapid, his technique is good but he is not particularly skilful. What he possesses — again, like Kane — is an unflinching desire to improve and score goals.

Coaches will tell you of a character who could be grumpy or stubborn, but also of someone who needed faith shown in him.

Since being made a main central striker for the first time at Coventry (having found his path blocked at Brighton where he was often shunted out wide) he has thrived. Give him room and half a chance to shoot and the chances are, the ball will soon be in the back of the net.

But strikers Carlos Vinicius, Islam Slimani and, to an extent, Darwin Nunez have struggled to transfer their Primeira Liga form in Portugal to the Premier League. Is Gyokeres different? His hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League suggests so.

Tim Spiers

Tell me about how he plays…

Gyokeres has the physical profile to stay in central areas and occupy centre-backs with his back to goal, but he thrives on runs into the channel to bully opposition defenders with his power and acceleration.

Take this example against Nacional in August. As centre-back Zeno Debast releases the ball, Gyokeres is two yards behind the Nacional defender, but bursts beyond him to get on the end of the pass before finishing emphatically.

Against Sturm Graz in the Champions League, Gyokeres is tracked to the left touchline as the ball is played down the line. He uses his body to roll the defender and drive towards goal, before rounding the goalkeeper to finish.

For those requiring more examples, last season’s goals against Farense and Porto will strengthen the case that this has been a clear pattern of play since Gyokeres moved to Portugal.

It is a cheat code that Sporting have used time and time again.

Mark Carey

Photo:

Maciej Rogowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

 

FWD

Primeira Liga

26

 

 

16

Jonathan David

FWD

---

 

🇨🇦

Age:

24

Club:

Lille

Jonathan David stands to be one of the most sought-after free agents in the market next summer.

He has an offer from Lille to renew his contract before it expires in June. He has not communicated his final decision but he is expected to move on.

His representatives are listening to proposals and setting out expectations for interested parties. There are potential opportunities in the Premier League but the financial package is also important.

Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Aston Villa are among the sides who rate him but Juventus, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid also hold an admiration.

Bayern Munich’s board member for sport Max Eberl retains a long-term fondness for David but it is unclear if they are looking for a centre-forward.

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

Tune into David’s podcast, Strikers Corner, co-hosted with Canada team-mate Cyle Larin, and you’ll get an insight into a man who has been on the move his whole life.

The first thing that strikes you about David is his accent. Born in New York, he moved to Haiti, his parents’ country, while still a baby. Aged six, he emigrated to Ottawa, Canada, and was raised in a Franco-Ontarian community, where he went to a French school and spoke French with friends.

With twangs of Quebecois and Haitian Creole, it should come as no surprise he sang the Canadian national anthem in French during the 2022 World Cup.

It might come as a surprise, however, that gridiron was his first sporting love. It was not until the age of 10, when his dad showed him clips of Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o, that David swapped the head guards and shoulder pads of American ‘football’ for the shinpads of soccer.

At his first club, Ottawa Gloucester, he played under Hanny El-Magraby, a coach who didn’t just have designs on making David professional after spotting his talent but sending him to Europe as soon as possible. In 2018, El-Magraby’s wish rang true when he signed with Gent in Belgium.

David now looks set to fulfil his Ottawan childhood dreams of playing for one of Europe’s big boys.

Elias Burke

Tell me about how he plays

An underrated part of his game is the variety of his shooting.

David said in 2023, “I’ve worked on both feet. I’d say my left foot is pretty good but I can still get better.”

Looking at his shot map for Lille from the start of last season to November 2024, the share of efforts on goal via his right foot, left foot and head has a healthy balance — not to mention the high-quality efforts he takes between the width of the six-yard box.

If David steps up to an elite club, his ability to find that extra yard to shoot with either foot could prove crucial.

Mark Carey

Photo:

Ali Atmaca/Anadolu via Getty Images

 

FWD

Ligue 1

24

 

 

17

Piero Hincapie

DEF

---

 

🇪🇨

Age:

22

Club:

Bayer Leverkusen

Piero Hincapie is high on the recruitment lists at many of Europe’s leading clubs and Bayer Leverkusen turned approaches down last summer because Xabi Alonso wanted to keep him.

He has two and a half years left on his contract and Leverkusen are keen to extend. But with the head coach potentially leaving at the end of the season, there is a strong possibility Hincapie could also go.

That is unlikely to happen in January but sources say the Ecuador international would be open to departing during the next window. It would probably take a fee of €50million (£42m; $53m) to sign him, but if it becomes clear in the months ahead that this is unlikely to materialise, Hincapie could end up signing a new deal.

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

Leverkusen are admired for their recruitment and advanced planning. Their talent spotting was the bedrock of their unbeaten domestic double last season.

Signing Hincapie was an example of how they can pivot quickly, too. By 2021, Leverkusen had been watching him for some time. They were yet to make a formal approach but the Copa America that year accelerated their plans.

Hincapie made his debut for Ecuador during that tournament. He was so impressive that Leverkusen managing director for sport Simon Rolfes and his technical staff knew that they had to sign him immediately or he would quickly ascend well beyond their price range.

They signed him that summer for just over €6m. When he leaves the BayArena, it could be for eight times that fee.

Seb Stafford-Bloor

Tell me about how he plays…

As a left-footed centre-back — who can also play left-back — Hincapie’s attributes are instantly desirable to elite managers in the modern game.

He might not appear physically imposing but makes up for it with a tenacity and aggression that frustrates opponents.

Playing on the left side of Alonso’s back three allows Hincapie to bravely step out into advanced areas to get touch-tight to his opposite number, nipping in with a tackle or interception that cuts off the attack at source and helps in getting Leverkusen on the front foot once again.

Such a role also requires Hincapie to be comfortable on the ball as a wide central defender. Last season’s average of 6.2 progressive passes per 90 minutes was among the top 10 per cent of centre-backs in the Bundesliga, highlighting just how well-rounded he is on and off the ball.

Mark Carey

Photo:

Pau Barrena/Getty Images

 

DEF

Bundesliga

22

 

 

18

Marc Guehi

DEF

---

 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Age:

24

Club:

Crystal Palace

Newcastle United pushed hard to sign Marc Guehi in the last transfer window but could not reach an agreement with Crystal Palace.

Guehi has 18 months left on his contract and there is no indication he intends to sign a new deal, as much as Palace would like him to stay.

If any credible approaches come in January, they have to be considered, although a summer move is far more realistic.

By then, Guehi’s contract will have 12 months left and Palace would not be able to command anywhere near the fee they were being offered.

Newcastle remain keen, at the right price, and he is also on the radars of some top Premier League clubs. As the end of the season approaches and Guehi’s valuation shifts, leading sides in Europe — who operate on smaller budgets — are likely to come into contention.

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

Guehi has always led by example. From sneaking into an older session at Marvels Lane Primary School, south-east London, holding himself to the highest standards with opponents and officials to captaining Palace, he influences others.

He was more explicit in demonstrating leadership before England Under-17s’ victorious 2017 World Cup campaign. He spoke about “redemption” having lost on penalties to Spain in that year’s European Under-17 Championship final. The group used it as a reference point.

“Marc saying that gave us that little seed in our head that made us want to win even more,” former England Under-17s team-mate Nya Kirby told The Athletic.

“Marc is funny but he doesn’t mean to be — he’s naturally funny. But he’s quite serious, especially on the pitch. He means business, which is why he’s Palace captain. You need that serious side in you. He has the perfect balance.”

Former Palace manager Roy Hodgson tipped him as a future England captain, while Patrick Vieira believed he would play Champions League football.

Guehi was referred to by former England youth team-mate Rhian Brewster as “my dad”. His presence on the pitch is reflected in how assured he is off it. There is plenty to admire.

Matt Woosnam

Tell me about how he plays

In line with what is asked of the modern centre-back, Guehi’s passing range is one of his greatest features. He can play long-ranging diagonals with either foot, while his increased comfort when in possession has also made him a progressive ball carrier.

Guehi can often be seen striding forward with the ball and moving Palace from back to front.

This is helped by being deceptively quick. He is a proactive defender who uses his pace and positioning to close down spaces and read danger before it arrives.

Despite his height, around 6ft (183cm), Guehi can be suspect in aerial duels, but that is one of the only negatives for a player whose career has been on a consistent upward trajectory since his Chelsea debut in 2019.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

Photo:

Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

 

DEF

Premier League

24

 

 

19

Endrick

FWD

---

 

🇧🇷

Age:

18

Club:

Real Madrid

Endrick is clearly not getting enough minutes at Real Madrid.

He signed on his 18th birthday and has two goals to his name, despite spending just 145 minutes on the pitch in all competitions. One of those goals came in the Champions League against Stuttgart, while he has managed three for his country this calendar year.

There is no major concern — after all, Madrid represent a big step up for Endrick. Arda Guler barely played last season and now features regularly.

The arrival of Kylian Mbappe has also had an impact on Endrick’s game time. If Mbappe had not joined in the summer, Endrick would have been getting a lot more minutes. The deal for Endrick was set in stone for a long time, then the Mbappe situation developed.

The expectation is that Endrick will still be at Madrid until the end of the season at least. There is the chance of a high-profile loan next summer, but it is not being discussed yet. Madrid will also not sanction a January loan unless something dramatic happens. He has settled in well and his family has moved over.

Three international breaks have limited his opportunities further, but he is likely to get more minutes and goals as the season goes on — and it might be that he stays next season.

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

It feels weird to think that Enrick is still only 18, because he has been in the consciousness and hype machine for what feels like a long time. After all, this was the kid who was on the cover of Spanish newspaper Marca three times before he turned 16: that’s remarkable enough, but even more so when you consider that he was still in Brazil and hadn’t even played a first-team game for Palmeiras.

Some elements of Endrick’s story are not especially unusual for a young Brazilian footballer: he grew up in poverty, and his talent was the only way out for him and his family. What is slightly more unusual is that he doesn’t come from the favelas of Rio or Sao Paulo — instead, he hails from Brasilia, the country’s administrative capital and decidedly not a football hotbed.

When it became clear to his family that Endrick had something, he and his father, Douglas Sousa, moved to Sao Paulo in the hope of being noticed. Douglas sold coffee and cakes at a local metro station to make ends meet, and later, when Palmeiras signed Endrick, he took a job as a janitor at their training ground.

There, he struck up a rapport with some of the senior players, one of whom noticed that he only had seven teeth. The player, goalkeeper Jailson, paid for him to have false ones fitted. Safe to say, he doesn’t have to get anyone to pay for his dental treatment anymore.

Nick Miller

Tell me about how he plays…

While he hasn’t had too many opportunities to back up his impressive showreel back in Brazil, there have been a few glimpses of the prodigious quality that saw Endrick fly through the ranks. Both of his Real Madrid goals have been sweetly struck on either foot, his maiden Champions League goal even taking Mbappe by surprise as he lined up to shoot from just over 30 yards.

Despite his tender age, Endrick relishes the physical side of the game. He is very happy to hassle and harry defenders and is always up for a defensive duel, where his stocky build means he can more than hold his own.

He may still be a slightly raw talent, prone to the occasional poor decision or moment of over-excitement, but a burst of acceleration along with a thumping strike makes him very dangerous in tight spaces around the penalty area.

Thom Harris

Photo:

Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images

 

FWD

La Liga

18

 

 

20

Jarrad Branthwaite

DEF

---

 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Age:

22

Club:

Everton

Jarrad Branthwaite has remained on Manchester United’s radar despite the summer additions of Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt.

Everton rejected bids from United of £35million ($44m) and £45m plus add-ons during the close season and no suitor has got close to meeting their valuation of around £70m.

There is little expectation anyone will do so during the winter window.

The thinking on Merseyside is that Branthwaite will see out the campaign at Goodison Park. Everton are protected contractually, with an option for a year’s extension at the end of a deal that runs until 2027.

They will only offer him improved terms if he shows signs of wanting to stay beyond the season.

However, until The Friedkin Group’s takeover is approved, Everton will have to entertain offers for their assets, including Branthwaite.

Had United or any other club come close to Everton’s price tag over the summer, he would have left. United’s bids were dramatically under valuation but given the mutual respect between the clubs’ two directors of football, Dan Ashworth and Kevin Thelwell, it would be a surprise if a similar situation arose in future windows.

Patrick Boyland

What else do I need to know about him?

Plucked from Carlisle United, then of the English fourth tier, for less than £1m in 2020, Branthwaite has overcome significant hurdles.

He came close to quitting as an academy scholar after missing almost two years of action with Osgood-Schlatter’s disease, a knee problem most common in growing athletes. During his time at Carlisle, he was likened to a baby giraffe due to his ungainly style, but manager Steven Pressley earmarked Branthwaite as a future England international and, shortly after he joined Everton, assistant manager Davide Ancelotti spotted him at an under-23s game and promoted him at age 17 to the first team.

Most who have tracked his progress attribute his year on loan at PSV in 2022-23, where he lived away from friends and family, as being crucial.

Branthwaite initially struggled in the Netherlands and Everton came close to recalling him before receiving assurances opportunities would come. He slowly settled into life abroad, playing padel in his spare time and cementing a regular place in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side, helping them win the KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup).

Patrick Boyland

Tell me about how he plays…

With teams across Europe searching for a left-footed centre-back, Branthwaite’s two-footedness is invaluable.

An aggressive defender who thrives in duels, he is adept at reading the game and making the right intervention. He often goes touch-tight with forwards higher up the pitch but is also quick and normally wins the ball with perfectly timed slide tackles.

His height (1.95m; 6ft 5in) makes him a threat in both boxes and he has performed well under Sean Dyche, but is also capable of progressing play with his passing as he showed at PSV. He played in both centre-back positions and would slip wide players in behind the opposition back line and find team-mates with switches of play.

Injuries have slowed his progress in the 2024-25 season, but Branthwaite’s qualities as a modern centre-back make him a prime target for leading clubs.

Patrick Boyland and Anantaajith Raghuraman

Photo:

Jan Kruger/Getty Images

 

DEF

Premier League

22

 

 

21

Joshua Kimmich

MID

---

 

🇩🇪

Age:

29

Club:

Bayern Munich

Joshua Kimmich’s situation is strange. He is one of the most decorated players in Europe, having won the Champions League and eight Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich. He is also captain of Germany.

But the future is uncertain, not least because of doubts over his best position. He is occupying his preferred spot of No 6 (deep-lying midfielder) under Vincent Kompany but there remains a suspicion it does not suit him or Bayern.

Couple that with turning 30 in February and you have the prospect of him pursuing a new challenge, perhaps on his own terms. Concrete interest is hard to find, as is a straight answer from Kimmich about his future.

Bayern are being more forthright. Max Eberl, board member for sport, has described the club’s desire to agree an extension. “We’ve told him we want to extend his contract,” Eberl told Sport Bild in November. “We are telling him he should become captain when Manuel Neuer is no longer on the pitch. And we tell him that he should be the face of our club. We’ve made that clear to him and we stand behind it.”

Seb Stafford-Bloor

What else do I need to know about him?

Kimmich is admired among the younger generation of German players. It is the way he has handled his career and improved his game that seems to speak to fellow professionals.

Ask a German midfielder between the ages of 18 and 25 who their role models were growing up: almost all of them mention Kimmich and consider him to have set an example.

He’s quirky. He likes bonsai trees, the outdoors and… Eric Dier. Kimmich has spoken about his admiration for Dier and how he values a team-mate who is not always guaranteed time on the pitch, but who prepares himself to the highest standard. Dier jokes he is paying Kimmich for the privilege of that good press but it shows the professional standards Kimmich holds himself to.

He is strident, too. The argument over his position on the pitch was most heated during Thomas Tuchel’s time at Bayern. Tuchel was public in his belief the player lacked the “defensive DNA” to play in midfield, but Kimmich disagreed and fought his corner. Yes, he spent the season playing at right-back through gritted teeth, but to a very high standard and having proved, again, that he is no doormat, regardless of a coach’s reputation.

Seb Stafford-Bloor

Tell me about how he plays…

Whatever opinion you might have of Kimmich defensively, there is little doubt he is the conductor of Kompany’s team.

Playing as the right-sided defensive midfielder, he looks to dictate the tempo and kickstart his side’s attack.

Kimmich can play delicately chipped passes or delightfully lofted diagonals, but there is beauty in the simplicity of his passing — ensuring the ball is being consistently circulated in Kompany’s possession-dominant style.

Mark Carey

Photo:

Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

 

MID

Bundesliga

29

 

 

22

Ronald Araujo

DEF

---

 

🇺🇾

Age:

25

Club:

Barcelona

Ronald Araujo is holding contract talks with Barcelona. In January, he enters the final 18 months of his deal, so his situation needs to be assessed soon.

The Uruguayan has always expressed his desire to stay, but given his age and appeal to big clubs, he will not extend his contract unless the deal is right for him. 

This is where things get complicated for Barca, who still need to reduce their wage bill to make new signings and it is unclear if they are in a position to offer Araujo what he expects.

“We know what we want. It’s important our players really want to play for Barca and I imagine Ronald wants to be part of Barcelona’s years to come,” sporting director Deco told Mundo Deportivo in November.

Pol Ballus

What else do I need to know about him?

Growing up in the city of Rivera on Uruguay’s border with Brazil, Araujo’s first thoughts on the football pitch were not about defending.

His childhood hero was former Brazil and Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho, and he wore his namesake’s No 10 shirt while playing for local club Atletico Huracan’s youths until he was 15. 

Even after joining Montevideo club Rentistas, Araujo was a box-to-box midfielder who scored six goals in 14 games in Uruguay’s second tier. Only when he reached the top flight at age 18 at Boston River did Araujo move further back on the pitch.

“When I started in Primera I played midfield, No 10,” Araujo told El Periodico in 2021. “But when two defenders were injured, (Boston River coach Sergio) Cabrera tried me at the back. I wasn’t sure, as I wanted to score goals, but in the end, it worked out.” 

Just 12 months after the switch, Barca paid almost €5million (£4m; $5.3m at current rates) for him in 2018. Though he has registered goals and assists in La Liga, he is seen as a centre-half or right-back.

Dermot Corrigan

Tell me about how he plays…

That Araujo might be viewed as an expendable asset by Barcelona this year is as much to do with the unprecedented development of others as it is with any stalling of his own. 

The explosion of teenager Pau Cubarsi — already undroppable with his unmatched passing range — and the form of Jules Kounde and Inigo Martinez make it hard to see an immediate way back in for the Uruguayan after his injury, while a healthy market value will appeal to Barcelona’s perennial fundraising attempts.

That said, Araujo remains one of Europe’s best one-vs-one defenders, a towering physical presence combined with a burst of acceleration that keeps him two steps ahead. 

He can also be deployed at full-back, steaming down the flanks in an all-action Marcelo Bielsa side on the international stage, as well as being regularly called upon to battle with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior for his club.

Araujo was a pillar of Barcelona’s last title win. He has his work cut out to regain a starting spot but he brings versatility and athleticism. 

 Thom Harris

Photo:

Pedro Salado/Getty Images

 

DEF

La Liga

25

 

 

23

Levi Colwill

DEF

---

 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Age:

21

Club:

Chelsea

Chelsea are adamant that they will not sell Levi Colwill.

The club have grown accustomed to clubs showing a strong interest in him. They ignored a strong enquiry from Bayern Munich last summer. Liverpool have been admirers in the past and big clubs across Europe continue to monitor his progress.

But Chelsea are in a position of strength. They have him secured to a long-term contract, which he signed in 2022.

The club have shown — not just since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium took over in 2022 — that they are willing to sell homegrown players because the fee can be counted as pure profit. But Chelsea are firm in the fact that Colwill is not for sale.

Simon Johnson

What else do I need to know about him?

After spending several years living away from where he grew up in Southampton, Colwill moved back to the city on England’s south coast in the summer to be closer to his family. It means a long commute to Chelsea’s training ground, but it also helps alleviate pressure.

Finding a way to relax and take your mind off football can be challenging, but Colwill uses Lego to unwind. The defender has built a replica of Hogwarts from Harry Potter.

Colwill’s father told him to watch clips of Thiago Silva when he was growing up so the opportunity to learn from the former Brazil international while he was at Stamford Bridge between 2020 and 2024 was invaluable as well as a dream come true.

It has not been easy for Colwill to establish himself in the first team, especially in his favoured position as a left-sided centre-back, but a sign of his growing self-confidence came in the summer when he spoke with Enzo Maresca about a desire to play more centrally after being used primarily as a left-back.

Colwill was granted his wish and has responded by becoming more vocal on the pitch. Another sign of his maturity is his decision to become an associate director of Southampton-based non-League club Sholing FC, who his three uncles have played for. Colwill is providing funding for community projects, including setting up an academy and building a new 3G pitch.

Simon Johnson

Tell me about how he plays…

Colwill is as modern as defenders get. He’s big (6ft 2in; 188cm) and physical, strong when defending his box, comfortable stepping up with an opponent in a high press, and can break lines with his passing too.

Colwill excels compared to his positional peers for passes, progressive passes, aerial duels contested and win percentage, and ball carries. It’s the Virgil van Dijk profile.

Where would Colwill fit? Any high-pressing team who play out from the back… which is almost everyone.

He was a key figure in England Under-21s’ Euros-winning team, has learned to mix style with substance, and is helping to stabilise a young Chelsea team.

Liam Tharme

Photo:

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

 

DEF

Premier League

21

 

 

24

Omar Marmoush

FWD

---

 

🇪🇬

Age:

25

Club:

Eintracht Frankfurt

Eintracht Frankfurt expect Omar Marmoush to leave in the summer when he will have two years left on his contract.

They would prefer not to lose him in January, but you never know what offers might land at the club. There is an anticipation that he will end up at a Champions League side — there is interest from Bayern Munich in Germany, Juventus and Napoli in Italy and some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs are set to join the race for the Egypt international.

The fee for Marmoush is expected to be between €40million and €50m (£33m and £42m; $42m and $53m).

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

Usually, the most talented Egyptians are snatched up by one of the country’s two biggest clubs, El Zamalek or Al Ahly, especially if you are scoring 44 goals in 28 games in the Egyptian youth system at 17.

However, Marmoush has taken a different path.

His impressive performances in Wadi Degla’s youth teams caught the eyes of the first team’s head coach, Patrice Carteron, who gave him his debut in the last game of the 2015-16 season, where Marmoush assisted the winner.

After another season with Degla, the Egyptian set off to Germany when he accepted an offer from Wolfsburg in 2017. Marmoush took time to adapt — the fact he didn’t speak German made things harder — but his time with Wolfsburg’s reserve team shaped him and improved his mental resilience.

During his early months in Germany, he did not even know how to order coffee. Marmoush would stand on the side and wait until a similar order came up, before signaling to the waiter that he wanted the same.

After spending a year and a half on loan to St Pauli and Stuttgart, Marmoush established himself in Wolfsburg’s senior team in the 2022-23 campaign.

In Degla’s youth sides, Marmoush developed as a striker, which makes him feel at home as Frankfurt’s centre-forward. After joining on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, he scored 17 goals in his first year and this season, he is on track to exceed that number easily.

Ahmed Walid

Tell me about how he plays…

From that central position, the Egypt forward is comfortable playing with his back to goal, constantly dropping to provide a passing option between the lines and linking with his team-mates. His dribbling ability helps him in tight spaces as well, or when roaming towards the wide areas (as can be seen below).

Marmoush attacks the right spaces, always seeking to move off the ball to provide a more threatening passing option, and his pace comes in handy — both off the ball when attacking the space and on it once he receives the pass. These offensive characteristics are complemented by his smart movement inside the penalty area, which is visible in his goals for Frankfurt.

Marmoush’s pace, dribbling ability, understanding of space and ability to link the play make him a versatile option. He can play in any position across the front line.

Ahmed Walid

Photo:

Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images

 

FWD

Bundesliga

25

 

 

25

Enzo Millot

MID

---

 

🇫🇷

Age:

22

Club:

Stuttgart

The question hanging over Enzo Millot heading into this season was whether his good form in the Bundesliga would translate into the Champions League. Now that it has, his release clause of €20million (£17m; $21m) seems like a pittance.

That clause is not active until the summer of 2025. Given Stuttgart are rebuilding after the departures of Waldemar Anton and Serhou Guirassy (both to Borussia Dortmund), it might make some sense — if his departure is inevitable — for him to leave in January.

Seb Stafford-Bloor

What else do I need to know about him?

When he joined Stuttgart in 2021, barely anyone noticed. They were a struggling side who had only just returned to the Bundesliga after relegation and had recently pivoted to a transfer strategy that prioritised young, developing players.

Not that Millot was a blue-chip prospect: he had barely seen the light of day at Monaco and hardly seemed a coup.

Yet his rise since has been remarkable. Injury wrecked his first season but at the end of his second, he scored decisive goals in the relegation play-off second leg against Hamburg in 2023. He graciously apologised to HSV fans after over-celebrating the second of those scored in the Volksparkstadion, too.

Since then, perhaps nobody has benefited more from the influence of coach Sebastian Hoeness. Millot was quickly interwoven into a side that played fast, intricate football, and established himself as a goalscoring midfielder to be feared. He helped Stuttgart rise from 16th to second within a year, qualifying for the Champions League and gaining access to a spotlight that his fast-flourishing talent deserves.

Seb Stafford-Bloor

Tell me about how he plays

Millot’s key strength is his passing. He can prise out the smallest gap in a defensive line to thread the needle over a few yards from the edge of the box but also drop back and bypass an entire team to find his striker with through balls or passes over the top. If forced into wide areas, he also possesses a dangerous left-footed cross.

That ability to cause chaos is coupled with ball control. Millot never refrains from taking on players. In Stuttgart’s 5-1 demolition of Borussia Dortmund in September, he dribbled past three defenders along the byline to feed El Bilal Toure.

His influence extends beyond on-the-ball exuberance as his constant movement and scanning keep him a step ahead. Defensively, he is energetic and combative and helps lead Stuttgart’s press. However, this is certainly a work-in-progress area, especially when defending space and consistently winning aerial duels.

Millot has had an amazing journey over the past few years and it will be intriguing to see what 2025 has in store.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

Photo:

Silas Schueller/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

 

MID

Bundesliga

22

 

 

26

Jobe Bellingham

MID

---

 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Age:

19

Club:

Sunderland

Sunderland’s confident start to the Championship season has showcased a talented young squad aiming for the Premier League, with Jobe Bellingham shining brightest among them.

Bellingham, who joined Sunderland from his boyhood club Birmingham City for £1.5million ($2m) in the summer of 2023, is attracting increasing attention.

Sunderland would be reluctant to lose Bellingham in the January transfer window, certainly if they retain a place among the leading promotion-chasers. But there is an acceptance that his form might attract offers too good to turn down. However, in November, head coach Regis Le Bris advised Bellingham and fellow rising star Chris Rigg, 17, to remain at the club for the good of their development.

Crystal Palace and Brentford were both credited with interest before an extended contract was signed with Sunderland this summer. Borussia Dortmund — already familiar with the Bellingham family after Jude’s successful stint — have also been tracking him.

Jobe Bellingham, though, is a young man eager to carve out his own path, gradually proving himself as an accomplished player with time on his side.

Phil Buckingham

What else do I need to know about him?

A first call-up to England’s under-21s in November was a measure of the technically gifted midfielder’s quickening progress. “The complete player,” Le Bris suggested casually in a press conference.

The weight of his family name has been heavy and the request was made to the EFL for the younger Bellingham to carry Jobe on the back of his shirt shortly after arriving at the Stadium of Light. Stadium announcers also go with just his first name. “He doesn’t want to live off the back of his brother’s name,” said Tony Mowbray, who was Sunderland’s manager at the time.

A first season with Sunderland had ups and downs against the backdrop of his team’s ailing form but he has become more consistent. A greater influence has been noticeable, dictating play and showing improved discipline off the ball.

Phil Buckingham

Tell me about how he plays

Bellingham has shown great versatility during his 18 months at Sunderland. Last season included long spells as a No 10 and, when circumstances demanded it, as a lone centre-forward. This campaign, though, has seen Bellingham operating in a deeper role.

Sunderland’s most commonly used midfield three has pitched Bellingham alongside Dan Neil, with another talented teenager, Rigg, typically given the licence to attack.

That has not stopped Bellingham from providing a goal threat but his greatest impact has come in deeper areas. A natural No 8, perhaps, who projects composure on the ball and the right amount of aggression without it.

More experienced opponents have struggled to get the better of his physicality, while the season-on-season improvement in his technical ability has been evident, making him a fascinating prospect.

Phil Buckingham and Anantaajith Raghuraman

Photo:

Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images

 

MID

Championship

19

 

 

27

Carlos Baleba

MID

---

 

🇨🇲

Age:

20

Club:

Brighton

Carlos Baleba was down the pecking order at Brighton in the summer after investment in the central midfield area. After an impressive first season, he was behind Mats Wieffer, James Milner and Billy Gilmour for the first two games of the campaign.

But a substitute appearance against Manchester United, Gilmour’s sale to Napoli and injuries in his position changed his situation and he has impressed.

Baleba’s contract runs until 2028 and there is a good chance Brighton will try to renew it.

There is an anticipation he is now being eyed by top clubs — but any asking price would be significant and there would also be question marks over whether he would want to leave Brighton at this stage.

David Ornstein

What else do I need to know about him?

Weeks after his 18th birthday, Baleba moved from his native Cameroon to Lille in 2022. After spending the back half of that season with their B team and making matchday squads for the first team, he broke through under Paulo Fonseca in the 2022-23 campaign.

Lille’s most famous academy graduates are Franck Ribery, Eden Hazard and Kevin Mirallas, all technical wingers, but they have a penchant for developing versatile central midfielders too: Yves Bissouma, Nabil Bentaleb and Yohan Cabaye all plied their trade at Lille before Premier League moves.

In that sense, Baleba is walking the same path as Bissouma, going from Lille to Brighton, knowing there is a pathway for youngsters to shine. Bissouma (now at Tottenham Hotspur), along with Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) and Moises Caicedo (Chelsea) are recent examples of young midfielders getting a ‘Big Six’ move after impressing on the south coast.

Though the clearest sign of his progression was a Cameroon debut in the summer when he started as the lone defensive midfielder in a 4-1 win over Cape Verde, aged 20 years, five months and five days. He is the youngest debutant under head coach Marc Brys, who was appointed in April.

Baleba is, according to Brighton midfielder Matt O’Riley, a players’ player. “To play alongside someone like that is nice, cause he just smashes everyone and makes my life quite easy,” O’Riley told the BBC.

Liam Tharme

Tell me about how he plays

Baleba’s style is a mix of Bissouma, Mac Allister and Caicedo. He has shown the capacity for a long-distance screamer and often dominates opposition midfielders, knowing how and when to use his build — but he offers plenty in possession too. He undoubtedly benefits from his early senior days playing in Fonseca’s positional 4-2-3-1.

He’s a left-footed, high-touch (see below) player in central midfield, more than comfortable to turn out of pressure rather than immediately release the ball. He comes out highly in most defensive metrics, as well as pass completion and successful take-on stats. There’s a natural comparison between him and Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana (another former Lille midfielder), for tall central midfielders who play with the skill set of a player much shorter.

The biggest area for Baleba to improve is his decision-making out of possession, having picked up eight yellow cards and one red card in his first 37 Premier League appearances. He has also conceded a few penalties too.

Liam Tharme

Photo:

Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

 

MID

Premier League

20

 

 

28

Jorrel Hato

DEF

---

 

🇳🇱

Age:

18

Club:

Ajax

In the summer, Ajax needed to make sales — and quickly. Without the income of European football, the club aimed for 10 departures to make room for just three incoming players and refresh the squad.

Everyone was on the table — except Jorrel Hato, the best talent to emerge from Ajax’s academy since Jurrien Timber. At 18, the centre-back was already too important.

Only a monster offer could have led Ajax to reconsider, but Hato’s representation made it clear to potential suitors that he did not want to leave. Arsenal have been long-term admirers, but their signing of fellow left-sided centre-back Riccardo Calafiori means any pursuit is unlikely.

However, with Europe’s elite clubs always after young, ball-playing centre-backs, other sides will soon be circling.

“I’m afraid that next summer, we will lose him,” one senior Ajax source has said.

Jacob Whitehead

What else do I need to know about him?

When Hato broke into the Ajax team, it was not the well-oiled winning machine that Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt came into. Last season, Ajax slumped to a fifth-place finish, which included a record 6-0 De Klassieker defeat by Feyenoord.

Hato, a boyhood Feyenoord supporter who still lives in Rotterdam, was determined to use this to forge himself.

“As an 18-year-old guy, I can take these learnings in the future,” he told The Athletic. “I want to achieve more, to achieve big things with Ajax: championships, playing in Europe, being at the highest levels of the Champions League.

“It’s not rare that people are going to speculate or think I’ll go to another club, but for me, it was always, ‘I want to stay at Ajax and achieve things’.”

Though coaches always asked him to watch Virgil van Dijk, his mentor growing up was Timber, who is now at Arsenal but was his first defensive partner at Ajax and taught him the value of composure in possession.

The turnaround seems to have begun, with Ajax beating Feyenoord and reigning champions PSV this season twice within a week and Hato was at its heart. The boy born in the shadow of Feyenoord’s De Kuip stadium scored in a 2-0 victory to show that Ajax are on their way back — the question is whether Hato will still be there when they peak.

Jacob Whitehead

Tell me about how he plays

Hato is best as a left-sided centre-back, but has been used as a left-back — versatility that suits the emerging trend across elite clubs to field centre-backs out wide.

He is extremely quick and comfortable enough in large spaces to play a high line. One area he is working on is his one-vs-one duels and he has rapidly improved, with an impressive tackle success rate.

Unsurprisingly for an Ajax academy graduate, his super-skill is ball progression, through carrying and distributing. A trademark pass is his straight lofted through ball — honed in Ajax’s under-17s, when coaches challenged him to break the lines differently — but he will also frequently run with the ball into midfield if opponents sit off.

Jacob Whitehead

Photo:

Stefan Koops / EYE4images

 

DEF

Eredivisie

18

 

 

 

[Vesper 28,975]

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall may leave Chelsea in January transfer window – Enzo Maresca

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6008003/2024/12/19/kiernan-dewsbury-hall-Chelsea-january-transfer/

Enzo Maresca admits that Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is one of the Chelsea players that could leave the club during the January transfer window.

Dewsbury-Hall joined Chelsea from Leicester City in July for £30million, but has yet to start a single Premier League game for the club. The majority of his 15 appearances have come in the Conference League and Carabao Cup instead.

Maresca was the 26-year-old’s manager at Leicester last season, where he played a major role in their promotion from the Championship. But despite being pleased with what the midfielder has shown since working with him at Stamford Bridge, he has used him just five times as a substitute in the league.

When asked if Dewsbury-Hall is definitely staying next month, Chelsea’s head coach said: “Unfortunately I can not say that about Kiernan or about all of the squad because when the window is open, anything can happen. The only thing I can say about Kiernan is that we are very happy with the way he is working and his performances.”

Dewsbury-Hall, who scored his second goal for the club in their 5-1 win over Shamrock Rovers on Thursday, revealed in pre-season that he hoped his move to Chelsea would improve his chances of getting in the England squad.

Maresca did not make it clear whether he was referring to the possibility of Dewsbury-Hall leaving permanently or on loan, but did say the decision whether to stay or go is up to the midfielder.

GO DEEPER

Chelsea's busy midweeks are the perfect opportunity for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

He added: “We don’t want one of our players to leave. The problem is sometimes the question is more for them. If they say ‘you don’t want me to leave but I am not happy and want to play more’, in that case we are not going to say ‘no, you have to stay’.

“It’s a matter of an agreement between the club and the player. The only thing I can say is I am happy with Kiernan, then we will see.”

Maresca has also said he has not decided yet whether Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia or Wesley Fofana will be added to the squad for the knock-out phase. Chelsea, who qualified for the last 16 as winners of the group phase, can make three changes to the squad before the deadline on February 6.

[Vesper 28,975]

The Out-of-Contracters

The hidden gems we're watching this January as their contracts tick towards zero.

https://www.scoutednotebook.com/p/out-of-contract-gems-2025

 

Fabrizio Romano is defrosting, which can only mean one thing: a transfer window is approaching.

While I’m not looking forward to him rearranging the same three sentences eight times and posing each as a ‘new update’ on another over-covered saga, I am looking forward to the deals that will get done – particularly as January is perhaps the most logical jumping off points for players from the calendar year leagues, like Scandinavia, South America and Japan, some of my faves.

That said, the January transfer window is usually one that is difficult to get things done in, as disheveled managers scream into the abyss when faced with the relentlessly-chipper Gary Cotterill asking if they’re ‘looking to add anybody’ for the 26th time in a single press conference. Many clubs will resort to the classic “market opportunity” – the player that wasn’t on the agenda initially but is increasingly enticing amid rising tensions and overwhelming FOMO – while others, the smarter ones, your Brightons and Bundesliga-ers, will lay the foundations for their summer business.

A unique facet to the January transfer window is the prospect of clubs being officially allowed to approach players who are out of contract the following summer. Clubs can get talking to players and their representatives and deals can even be agreed, as you’ve no doubt done countless times on Football Manager. That said, it’s not as cut-and-dry as it is on your FM save, and let’s not act as if those approaches haven’t already been made informally via various intermediaries and agents in the months prior, but go with it just for the sake of this piece.

Scene set, who are the players that can be approached this coming January to sign on a pre-contract agreement for the summer? Are there any gems to be secured and bargains to be bagged? Let’s have a look.

---

Before we begin, the caveat: I’m going off Transfermarkt data, which is bloody great and broadly fantastic (and entirely free) but can be off in some of its detail at times. Don’t take it as gospel, even if it pretty much is.

Furthermore, these are dynamic situations – just because they haven’t extended their contract come February, it doesn’t mean they won’t before it expires in the summer. Clubs will be trying their best to keep many of the names in this piece, and some of them will manage to do so.

The Big Boys

While I’m reluctant to write about anyone that you’ve probably never heard of, I have to mention some of the more obvious Out of Contracters.

Where better to start than with Trent Alexander-Arnold? An all-time Premier League great, a right-back that happens to be a generational passer on course to becoming a club legend, Liverpool are obviously trying to keep him – but that depends on what the re-appointed Michael Edwards and his data-led decision-making is willing to offer him. Real Madrid will offer him year-round sun, guaranteed titles, a fat pay packet with a chunky sign-on fee, and Jude Bellingham.

Joshua Kimmich, Leroy Sané and Alphonso Davies are all coming into the final six months of their contracts at FC Bayern München with no likely resolution obvious nor in sight. All three will have the pick of some elite clubs were they to run down their contracts.

In northern France, Jonathan David and Angel Gomes’ LOSC Lille contracts expire in June. David has been stuck in a limbo in Ligue 1 ever since moving there from Belgium, scoring 101 goals and counting in a touch over 200 appearances but not convincing enough for a bigger fish to take the bait. Little Angel Gomes, meanwhile, has found solace in a deep midfield role and worked his way to becoming an England international. It’s been a nice story.

Circling back to full-backs, Tyrick Mitchell, Kyle Walker-Peters, Ola Aina and Kenny Tete’s contract situations are up in the air. They’ve made well almost 400 Premier League appearances between them and would represent rock-solid value for their current clubs’ rivals. Can I interest you in a Kieran Tierney?

Broaden the search criteria to the plus-30s and the likes of Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, Virgil van Dijk, Heung-min Son and İlkay Gündoğan flash up. Some will stay, others will go.

The list goes on and on. But forget about them, they’re old and boring. Who are the hidden gems that could be available at cut-price rates this January or on freebies next summer? Read on below.

Take the biscuit

No ‘free transfer’ is ever truly ‘free’ – if anything, the figures needed to sign out-of-contract players are inflated by the fact that there isn’t a transfer fee to pay – but still, you can get some properly good deals that can look fantastic in hindsight. Tom Bischof would be one of them.

The 19-year-old is having a breakthrough season at TSG Hoffenheim, a club that has gone through some significant changes behind the scenes in recent months, after taking some time to burst into the first team. He’s been one of the outstanding performers in the Bundesliga so far this campaign, catching the eye in a do-it-all midfield role that we (myself and the dearly departed Stephen) first saw him in for Germany at a UEFA U-17 EURO of two years past.

Back then, Pedri was the comparison I made. I don’t particularly like comparisons, as Tom will attest to, but there are similarities to the ways both facilitate and instigate attacking sequences as playmakers, as well as how they move in general. The German is more skittishly aggresive and less precise than the Spaniard, but said Spaniard is on a level of his own.

Unsurprisingly, Eintracht Frankfurt, RB Leipzig and Bayern München have already been credibly linked to him. They’re the usual suspects when a highly-rated German talent is coming up to market. All three were in the popular sweepstakes for Assan Ouédraogo last summer, which was won by Leipzig.

What should be paramount for Bischof is that he plays, and that makes Eintracht my preferred destination for him (as it is with many young prospects) if indeed he does move. He’s only just broken into first-team football at Hoffenheim this season so regressing to a bit-part, in-out role makes very little sense.

Don’t discount him staying at Hoffenheim, either. Their new leadership have inherited this lingering contract situation and it’s the first big test of their tenureship. Losing a talent as valuable as Bischof for free isn’t a good start.

Strikers from the second tiers

Staying in Germany, Tim Lemperle is a really interesting one. Köln’s relegation and subsequent financial troubles (meaning they couldn’t sign nor afford to sell anyone) have helped him cement himself as the starting striker in a multi-pronged attack that’s dominating the 2. Bundesliga.

He’s scored eight goals and set up another four in 1,100 minutes so far this season, a return that has already surpassed his 11 goals and assists on loan at Greuther Fürth. Despite Köln trusting in him and their likely promotion back to the Bundesliga, he’s not renewing his contract at his boyhood club, making him an outstanding option for top-flight sides across Europe.

He’s built like many of the new-age German centre-forwards are: tall and stringy but mobile and flexible. He darts off high lines, works the channels, sets the press and provides an all-round presence on the last line that suits the multi-striker systems that are prevalent in Germany.

The Bundesliga is the likeliest destination, but don’t discount the Belgians nor Italians. Lemperle stinks of Club Brugge and Genk, for instance, or an Udinese or a Lecce, perhaps. Championship clubs – capable of paying players more than many Big Five League clubs – should definitely have him on their agenda.

---

Iván Azón should be of interest to top-flight clubs too as he enters the final straight of his contract at Real Zaragoza. It could be the end of an eight-year association with the club that has seen him make almost 150 first-team appearances having been a regular in the Segunda División since the age of 17.

The 22-year-old is weird because he doesn’t get that many shots (2.6 per 90 according to FBRef, about average in their data set) but has a real knack for scoring ‘easy’ goals. The shots he takes are often between the posts and pretty close to goal. He recently went on a hot streak of scoring headers of corners. I know, weird.

His underlying data is promising too, showing up well in the ‘reference point’ metrics. Watch him and you’ll see that he’s a bit of a pest, barreling around plenty, buzzing and bouncing all over the place. He probably moves too much and too often, especially in the box, but that puts defences on edge.

Where he moves to next will be interesting – if he moves at all, as leaving his boyhood Real Zaragoza will be hard. La Liga is an obvious next step, but don’t discount one of the player-flipping clubs that Portugal have plenty of. All he needs is a season of 15 goals there and an even bigger step will present itself.

Get Him, Play Him, Sell Him

Yet another out of contract option in Germany is Javier Fernández.

Anyone that followed our UEFA Youth League coverage last season should know how much I love the Spaniard; I wrote and spoke about him enough. He was an exceptional midfielder in a Bayern team that had a lot of talent in its ranks, doing everything you could possibly want from your midfielder. He ran loads, passed plenty, tackled hard, arrived late, scored some decisive goals, was a bit of a snarling shithouse, the lot, the complete package.

Only injuries have meant he hasn’t been afforded the same level of first-team opportunities Adam Aznou has under Vincent Kompany this season. That may sway his decision in the negotiations that will be happening, particularly if there are enticing offers elsewhere.

If you’re a club with the means to pay him and play him, you absolutely should. Specifically? I would love to see him go to Celta Vigo, close to his native Ourense, where he could quickly establish himself alongside their promising core of home-grown talents. Broadly, he has the qualities to make an almost immediate impact at most La Liga clubs. The same goes for most other Big Five Leaguers, as well as any Belgian or Dutch clubs that can draw him in.

If he stays healthy and develops properly, Fernández has the potential to be a record sale down the line. Like, a €40-million-record-sale-down-the-line. I think Bayern will try their best to keep him, and I think they likely will get him to sign a new contract, but others should be trying hard to undercut them.

---

As a quick side note before moving on… for a footballing system that is as soundly run financially and administratively as they are, German clubs don’t half let a lot of talent walk for free. There’s more to come below.

A Fabled Market Opportunity

Yarek Gasiorowski is out of contract in the summer, but he isn’t really out of contract in the summer. Valencia have the option to extend his contract by two years, per Transfermarkt, and they can do that whenever they like as long as there aren’t any deadlines or stipulations to it. They should.

But the club are in dire straits. After a few seasons punching above their weight with the youngest squad in Europe’s Big Five League, fighting off relegation, raging against their disgraceful ownership, this season looks like the tipping point. They’re not down and out yet – they’re five points off safety with a game in hand and 22 more to play – but it’s not good.

With that in mind, will Los Che really turn down an seven-figure fee for an academy graduate that isn’t yet a key starter and technically in the last six months of his contract? Maybe they would, perhaps they wouldn’t, but it’s certainly worth giving them that decision to make.

In Gasiorowski, clubs would be getting a centre-back that fits the bill of a modern defender: tall, athletic, mobile, the soon-to-be 20-year-old is a defender that can lock down attackers, as he did with Francesco Camarda, as well as being really solid in the air and a high-level distributor with his valuable left foot. Furthermore, he’s ready to step into a steady first-team role having been chopped about by Rubén Baraja in 2024.

SCOUTED XI: Our UEFA U-19 EURO Team of the Tournament

SCOUTED

·

Aug 8

Read full story

---

Sticking with centre-backs that made our UEFA U-19 EURO Team of the Tournament, Filippo Calixte Mané is yet another Bundesliga prospect that should be on clubs’ shortlists this winter.

Injuries have sandbagged his development at Borussia Dortmund since making a much-hyped move from Sampdoria a couple of years ago. A dislocated knee cap, hamstring pings and now a calf problem have meant he’s missed significant time on the football pitch. Nevertheless, he’s still been a standout in their UEFA Youth League sides and been an unused substitute for the first team in the Bundesliga and Champions League on numerous occasions this season.

Mané represents huge value for clubs that are willing to swallow the injury risk, provide him the patience to develop and the platform to showcase his qualities in senior football. His qualities are vast, particularly as an athlete that can defend big situations really well and a ball-player with high-level traits.

There is a similarity to Nnamdi Collins, another highly-rated centre-back that was coming through at BVB. A big knee injury derailed his development, chucking him off the fast track, but Eintracht Frankfurt decided to pick up the pieces by taking him on a cut-price deal and now they’re reaping the reward of the 20-year-old becoming a first-team regular this season. Now that’s a ‘market opportunity’.

The Italian could make a similar move, but I’d like to see him drop down a level again – go somewhere else, find a stable environment, work on your game, start games, then bounce back up bigger and better.

Rapidfire Recommendations

This section is what it says on the tin: a rapidfire, shorter and sharper rundown of other Out of Contracters that should be of interest to clubs across Europe and beyond.

---

Want another out-of-contract Bundesliga prospect? Look no further than Nelson Weiper. He made our SCOUTED50 list for the 2023/24 season but a knee injury meant he missed almost all of what promised to be a breakthrough campaign. He’s been a prolific goalscorer at junior level for club and country, but now he needs to play. Makes a load of sense for 2. Bundesliga clubs.

---

Ayman Kari should be high on clubs’ shortlists for dynamic, press-escaping midfielders. He was part of the same Paris Saint-Germain academy team as Warren Zaïre-Emery and it looked like he was going to walk for free a couple of years ago, but he committed his future to PSG, got some first-team reps, then went on an indifferent loan to Lorient last season. Great burst, good touch under pressure, and a rhythmic passer – Kari comes with valuable talents that need to be playing regularly at a solid level. The upside is big.

---

You know how Liverpool have a really good back-up goalkeeper in Caoimhin Kelleher? Well, they have good back-up back-up goalkeeper in 23-year-old Vitezslav Jaros behind him. Signed from Slavia Praha as a teenager, he’s impressed on various loans, most recently at title-winning Sturm Graz. He shouldn’t be a third-choice ‘keeper at all, and this summer could be his jumping off point.

---

Having tumbled down to the third division, Málaga are on their way back up with a core of home-grown talent. Antonio Cordero is one of their cantera gems and their top scorer in Segunda, starting almost every game and bagging four goals off the left wing so far this season. An U-19 international for Spain, he’s primed for a move to a solid La Liga club or perhaps Portugal for a more immediate pathway. Another from Spain’s Segunda with a similar out-of-contract profile to Cordero is Elche’s 19-year-old Rodrigo Mendoza.

---

One of the players that got trapped in the revolving door at Chelsea is Harvey Vale. An esteemed academy graduate, the club have handled his integration to senior football poorly at pretty much every step. Limited first-team opportunities were compounded by a late loan to Hull City that was never likely to offer much. Still at Chelsea, he should be absolutely definitely be moving on in the summer, going into his age-22 season, and top-end League One clubs should be all over his plug-and-play skillset.

---

Who remembers Emre Tezgel? He went viral a few seasons back for scoring loads at youth level and ultimately staying at Stoke City, turning down scholarship offers from almost every big English club to do so. He’s been on the fringe of the first team ever since, and he scored three on a six-month loan at MK Dons, but clubs will be enamoured by the project and potential.

---

‘Lanky frame, good shift of tempo to create separation, very busy feet one-v-one’ is the gist of my Tidiam Gomis notes from last year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup. The 18-year-old is an undeniably eye-catching prospect on the pitch with a profile that will get clubs’ imaginations whirring. Don’t discount a transfer this January as SM Caen look to cash in.

---

Aaron Ciammaglichella is the prototype new-age Italian midfielder, an absolute dynamo between the boxes that has developed through the age groups. Senior opportunities have been hard to come by at Torino, but he has the talents to play straight away at Serie B level. He screams of somewhere like Spezia, one of many Italian clubs that love picking up young talent.

---

If you want two full-backs for the price of one, try Benfica. Tiago Parente and Diogo Spencer are both coming into the final stretch of their academy contracts. The former – a Portugal U-19 international and on-trend left-back – is best served staying at his boyhood club for some time yet, but the latter, a Lamptey-like outlet, is at an age where he needs to fly the nest.

---

Looking ahead, another ‘market opportunity’ may be Roony Bardghji. He’s missed the last eight months with an ACL rupture but is slated to return in early 2025, at the end of which his contract expires. FC København have taken up a strange policy of pawning off good academy talent and the much-vaunted Bardghji could be next on the sale stand come the summer.

There’s many exciting prospects in Scandinavia and the Americas — where the calendar year seasons necessitates contracts that expire in December rather June — coming into the final year of their contract too. Rayan at Vasco da Gama, Philadelphia Union midfielder Jack McGlynn, Marius Broholm of Rosenborg, and more.

Edited 1 hour ago by Vesper