Tag: Ajax

Under-the-Radar Young Talents to Watch at the 2022 World Cup

Under-the-Radar Young Talents to Watch at the 2022 World Cup

After 12 long years of build-up, controversy and debate, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is now just days away as 32 nations take centre stage in rather unexpected territory with the global showpiece taking place right in the middle of the 2022/23 campaign.

Nonetheless, it’s football all the same. Questions around some of the competitions best teams are already emerging. Can Brazil end 20 years of hurt? Will Lionel Messi finally lead Argentina to global glory? What about the Cristiano Ronaldo and his own expected last hurrah with Portugal? Have Gareth Southgate’s England got what it takes to finally go all the way?

All the answers to these various question will begin to take shape in the coming weeks, but as the competition kicks off, it’s important and rather intriguing to find out which burgeoning young footballing stars can emerge on the grandest stage.

Playing well at a World Cup can seriously launch a young footballer’s career into the stratosphere. 

And amongst the 32 participants, there are some flawless wonderkids who possess the abilities and personality to become future world stars.

#AnthonyScouts has got you covered, so here are 13 exciting under-the-radar footballing talents to watch over the coming weeks:

ENZO FERNANDEZ – ARGENTINA

(Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

AGE: 21

CLUB: SL Benfica

POSITION: Centre Midfielder

Argentina has long produced some of the continent’s most established and decorated footballing stars in recent memory, and it’s no surprise to see the South American giants still producing some of the best young and exciting stars for the future.

One player currently turning a whole lot of heads across the continent right now after his recent move from southern half of South America at River Plate, currently being touted as one of the most coveted and exciting young midfielders to emerge from Argentina is Benfica’s Enzo Fernández.

The 21-year-old midfield dynamo has only been in Europe three months, and he’s already making a real splash both in the Portuguese Primeira Liga and the UEFA Champions League, and long may it continue because Enzo Fernandez is certainly on the right path to become one of the most complete midfield weapons of his generation.

Capable of playing in a variety of roles across the midfield either at no.8 (as he was deployed regularly for River Plate), no.6, no.4 and even as a creative and influential no.10, the 21-year-old mixes excellent technical proficiency with tremendous levels of effort, endeavour and application + a highly intelligent tactical understanding to boot.

The £18m-rated midfield dynamo is your perfect archetypal Argentinian midfield player. He is very combative in his midfield duels, protects the space and his backline incredibly well, a wonderful passer of the ball with excellent vision and high levels of accuracy, is very purposeful in his midfield actions and can dribble into dangerous territory or out of it to devastating effect.

If ever there was an archetypal Argentinian midfielder well-versed in battling hard, performing with real technical elegance along with an assuredness and arrogance steeped from the footballing history of such a decorated footballing nation then Fernandez is the perfect embodiment of those characteristics.

For all his good work in deep-lying roles, 2022 has seen Fernández develop into a truly all-round midfielder, adding goals and assists to the less-heralded elements of his game.

So far this season for Benfica, he’s registered three goals and three assists from 22 outings and is already a fully-fledged member of the Argentina senior contingent, so far rewarded with two international caps.

Expect that number to rise over the course of the tournament as the 21-year-old is highly rated by Argentinian coach Lionel Scaloni. Fernandez is already on the radar of several elite clubs across Europe, and the World Cup will provide him with the perfect platform to truly showcase his unique and flawless abilities.

MOISES CAICEDO – ECUADOR

AGE: 21

CLUB: Brighton & Hove Albion

POSITION: Centre Midfield

All was not lost for Brighton & Hove Albion when they lost Yves Bissouma to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window. Due to their excellent and sustainable club model, they’d already possessed a young starlet perfectly capable of filling the Malian’s position and much more.

Step forward the Ecuadorian midfield maestro Moises Caicedo.

So far this campaign, the 21-year-old has become one of the success stories of the Barclays Premier League season. It all started when he bossed the park at Old Trafford in the first game of the season in Brighton’s 2-1 win over Manchester United – a further indication of the prodigious talent Brighton have on their hands in the Ecuador international.

A few months on, and we already looking at one of the potential midfield stars of the future. A player blessed with technical quality and excellence, vision, passing acumen, youthful exuberance and dynamism and a consistency level that well belies his tender age.

Caicedo is an integral component to the Brighton midfield, first under the departed Graham Potter who joined Chelsea and is continuing to excel under the fresh stewardship of talented manager Roberto De Zerbi. If you’re looking for a complete young midfielder to feast your eye on, the 21-year-old maestro is your man.

He’s started in all of Brighton’s 14 Premier League games this season, scoring once, averaging 67.8 touches per game, 1.1 key passes, 1.4 interceptions, an astonishing 3.1 tackles and also winning 57% of his ground duels. In fact, in the English top-flight, he ranks ninth in the whole division for progressive passes (65), eighth for through balls (8), and 6th for tackles (43), forming an incredible and well-rounded partnership with Alexis Mac Allister in the Seagulls midfield.

Caicedo is also a crucial midfield outlet for Ecuador too, establishing himself as a high-level performer across 25 appearances for his country over the past two years, swiftly becoming an integral part of the young side coach Gustavo Alfaro will lead to the World Cup after finishing fourth in South American qualifying with results that included draws against Brazil and current Copa America champions Argentina and a 4-2 victory over Uruguay, who came third. The Santo Domingo-born midfielder already possesses the tools, characteristics and mettle needed to perform and excel on the grandest stage.

Both Manchester United and Liverpool have been linked with his gifted services recently, and his stock and price tag will almost certainly double by the time Ecuador’s World Cup campaign comes to a close.

ILIMAN NDIAYE – SENEGAL

Images/Paul Burrows

AGE: 22

CLUB: Sheffield United

Position: Attacking Midfield/Forward

Senegal will be entering the World Cup this month fresh from their historic African Cup of Nations triumph back in February and arguably one of the most likely African teams to make it to the latter stages. However, those ambitions have taken an unexpected hit with the suspected absence of Sadio Mane who picked up an injury playing for Bayern Munich last week.

Although the former Liverpool man was still called up to be a part of Aliou Cisse’s talented squad, there’s no guarantee the 30-year-old will feature during the tournament which means the Lions of Teranga will be calling upon a new star to guide them in Mane absence and there’s arguably been no attacking player in Cisse’s squad in as good a form as Sheffield United’s unsung hero Ilman Ndiaye who has undergone a remarkable upward trajectory this campaign.

The 22-year-old enjoyed a productive 2021/22 campaign, breaking through into the first team during a 6-2 victory against Peterborough where he grabbed two goals and an assist to ensure everyone at Bramall Lane was paying attention.

He ended the season with seven goals and two assists as Sheffield United fell to Nottingham Forest in the play-off semi-finals. However, this season he’s reached remarkable new heights emerging as a pivotal figure in Paul Heckingbottom’s Blades side. So far this season, the 22-year-old has registered nine goals and two assists in 21 Championship games.

Ndiaye has enjoyed a rather unique journey throughout his career, born in Rouen, France to Senegalese parents, he started his career at Rouen Sapins FC before moving to Rouen. He then spent four years (2010-14) in the Marseille academy before signing with AS Dakar Sacré-Cœur in Senegal. In 2016, Ndiaye signed with Boreham Wood FC where he would stay until 2019 when Sheffield United came calling.

He would spend six months on loan at Hyde United to gain some first-team experience for the latter half of the 2019/20 season. The following season saw then-temporary manager Paul Heckingbottom grant Ndiaye his debut in a heavy 5-0 loss to Leicester City. The rest has become history, becoming a crucial and influential component in Heckingbottom’s 3-5-2 system at Bramall Lane offering great flexibility, attacking variation and dynamism stemming from his versatility in fulfilling a number of positions in attack and his unique tactical understanding that has immediately made him a cult hero in Sheffield.

Ndiaye has formed a devastating attacking partnership with Bramall Lane regular Olie McBurnie in which the duo have already notched 18 Championship goals between them. If Aliou Cisse can provide Ndiaye with similar conditions to thrive, there’s no reason why the one-capped international can become an instant hero on the biggest international stage for Senegal.

XAVI SIMONS – NETHERLANDS

AGE: 19

CLUB: PSV Eindhoven

POSITION: Attacking Midfielder

If you’re an avid follower of football in Europe and all it’s complexities especially within the young and emerging stars department, then you will be fairly familiar with the name Xavi Simons.

The curly-haired and wiry-eyed Dutchman has been a subject of much internet hype in the past, ever since he was a child, playing in Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy, whilst another Xavi, the legendary Spanish midfielder, was still excelling with the club’s senior team.

Developing as a deep-lying midfielder at Barcelona, the Dutchman took the plunge to join French Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain in 2019 and has not looked back since. He’s only gone and transformed himself into fully burgeoning and decisive creative and attacking outlet, back in his home country Netherlands for PSV Eindhoven, after taking the decision to further enhance his development with more opportunities and exposure in the first team.

Without a single senior international appearance to his name, Simons has still managed to catch the eye of one of football’s most revolutionary coaches in Dutchman and current Netherlands boss Louis Van Gaal, and that is an impressive feat for the incredibly gifted 19-year-old.

To put it simply, Simons deserves the call-up and could almost certainly emerge as one of the world’s hottest footballing properties, if he isn’t already. He’s one of them players that conjures up highlight reels on social media because of his unconventional and unique footballing style. A small, nimble player who loves to get on the ball, even in the most congested of spaces and weave his technical excellence, characteristics he’s crafted at youth level both for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

For PSV, the 19-year-old has been successfully utilised as a ’10’ this season. Though, he’s been tasked in fulfilling a number of roles under the tutelage of footballing legend Ruud Van Nistelrooy, some in central midfield as a ‘free-8’ in a 4-3-3, at times as a false-nine but mostly as a no.10 in a 4-2-3-1 formation, styles heavily utilised and mastered by the likes Van Gaal in the past.

10 goals and three assists at the time of writing, in his first year at senior level, just four months into a season is exceptional reading. In fact, the Dutchman is exceeding expectations. He’s outperforming his xG (expected goals) of 5.4 by 4.5 and also outperforming his xA (expected assists) of 2.1. Meaning, Simons isn’t just getting himself into great positions to score and create, he’s exceeding the goals and assists probability expected of him.

The World is simply his oyster, and to perform at one of football’s most prestigious competitions will only aid Simons’ development even further. He is a talent you cannot afford to miss, providing he gets the opportunity during the tournament.

KAORU MITOMA – JAPAN

AGE: 25

CLUB: Brighton & Hove Albion

POSITION: Winger

Yet another Brighton & Hove Albion employee on this list, and that says a lot about the work going on behind the scenes in the south east of England. Mitoma is the oldest on this list, but he’s a talent who simply cannot go through this football carnival unnoticed.

Japan possess some exciting footballing products in their weaponry right now and Mitoma is arguably the most exciting to watch. He’s picked up form for De Zerbi’s Seagulls at just the right too which means he enters this tournament with some renewed momentum and confidence and that can only do Japan – arguably one of the competition’s most picked dark horses – the world of good.

It’s also vital to mention that Japan are in arguably the most exciting group at the World Cup – Group E – where they will be mixing it with the likes of Spain, Germany and Costa Rica, and that can only provide Mitoma with the ample opportunity and platform to announce himself on the world stage.

The 25-year-old scored his first Seagulls goal in a 3-2 win over Wolves last weekend, before netting again four days later as his side dumped Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup.

Signed in August 2021, the winger has had to wait for his opportunity at the Amex after notching an impressive 30 goals and 20 assists in 62 appearances for J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale.

He was immediately shipped out on loan to Belgian outfit Union Saint-Gilloise for the 2021-22 campaign — a club owned by Brighton chairman Tony Bloom.

Eight goals and four assists in Brussels was enough to convince former manager Graham Potter to keep him around the first team squad. Though, opportunities were hard to come by, but since De Zerbi’s appointment after Potter joined Chelsea, Mitoma has impressively emerged from the shadows.

Since being named in a Premier League XI for the first time against Chelsea last month, Mitoma has not looked back. An electric and rampant display by the Seagulls saw them inflict a 4-1 defeat on Potter’s Blues on the Englishman’s return to the South Coast and Mitoma was heavily influential.

After a bursting onto the scene for Brighton, he’s now adding goals and assists to his game, contributing to three goals (2 goals , 1 assist) since the Chelsea win. Also, Kevin De Bruyne (3.8) has created more chances per 90 minutes in the Premier League than the Japan international (2.9), while only Allan Saint-Maximin (4.06) has completed more take-ons than his 2.61, highlighting his swift impact on De Zerbi’s men.

Incredibly fast, agile, technically gifted and tricky on the ball, Mitoma is an unpredictable outlet for both Brighton and Japan, it’s amazing to think that the 25-year-old was still fighting for a place in his university team during the 2018 World Cup tournament in Russia. Four years on, he could well emerge as one of Japan’s key protagonists in their exciting journey in Qatar.

YUNUS MUSAH – USMNT

AGE: 19

CLUB: Valencia

POSITION: Midfielder/Winger

You can’t form a list of highly coveted young stars to watch out for at a major international tournament without giving the United States of America recognition for their work in moulding some of football’s most hottest young properties.

Coach Gregg Berhalter certainly has a whole host of them in his squad to choose from, but one young man who will be central to his plans in Yunus Musah – a player who could well have been representing England despite being born in New York. The 19-year-old has already made a number bold decisions that has shaped his footballing career till now.

Leaving the Arsenal youth setup to join La Liga outfit Valencia at the age of 16 was one, opting to represent the USA after playing his youth football with England was another one, and looking at his progress right now, those decisions have proven smart and mature choices for a player still developing and plotting his trade at the top level.

Musah used to line up alongside the likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, and Folarin Balogun before opting to leave for Spain and at the La Liga outfit, they believe they have on their books one of the most complete and well-rounded young midfielders on the continent. Ever since he broke into the first team at 17, Musah has gone on to make 82 appearances for Valencia, registering five goals and also more crucially become an important figure for the country of his birth.

“His technical ability is so good,” former USMNT footballer Stuart Holden said of Musah. “He’s a guy that, under pressure, can get out of tight spaces; he has great balance and movement within that; he’s a guy that can link up play and drive the ball forward with his dibbling.”

Indeed, Musah is a technically gifted footballer, but that’s not all, he combines that with stunning tactical understanding, flexible versatility and levels of application that so many of his peers lack, even at the top level. Blossoming at Valencia, he’s emerged as an effective and energetic midfielder disrupter averaging 1.9 tackles per game, and winning 57% of his ground duels whilst also establishing himself as an influential ball-carrier and a calming presence when the ball is at his feet, owing to his capabilities in also playing out wide.

Amongst midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 365 days, Musah ranks in the 92nd percentile for dribbles completed per 90and in the 99th percentile for shot-creating actions from dribbles per 90. If Musah can add goals and assists to his gifted arsenal, there’s no reason why he can’t become one of the best midfielders of his generation. His country will need him at his influential best during the tournament.

JESPER LINDSTROM – DENMARK

AGE: 22

CLUB: Eintracht Frankfurt

POSITION: Attacking Midfielder

Denmark will gracefully be another of the World Cup’s dark horses akin to their tremendous form over the past year, especially at Euro 2020 last June where they shocked the whole continent reaching the semi-finals especially after the near-fatal incident involving Christian Eriksen during the competition’s group stages. Their performances then transformed perceptions around the whole nation, also turning head coach Kasper Hjulmand into a cult hero and national celebrity.

Now, expectations have risen, especially with Eriksen continuing to be at the forefront of their aspirations after his health scare, excelling tremendously at Manchester United. However, Danish eyes thankfully won’t just be pinned on him during the World Cup. Hjulmand now possesses a whole batch of game changers, none quite as exciting as the swiftly emerging, incredibly and uniquely gifted Eintracht Frankfurt magician Jesper Lindstrøm.

The 22-year-old has been a revelation since his move to the Europa League winners back in July 2021 from Danish side Brøndby IF. He registered five goals and four assists during the 2021/22 campaign, emerging as a burgeoning young talent in German football. So far this campaign, he’s elevated himself to a whole new ceiling so far contributing seven goals in all competitions.

What has stood Lindstrøm out from his peers is his incredible versatility. He predominantly operates as a right-winger. However, he has played on either wing, as a centre-forward and as a 10 for Frankfurt throughout his emergence in Germany. He isn’t your typical winger, getting to the byline and crossing, he’s a player well-versed in locating dangerous pockets between the lines and consistently hurting the opposition through stunning movement and intricate passing techniques.

The former Brøndby IF maestro has also forged his reputation on electric dribbling and tidy footwork. He is excellent at beating defenders, using either a tricky touch or a clever use of his body to mesmerize opponents and create space. These moves allow him to create a high number of chances for his teammates, but so do his clever passes.

He’s also a true goal threat, as shown by his six goals in the Bundesliga so far, but also him ranking in the 78th percentile amongst attacking midfielders/wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for xG (expected goals) per 90 (0.39) and 86th percentile for non-penalty goals xG per 90 (0.39) highlighting how effective and potent he’s become in front of goal. Goals win you games, especially in international tournaments, and Lindstrøm should ultimately prove an effective and decisive presence when Denmark need him most.

He’d be a terrific outlet in the Premier League, so don’t be surprised to see him linked with some English top flight clubs, providing he excels in the coming weeks.

YOUSSOUFA MOUKOKO – GERMANY

AGE: 17

CLUB: Borussia Dortmund

POSITION: Striker

Timo Werner’s injury at RB Leipzig has proven a cruel and crucial blow for Hansi Flick, especially as the Germany head coach has always been a big fan of the former Chelsea forward, even despite his numerous detractors.

However, noises around Werner’s injury haven’t lasted for long, the Germans possess a devastating blend of attacking weaponry in their arsenal including a 17-year-old forward who is simply getting better with every passing week.

Without a senior international cap to his name, Youssoufa Moukoko has proven too hot and too good for Flick to ignore, rewarding him with his first senior call up, not for a meager friendly, no, for an international footballing carnival, the World Cup – the grandest stage in football. A platform Moukoko, despite his tender age simply deserves to grace.

Six goals and four assists in all competitions for the 17-year-old makes for incredible reading, especially considering Borussia Dortmund have been struggling for an accomplished presence up front, since Sebastian Haller’s cancer diagnosis. Moukoko has swiftly come in to the fold, and set the whole of the Bundesliga alight.

No player has reached 10 league goals at a younger age than the 17-year-old. More importantly for both Germany and Dortmund, Moukoko has proven himself a rapidly maturing striker who can make things happen all on his own. The forward’s movement of the ball, work rate, ability to play between the lines, decision-making and devastating finishing levels are unlike many we’ve seen especially amongst players as young as he is.

You know you are a decorated footballing nation when you can call upon talents such as Moukoko to stand-in and replace the likes of Timo Werner. Moukoko may just prove the difference maker for Hansi Flick’s side at the World Cup, who knows, maybe the footballing gods have a script especially tailored for the flawless 17-year-old.

DIOGO COSTA – PORTUGAL

(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

AGE: 23

CLUB: FC Porto

POSITION: Goalkeeper

Another one of the dark horses at this World Cup, even though they can be considered as one of the competition’s favourites. Portugal do in fact enter this winter showpiece possessing one of the most complete and talented squads. And an area which has undergone a stark change in Fernando Santos’ talented group is in between the sticks.

When you’re imminently chosen to replace Rui Patricio as Portugal’s number one goalkeeper, you know you’re a special talent capable of keeping the whole nation’s destiny in your hands, and that man is FC Porto’s tremendous and decorated young goalkeeper Diogo Costa who is enjoying a sensational campaign and is now being considered one of Europe’s best in between the sticks.

Costa is even now drawing favourable comparisons to Vitor Baia, a predecessor with both Porto and Portugal in the 1990s.

His distance kicking, building from the back and ability to be active against crosses are his standard qualities but it is his penalty record that has truly made the 23-year-old a stand out goalkeeper on the continent. It is why Manchester United reportedly want to make Costa their number one goalkeeper to replace David De Gea for the long term.

Last month Costa became the first goalkeeper since Opta began in the 2002/3 campaign, to save three penalties in a single Champions League season.

Also, the opposition have only scored 15 of the 26 penalties he has faced in his senior career. The average penalty conversion rate is around 76 per cent, but it is only 57 per cent against Costa.

In his seven caps for Portugal, the Porto shot stopper has conceded just three goals. At the age of just 23, Portugal possess a goalkeeper they can rely on for the next 10-15 years, who knows he may be the one that finally hands them a World Cup gong.

MOHAMMED KUDUS – GHANA

AGE: 22

CLUB: Ajax

POSITION: Attacking Midfielder

After a dreadful African Cup of Nations campaign where Ghana were knocked out in the group stages after losing two of their three games and drawing the other, the Black Stars will be hoping they can provide their nation with some pride at the World Cup.

In all fairness head coach Otto Addo has been dealt a tough hand, where they will meet Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay in Group H – one of the more exciting groups in the whole competition. Ghana head into the tournament the least likely to make it out an incredibly difficult group, but this is tournament football. Anything can happen.

In order for the Black Stars to both impress, and possibly cause a World Cup fairytale upset as they did in South Africa 2010, they will certainly need their most talented stars out on the pitch. Something they failed to do back in February at AFCON. One man missing from that competition and is arguably their most in form player in the lead up to the tournament is Ajax’ Mohammed Kudus.

The 22-year-old attacker has enjoyed a sensational start to the 2022/23 campaign, registering 10 goals and 2 assists in all competitions for the Dutch giants. Kudus also has five goals and three assists in his 18 caps, and is a graduate of Ghana’s famous Right To Dream academy.

While Kudus is predominantly an attacking midfielder, he’s featured as a very influential and tactically masterful false-nine in Alfred Schreuder’s Ajax side, taking an average of 1.8 shots, making 0.5 key passes and completing 1.6 successful dribbles per game.

His ability to drop into dangerous pockets of space, link play but also be a threat in behind opposition defences makes him a unique commodity in the Black Stars setup, and there is an argument to be made that Addo surely has to build his team around the qualities of the 22-year-old maestro. He is their most in-form player heading into the tournament, and is certainly the one to watch alongside Kamaldeen Sulemana.

NICO WILLIAMS – SPAIN

(Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

AGE: 20

CLUB: Athletico Bilbao

POSITION: Winger

While his older brother has chosen to represent Ghana in Qatar, Nico Williams could argue that he could be the one spending the longest time on the World’s most prestigious stage and is the more likely to create history.

And that is not only down to the qualities Luis Enrique possesses in his Spanish armada but also down to the wonderful and exciting footballing gifts that the 20-year-old harnesses.

Williams has enjoyed a stunning season so far at Athletico Bilbao in the Spanish top-flight, registering three goals and three assists in what is his breakthrough campaign as a senior player.

And amongst Enrique’s quality arsenal, Williams possesses a talent that is unlike the rest.

The 20-year-old is certainly one to watch because of his amazing trickery, speed, acceleration, his ability to weave past defenders most especially in 1v1 duels.

Williams so far this season is averaging 1.4 key passes per game, and has created two big chances. He isn’t just a dribble merchant, but a player capable of beating his man and also providing the telling passes, qualities which may prove crucial for Spain as they attempt to breach and disrupt low blocks against their possession-based style.

YOUSSOUF FOFANA – FRANCE

AGE: 23

CLUB: AS Monaco

POSITION: Defensive Midfield

World Cup holders France may well be without Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante for this winters tournament, but Didier Deschamps and his side are very much in safe hands in midfield.

Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga are both catching the eye at Real Madrid this season, but it’s another midfield player that could prove crucial to France’s chances and is arguably the younger version of the legend that is Kante, and that man is AS Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana.

The hard-working and swash-buckling 23-year-old formed an effective engine-room duo with Tchouameni at Monaco last term and has shown promising signs in his two international appearances so far that he could be the man to fill the huge gaping void created by Kante’s absence.

Born in Paris, Fofana like so many of his peers broke free from the struggles to make an impression at Paris Saint-Germain, in order to hone his craft and trade elsewhere.

After being released by the national academy at Clairefontaine aged 13, he bounced around clubs both at Red Star FC and JA Drancy before being picked up by RC Strasbourg Alsace in 2017. Le Racing handed him his Ligue 1 Uber Eats debut a year later, in a 1-0 win over FC Metz.

After an impressive season-and-a-half in the Strasbourg first team, Monaco snapped him up in January 2020, signing both Fofana and Tchouaméni from Strasbourg and Girondins de Bordeaux respectively for a combined €35m, and the pair quickly formed one of the most formidable midfield partnerships in France.

Fofana made his international bow against Austria in September, and did not look out of place, expertly breaking up play with such sublime aggression, and assuredness whilst also providing a valuable and influential source in France’s build-up play. The 23-year-old is a midfield freight-train, powerfully built and capable of fulfilling a number of roles in midfield; as a dynamic box-to-box presence as well as a destructive defensive midfielder.

On his France debut, he impressively won 12 out of his 14 duels, showcasing his tremendous qualities to break up opposition attacks, something Kante has forged his reputation on. He’s averaged 0.9 interceptions, and 2.6 tackles per game for Monaco so far this season, but also holds the qualities to provide for his teammates in possession averaging 0.7 key passes and creating two big chances. During the 2021/22 campaign, he provided the fourth most through balls (19) of any player in Ligue 1.

Kante’s absence is a cruel blow for the French, but they needn’t worry as they possess a ready-made replacement in Youssouf Fofana.

ANTONIO SILVA – PORTUGAL

AGE: 19

CLUB: Benfica

POSITION: Centre-Back

Wonderkid defender Antonio Silva has swiftly gone from making his first team debut for Portuguese giants Benfica in August to becoming one of the most sought-after centre-backs on the continent, in just a matter of months.

His deserved call-up to Portugal’s squad is a just reward for his tremendous performances and the maturity and consistency he’s exerted ever since his first professional appearance for Benfica.

Standing at 6’2” (188cm), Silva possesses a searing physical presence especially for his tender age, and he uses it incredibly to his advantage, winning many of his aerial duels and physical battles with strikers.

Perhaps his best attributes, though, are ones tied with most modern day centre-backs.

His anticipation of when to step in and make a challenge or interception is outstanding for a player of his age, and during the early weeks of his first-team career he has regularly snuffed out attacks with well-time interventions.

He is also extremely comfortable when in possession, with his mid-to-long passing ability a real standout part of his game.

Silva has so far featured in 10 of Benfica’s 13 Liga Nos games and in all six of their Champions League group stage already highlighting just how crucial he is to the The Eagles, even though he’s only been apart of the squad for all of just four months.

Picking up an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.45, he’s bagged two league goals, successfully completed 92% of his passes, contributed to five clean sheets, averaging 1.7 interceptions, and 2.0 tackles per game. As mentioned previously, Silva is a dominant presence in the air, winning an astonishing 72% of his aerial duels at a rate 2.3 duels per game.

The 19-year-old who has been linked with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Liverpool following a series of matured and dominant performances against the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus in this season’s UEFA Champions League, could well force his way into Fernando Santos’ Portugal XI during the tournament, and with Pepe not getting any younger, Seleção have already found his heir apparent in the Benfica academy product.

ZENO DEBAST – BELGIUM

AGE: 19

CLUB: R.S.C Anderlecht

POSITION: Centre-Back

If you’re frequent watchers of the Belgian international team, we can almost predict that you’ve grown tired of constantly seeing the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Dedryck Boyata lining up in Roberto Martinez’ three-man defence.

Isn’t time they finally move on from the so-called Golden Generation? Out with the old and in with the new? Well, if you’ve ever doubted whether Belgium have any heirs in their centre-back pool, then you’re totally wrong.

We’ve got to give an honorable mention to Leicester City’s Wout Faes who has taken to the rigors of Premier League like a duck to water since his move to the King Power from Stade Reims over the summer, and he will certainly become a prominent figure for Belgium, hopefully at this tournament, and certainly beyond.

And there’s another talented and gifted young diamond in the Belgium centre-back talent pool and that’s Anderlecht’s 19-year-old rock Zeno Debast. Highly regarded and a much publicized wonderkid in Belgium, Debast was rewarded for his phenomenal performances for Anderlecht with a dream call-up to the World Cup squad, and there’s no doubt that Debast won’t be around to just fill the quota in Martinez’ 26-man squad.

Born in Halle to a football-mad family, with both his parents playing to a decent level, he joined the Anderlecht academy at the age of six.

A boyhood fan of the Purple and White, Debast was often initially deployed as an attacking midfielder, not least because of his diminutive stature.

It was not until 2019, when Debast, in the midst of a growth spurt, was moved back into defence, and he hasn’t looked back since.

He made his first-team debut for Anderlecht in May 2021, and followed that up with six further appearances over the next 12 months as Vincent Kompany slowly introduced him into the senior ranks.

Incredibly robust, mobile and very adept and progressive on the ball, owing to his past life as a creative midfielder. He possesses a superb range of passing, and can regularly be seen pinging balls across the pitch in a bid to launch Anderlecht attacks.

He is also a confident dribbler, and more often than not finds himself carrying the ball over the halfway line and even into the final third when given space to drive forward by the opposition. Debast is also incredibly skillful too. Standing at 6’2 (189cm), he is adept in the air and has shown enough in his short career to suggest that he is not shy of a tackle either.

Having learned under Kompany at Anderlecht, it is perhaps fitting that Debast has been tipped to become the next great Belgian defender, and he certainly has that in his locker. The future is in fact bright in the Belgium defence.

JEWISON BENNETTE – COSTA RICA

AGE: 18

CLUB: Sunderland

POSITION: Winger

The youngest player to ever represent Costa Rica having made his international debut in August 2021, Bennette has already earned himself some European recognition after his move to Sky Bet Championship side Sunderland over the summer.

The 18-year-old will be looking to announce himself on the world stage for Costa Rica, and he’ll be given the perfect World Cup platform to do just that with his country placed in the same group as Spain, Germany and Japan.

Bennette has made an encouraging start to his Sunderland career in the Championship and his form heading into the tournament has been promising too. He provided the assist for Joel Campbell to score the goal that sealed their place in Qatar during their play-off win over New Zealand, before bagging the first international goals of his career with a brace against South Korea in September.

Bennette is certainly one of the most promising teenagers to watch at the tournament.

What will Erik ten Hag bring to Manchester United?

What will Erik ten Hag bring to Manchester United?

Manchester United are a club in crisis, an institution that has been steeped in mediocrity for the best part of the last nine years and change is strongly required at Old Trafford.

According to The Athletic, Manchester United have reached an agreement in principle with Erik ten Hag to become their next permanent manager.

It is believed to be a verbal agreement. He is expected to join on a contract to run for up to four years.

This article will aim to analyse Ten Hag’s principles of play, and how it will fare in line with United’s squad and expectations:

Ten Hag’s rise to arguably the biggest job in football might feel fairly swift but his progress has been steady, meticulous and thoughtfully planned in order to maximize his impressive skill-set. At 52, he has been a youth coach and head of education, an assistant coach at home and abroad, and a manager at various other levels.

Erik ten Hag has impressed during his time at Ajax. He’s picked up two Eredivisie titles and historically reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League during the 2018/19 campaign for the first time since the 1996/97 season.

That campaign, he comfortably overcame the giant challenge current holders at that time Real Madrid 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu in round 16, and also played Juventus off the par in the quarter-final before their unfortunate defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-final.

Since his appointment in 2019, he has had an extremely impressive win percentage of over 70%, a true sign of the significant impact and transformation he’s embarked on that the club since he became manager in 2017.

Considering the change in philosophy, identity and impact he’s made in Amsterdam, the former Utrecht coach could oversee a long-term rebuild at Old Trafford, providing the much-maligned Manchester United hierarchy allows him the opportunity to do so.

So what will Ten Hag bring to Old Trafford?

Erik ten Hag has typically lined his Ajax side up with a possession-based 4-3-3 system.

erik-ten-hag-ajax-formation-lineup

The practices most widely associated with his team are width, verticality (for example counter-movements), decoy runs and manipulation of opposition presses and deep blocks.

From goal-kicks, Ten Hag’s Ajax build from a deep position with the keeper plus two centre backs. This setup offers a conventional build-up structure with which the centre-backs are required to be typically comfortable in possession, and have the capabilities to be progressive with their passing.

The centre-backs and goalkeeper, and of one of the fullbacks dropping in, Ajax can regularly enjoy positional dominance in build-up against an opposition block; particularly if the opposition uses a front one or two – both of which are very common in the Dutch Eredivisie.

Ajax often drop one of the fullbacks – either Daley Blind or Noussair Mazraoui – into a deeper and more vertical position to aid their build-up play. It allows either of the fullbacks to become a deep-lying orchestrator as they are allowed the ample time and space to find the vertical options on their side of the pitch.

This is very similar to how Pep Guardiola uses his fullbacks in the 4-2-4 build up positional setup, where either Cancelo on the left-flank or Kyle Walker at RB are at times tasked in sitting alongside Rodri when City build up in possession, allowing them to be more accessible against an opposition’s defensive shape, but also providing the team with an extra body in midfield when in possession.

Ajax also frequently stagger their deep midfielders too, pushing one higher, to create a single pivot. The single pivot (Lisandro Martinez) acts as an anchor, holding the opponent’s front line to a narrower berth, and distributing play, again similar to how Pep utilizes Rodri, or how he used Busquets at Barcelona.

Ajax are currently the best defensive performing team in Eredivisie with just 15 goals conceded all campaign at the time of writing, displaying high awareness, composure and consistency. The team’s well-measured actions and anticipation skills result in a high success rate in almost every aspect.

They are proficient in winning their challenges clearly, despite actually having the highest challenge intensity (duels, tackles and interceptions per minute of opponent possession) in the league.

The foundations of Ten Hag’s build-up are very solid, free-flowing and really quite conventional. But where the value lies, is not only how Ajax are able to progress the ball and begin to create, but how they can utilise well-coached movements and problem solving to adapt against various opposition shapes.

In terms of ball progression, the keys, once in settled possession, are: opening up passing lanes to exploit, having time and space to make the pass and lastly, allowing the receiver to consistently receive in an optimal manner.

When Ajax form their conventional build-up structure, the fullbacks tend to drop into a narrower position. To oppose this, the wingers move wider to open a diagonal lane.

This means the wingers (who are typically inverted) such as Tadic and Antony can receive in a consistent manner, back to touchline providing them the full view and width of the pitch so they can create freely and move into areas (in half-spaces) where they feel they can affect attacking phases of play and hurt the opposition.

Antony & Mazraoui share a strong relationship on the right-flank, with the full-back knowing when to leave the winger in a 1v1 situation against the opposition.

Within Ten Hag’s system, every player holds the confidence in themselves and in their teammates when creating chances, and that is proved in how each component works in tandem to disrupt a deep opposition block.

Rather like Pep, his teams look to open up the pitch and penetrate opposition lines by exploiting the sides of the pitch. United are currently lacking in the winger department, with Jadon Sancho arguably being the only out-and-out winger the team possesses at the moment, this is something ten Hag will be looking to address providing he is confirmed as the United head coach.

Jadon Sancho could play a key role in Ten Hag’s Old Trafford revolution (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

Possessing a player of Antony’s qualities could be incredibly useful at Old Trafford, seeing as he is not only an effective out-an-out winger, but an extroadinary creative force via his wand of a left-boot and his ability to link-up effectively with his teammates. So far this season, the forward has registered eight goals and four assists in the Dutch top-flight, building up from his nine goals and eight assists last term.

Like Raphinha at Leeds United, he is just as good creating and forming chances out of nothing than he is scoring them, a unique weapon and surely one which Ten Hag will be looking to add to dramatically improve United’s attacking play.

Ajax often play so the Brazilian can receive 1v1 in a deep and wide position. His distribution from here is excellent – particularly his in-swinging crosses. He also enjoys being in a 1v1 scenario regardless of whether Mazraoui is overlapping or standing off.

Whist in these systems the attacking threat comes from the wings, the midfield also helps out and are positioned quite high up the pitch in attack.

The three central midfield players all have their own unique roles; the central midfield player, previously occupied by United outcast Donny van de Beek and now performed by Steven Berghuis, always maintains a higher position on the pitch in support of the attack.

The two remaining midfield players generally have more defensive responsibilities: the other midfielder – nominally operates in a box-to-box role helping out both in defence and attack, with the remaining midfielder – the single pivot tending to be more composed in possession and confident on the ball.

Edson Alvarez and Ryan Gravenberch have been Ten Hag’s go-to midfield pairing

The overarching point regarding creating chances, is that the distortion through movement and width facilitates the individual quality, which ultimately adds another layer to the level of attacking threat ten Hag’s Ajax produce. They are not based off on individual quality alone, but on the system incorporated, qualities Manchester United just cannot claim to possess currently.

In terms of defensive transitions, Ajax generally perform reasonably, despite a system which makes having a consistent shape rather tedious. They often pack areas near the ball, thus, upon losing possession they are able to nip transitions in the bud with a counter-press.

However, this is where their weakness could lie: their reliance on their full-backs. Blind and Mazraoui are not only vital to build-up, progression, and (decoy) overlaps/underlaps in the final third, but are also integral to their defensive play.

Erik ten Hag’s team is a tactically complete side, evidenced by their impressive performances on the pitch throughout his reign. The opposite can be said of United: The Theatre of Dreams has at times this season become nightmarish. The club must act quickly and decisively and have a manager in place as soon as the season finishes, so the rebuild can commence as soon as possible.

If the Dutchman was named manager, it remains to be seen if any of the current starting XI would fit the bill for such a free-flowing system. Many suspect a large majority of the current squad would be moved on at the end of the season.

Providing Ten Hag moves to Old Trafford, we can expect a strong brand of possession-based football, where the players have a high level of clarity in terms of their role and how to break down the opponent, systematically, as a team – a far cry from what’s been produced by the team in recent years.

AND IN OTHER NEWS, check out this scout report on a tremendous young talent excelling under Ten Hag’s tutelage

Jurriën Timber 2021/22 – Scout Report

Jurriën Timber 2021/22 – Scout Report

The famous and well-renowned Ajax academy has been home to some of the world’s greatest footballing talents throughout the years and still stands as an example of a club possessing a classy and productive working model in player development.

The Dutch giants are not only known for developing their academy products and providing them with the opportunity in the first team but they are also renowned for creating a successful business model when allowing those talents to depart and also bringing in new players from the academy.

A player well versed and moulded in the Ajax strategy, currently taken the Dutch Eredivisie by storm is 20-year-old £27m-rated centre back, Jurrien Timber.

The wonderkid has rightfully earned Erik ten Hag’s trust and confidence with his stunning performances and maturity as well as his composure, vision and defensive understanding that fits perfectly with Ajax’s strategy.

His impressive displays has granted him a regular berth in Ajax’s starting XI which he has grabbed the opportunity with open arms, becoming one of the finest and most trustworthy cogs in Ten Hag’s well-oiled machine.

While they have always been successful in attack, this term their defensive performance has been exceptional. At the time of writing, Ajax have only conceded 13 goals goals in 27 games, a remarkable record underlying the importance and sheer resilience of their defensive players.

Reports are already emerging regarding much interest in his services with Chelsea and Tottenham previously rumoured to be keen on signing him.

With the way Timber has been developing at club and international level, there’s no reason why he can’t make the steady transition to Premier League-level football in the near future.

Who is Jurrien Timber?

Born in Utrecht, Netherlands. Timber and his twin brother Quinten Timber, who is also a footballer plying his trade at FC Utrecht, are of Aruban and Curaçaoan descent. Their mother Marilyn is from Aruba and their father is from Curaçao, both part of the ABC Islands in the Dutch Caribbean.

After impressing scouts for his hometown club, the 20-year-old was snapped up Feyenoord. However, Ajax’s famed history of developing and nurturing young talent was too great for him to ignore, so he joined the club at the age of 13 for the formative years of his footballing education.

Timber has only just recently emerged as the hot prospect everyone is raving about.

After making his debut in the last league game before lockdown, he returned from the enforced break with an even more important role in the first-team squad. The following summer, he was part of the Dutch team at the delayed EURO 2020.

Ajax coach Erik ten Hag, was impressed with what the youngster showed on his debut. “He has proven himself, and I will take that into the new season,” Ten Hag had said after the season abandonment was confirmed. 

The Ajax boss was true to his word and the 2020-21 campaign proved a true breakout year for Jurrien Timber. He took every chance that came his way enroute to making 20 appearances in Eredivisie, with 16 coming from the start. He added another five appearances in the Europa League as he gained some continental experience, never once looking out of his depth, a testament to his strength of character.  

On the international scene, he has appeared for Netherlands age group teams, from U15s to U21s. Timber has even made his international debut for Netherlands.

The 5 foot 10 defender has won six caps for his country at the age of just 20. Therefore, he is well on his way to matching his esteemed colleagues at the international level, in de Ligt and Van Dijk.

What’s so special about Timber?

Ajax are currently the best performing team in Eredivisie with just 13 goals conceded all campaign so far, displaying high awareness, composure and consistency. The team’s well-measured actions and anticipation skills result in a high success rate in almost every aspect. 

Ten Hag’s men are proficient in winning their challenges clearly, despite actually having the highest challenge intensity (duels, tackles and interceptions per minute of opponent possession) in the league.

Timber has contributed immeasurably to Ajax’s defensive success this season, where he has been rewarded with an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.40 from his performances in the Eredivisie.

Despite the lack of experience, the youngster possesses impressive composure in defence which puts him ahead pf his peers despite his lack of physicality and height. His technique and confidence on the ball allow him to dive into challenges and escape pressure through dribbling which helps the team in retaining possession.

His composure results in winning over 70% of his defensive duels this season, which puts him considerably alongside more experienced stalwarts in Ten Hag’s side such as Lisandro Martinez.

What makes him successful defensively, though, is his positional sense. Timber’s ability to read the game helps him in anticipating the oppositions’ movement and move into spaces so he can pressurise his opponents and block their attacking efforts.

The Dutch wonderkid has won 69% of his ground duels so far this campaign, as well as averaging 2.1 tackles per game and 1.5 interceptions highlighting his impressive defensive resilience and ability when halting his opponent’s progress with the ball.

The key qualities that have led to his valuable contribution are his concentration and work ethic. The 20-year-old is constantly aware of his surroundings and it is difficult to catch him out of position and unprepared.

Timber’s defensive work is often forthright and aggressive in his dueling. His positioning during final third attacks often puts him in good stead to press onto forwards immediately. When he has free reign to attack opposition ball-holders, he’s capable of timing his challenges from behind and finding the right space to reach through to nick the ball well.

As you watch him closely, you’ll find that this element of his defensive dueling is his calling card when battling against opposition attackers.

However, it’s all a different matter when Timber is tasked with marking someone.

When pressing from behind against a direct opponent, Timber is at fault for not establishing the sort of technique that can back up his constant aggression. He pushes into his opponent square-on, and will continue to jab towards the ball but without much care or effectiveness, so sharp turns and layoffs past him can easily catch him flat-footed.

It’s area of his game he will need to work on to become much more efficient and well-rounded on a consistent level like his compatriots de Ligt or Virgil van Dijk.

What favours him in many defensive situations though, is his ground coverage and physicality. At below 6ft and not being particularly stocky, Timber doesn’t appear to be much of a force, but it’s something he uses well to suffocate duels he’s engaged in. His height is a reason why he isn’t first to contest every aerial ball, but yet he’s managed to win 64% of his aerial duels. He’s proved himself to be capable of winning duels in plenty of mismatches thanks to his body-to-body strength on the ground.

Going forward, Ajax prefer to build up from the back, starting from circulating the ball laterally between Timber and Martínez. The team usually move into a more advanced position with the centre-backs right behind the central line and the full-backs often going past it to overload the opposition half and provide width. The team’s main strategy is to use high pass frequency and a lot of movement to bypass the opposition pressing structures and advance the ball to the final third.

Ten Hag’s men average over 600 passes per game and possess the highest pass completion rate in the whole division, underlying the players’ strong positional sense and connection.

Timber’s reliability and partnership with Martínez are key in possession. Due to his confidence on the ball and work under pressure, he is used for retaining possession and building up from the back by combining with his CB partner and the fullbacks too. 

One of the reasons for Ajax’s success in building up from the back is that both of their centre-backs are ball-playing defenders. Timber is actually one of the highest in the division in terms of pass frequency with his 82 passes per game on average which support the team’s efforts to deliver the ball to the final third.

As per FBRef, Timber ranks within the top 10 percentile amongst the defenders in Europe’s top five leagues for passing metrics over the past 365 days. He ranks in the 98th percentile for passes attempted per 90 minutes (82.34), the 99th percentile for pass completion percentage (93.9%), in the 97th percentile for progressive passes (5.39) and the 97th for progressive carries per90 (6.46) meaning he is indeed one of the best around in his build-up play and progressing the ball in the attacking areas for his team.

His positional sense and the team’s advanced position allow him to have a great contribution to their attack. He supplies the advanced areas with 15.51 passes per 90 which is the second-best record in the league and underlines his impact when progressing the play.

That, combined with his lack of height for a CB, are the reasons why Ten Hag has relied on him as a right-back on a few occasions. He can easily hold onto the ball and deliver it to the advanced areas and has a passing range that allows him to make combinations with his teammates and exploit spaces.

However, the only reason for him not being able to fully succeed in this position is his hesitancy to cross the ball. Due to his inexperience in this position, he has failed to be beneficial for the team in terms of supplying the box with balls and creating goalscoring opportunities.

Apart from that, he remains outstanding in his passing and ball retention as shown in the stats in percentile stats above.

Timber is incredibly patient and will use every second he’s given to manipulate the opposition in order to create alleyways elsewhere. He’ll slowly adjust his position with the ball so that he can create space for teammates to rotate into untracked and unseen. This all facilitates the freeing up of Ajax’s Argentine decisive ball-sprayer, Lisandro Martínez, who can look to maximise the directness and tempo of play.

Despite how smartly he shortens and slows his passes as part of the team’s overall ploy, the 20-year-old has only shown glimpses of potential in this respect. He can weight a long ball perfectly well and is very quick to play through the lines when appropriate, but his adjustments when undecided can kill his ability to play vertically.

It’s why he’s best positioned further towards the right as shown in the heatmap below, as the angles remain open for him even when doing this.

It won’t be a surprise if the Ten Hag temporarily employs him in defensive midfield, trying to use his passing range to orchestrate play, as he has previously said that a central midfield position might be suitable for Timber in the near future.

Indeed, within the Ajax system and footballing approach, their young products are expected to perform numerous roles within their designated positions, and Timber is yet another one of those hugely versatile products within their prestigious roster.

What does the future hold for Jurriën Timber?

The somewhat caged talents of Timber have shed a light on a player with great promise in possession of the ball. Combined with how seamlessly he applies himself to different roles within such concentrated setups, Timber should, right now, be a very desirable offensive prospect for many of those slightly lesser teams in the top leagues that are looking to be assertive, progressive and dominant with the ball.

Even a step up to clubs such as Champions League challengers in Serie A and La Liga could be the perfect platform for him to ramp up his rapid development but also provide him with the added platform to enhance his profile and impress.

Would a move to reportedly interested clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea be the right moves for him at this stage of his career? The former, much more plausible, but for a club like Chelsea who are faced with much pressure to win titles may not allow Timber the room to make mistakes and grow.

It’s a factor he will need to think thoroughly on if he is to embark on fulfilling the supreme and huge potential we know he possesses in abundance.

10 Talents to Watch in the UEFA Champions League Knockouts 2022

10 Talents to Watch in the UEFA Champions League Knockouts 2022

The UEFA Champions League is back on screens this week.

How we’ve missed that awe-inspiring, harmonious and breathtaking Handel-inspired Champions League anthem on our speakers, but we’re so glad its back as we look forward to another year of juicy European ties.

It might have taken two attempts to complete the draw in December but the round of 16 has certainly pulled out some exciting fixtures, with some of Europe’s heavyweights and a few of the most decorated up and coming clubs on the continent go head-to-head.

Other than the usual suspects like Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski, who are some of under-the-radar players to look out for?

#AnthonyScouts picks out nine exciting footballers enjoying stellar campaigns, who could make their name on the grandest European stage…

Karim Adeyemi, Red Bull Salzburg

This will be RB Salzburg’s first-ever Champions League knockout tie after negotiating a tricky and exciting group containing Wolfsburg, Sevilla, and Lille.

The Austrians possess a decorated history in bringing through bright, young talent, including Takumi Minamino, Patson Daka, Dominik Szoboszlai, Naby Keita, Sadio Mane and Erling Haaland in recent years. 

Though, the current jewel in their crown and arguably Europe’s most exciting young striker is 20-year-old Karim Adeyemi, who has lit up the Austrian Bundesliga so far this season and looks well equipped to become one of Europe’s biggest stars.

Adeyemi is reportedly on the radar of a number of clubs on the continent including Barcelona, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, and he could well be on his way the latter with the German giants reportedly close to securing Adeyemi’s signature for next season.

The Germany international has consummately sharpened his attacking output with an incredible 14 league goals in 18 games for RB Salzburg in 2021-22, eclipsing his return of eight goals and seven assists in his first full season last year. In eight UEFA Champions League games this season, including the early qualifying rounds, Adeyemi has notched 4 goals.

Besides possessing a unique eye for goal, Adeyemi is a stunning player to watch, a flawless young forward, blessed with such searing pace and acceleration, incredible close control and amazing trickery making him an absolute nightmare for opposition defenders. He regularly looks to pull wide and attack the penalty area with his low centre of gravity to make space for a shot.

Two of his three goals in the Champions League have come from the penalty spot and Adeyemi will be eager to add to his tally in Europe. Salzburg have been handed a very tough draw against Bayern Munich but Adeyemi’s incentive to impress on the grandest stage will be heightened by the fact he was released from Bayern’s academy at the age of 10. They are also one of the clubs that have been most heavily linked with a move for him in the summer.

This could well set up to be one of the most captivating headlines of the campaign.

Pedro Gonçalves, Sporting Lisbon

One of Portugal’s hottest prospects and a player certainly on a mission to force his name in the European headlines is Sporting Lisbon’s incredibly gifted forward, Pedro Gonçalves.

The former heir to Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes’ throne at the José Alvalade Stadium, has, incredibly, proven even more prolific for the Portuguese champions than the Manchester United ace.

Gonçalves was an integral figure in helping Sporting win their first Primeira Liga title for 19 years last season, finishing as the league’s top goalscorer with 23 goals from a scarcely believable xG total of 11.6. 

Fernandes had a stupendous season in 2018-19 for Sporting, scoring 20 league goals, but Pedro Goncalves outdid him last season.

In doing so, he became the Primeira Liga’s first Portuguese top scorer since Domingos back in 1996.

This goalscoring feat is made all the more impressive given the 23-year-old’s position. Sporting operate in a 3-4-2-1 formation with Goncalves as a hybrid attacking midfielder/forward between the lines — often drifting to the right-hand side. His ability to locate spaces in between the lines and in the half-space is incredible and highlights his wealth of tactical knowledge and super versatility.

His finishing isn’t too bad either, as his phenomenal stats show.

Naturally right-footed, Gonçalves is capable of clinical strikes with his left foot as well, and his great form has continued into this season.

Pedro Gonçalves, nicknamed “Pote” has netted six times in the league so far and added two braces versus Besiktas and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League as Sporting survived defeats in their opening fixtures to qualify for the last 16. He’s also recorded five assists in the league highlighting his wonderful gifts in not only scoring goals, but creating them too.

Gonçalves was previously on the books at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and his impressive performances in the Champions League will no doubt have caught the eye of more Premier League sides with a view to bringing him back to England in the very near future. 

It could be the perfect audition, given that Sporting play Manchester City in what could potentially be a tasty tie in the round of 16. Pep Guardiola’s men are likely to be strong favourites, but Pote could make life difficult — and maybe make Pep take notice too.

Arnaut Danjuma, Villarreal

When Arnaut Danjuma joined Villarreal from AFC Bournemouth last summer for €25m, little did we know he’d make such a telling impact in Unai Emery’s progressive side so soon.

A few months into his Spanish top-flight career and the recently-made Netherlands international has become one of La Liga’s blossoming individuals so far this season.

After hitting 17 goals and 7 assists in the Sky Bet Championship last season, the former Club Brugge forward was always destined for bigger and better things but many thought he’d make that step up in the Barclays Premier League rather than beyond borders.

With several clubs interested in his services last summer, it was Villarreal who took a punt on his flawless abilities, and its safe to say the 24-year-old hasn’t looked back.

20 appearances, 9 goals (5 in La Liga, 4 in the Champions League), and 3 assists, Danjuma has certainly showed he is good enough and ready to cut it amongst the most elite footballers in Europe. The slippery Dutchman has gone from the Championship to the Champions League without batting an eyelid at the transition.

Danjuma’s trajectory over the past year has been nothing short of sensational, and already he is showing his talents on the most prestigious of footballing stages in the UEFA Champions League.

If you need any pieces of evidence as to how good he is, not only that, but how invaluable he’s become to Unai Emery’s side in short space of time, check out his performance against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the group stages.

It was simply jaw-dropping, giving full-back Diogo Dalot a torrid evening.

Danjuma may have been one of La Liga’s most expensive transfers this summer, but is currently proving he’s worth every penny spent. The Europa League winners were looking for a player who could help them jump forward to the next level tactically and in attack and Danjuma is keeping his part of the bargain.

Unai Emery’s men are clearly more efficient, potent and exciting on the attack and much of that is down to Danjuma’s unpredictable nature on the left-flank.

Villarreal have a tough fixture against Juventus in the knockout stages, and they will need Danjuma firing on all cylinders after his return from injury to have any chance of causing yet another Emery-European-upset.

Jonathan David, LOSC Lille

Since his move to Lille from Belgium outfit Gent in the summer of 2020, Canadian Jonathan David has come on leaps and bounds, although he did endure a difficult start – going on a run of seven games without a goal.

However, in the second half of last season, his form picked up.

Eleven of his 13 league goals in 2020-21 came after the turn of the year, as Lille done the unthinkable, finishing the campaign as French Ligue 1 champions.

This season, Lille have struggled to maintain their form as they currently sit in mid-table in Ligue 1. However, Jonathan David has continued his tremendous development. He is Ligue 1’s second top scorer with 12 goals from 19 appearances, just two goals behind AS Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder.

In a league including Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi, that is a superb feat.

An extraordinary unique forward, blessed with great pace, skill, tenaciousness, trickery and acceleration. The Canadian is tremendously versatile too, capable of playing anywhere in attack; as a no.9, right-winger, left-winger, and a no.10. If fast and speedy players are your type, then Jonathan David is your man.

A player whose game is based on an exciting blend of technique, mental sharpness and tremendous physical attributes.

The Canadian has excelled in his work-rate and off-the-ball attributes. So far this campaign, he is recording 5.39 successful pressures per 90minutes. He is in the top 10 percent of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues when it comes to pressures off the ball owing to his tremendous energy, enthusiasm and work rate. David has traded off some of that defensive work, and remodeled himself as a poacher in front of goal. A record of 0.48 non-penalty goals per 90 is brilliant and is simply going to get better.

David’s scoring form in Ligue 1 over the past two seasons, and for Canada where he’s been the top CONCACAF scorer in World Cup Qualifying, suggests he could score more goals for any of Europe’s top clubs, and with his name reportedly in the headlines for a number of top European outfits this summer, he could well be on the move.

First he’d have to help Lille navigate through a tough fixture against last season’s European champions Chelsea, and there is no doubt that the young Canadian forward will be central to any potential upset.

Jurrien Timber, Ajax

Ajax’s youth academy has been providing Europe’s biggest clubs with elite talent for decades now and with the likes of Jurrien Timber emerging the trend is not slowing.

There’s been no change in the Ajax philosophy ever since: they invest tremendously in youth, making sure that the players receive the best physical and mental development, and even more importantly, that they are granted the earliest possible trust at the highest level.

Timber is the latest of those entrusted with significant responsibility in the first team, and is thriving as a result.

The youngster earned Erik ten Hag’s trust with his composure and vision as he reads the game well and fits Ajax’s strategy perfectly. His displays granted him a regular starting spot which he hasn’t taken for granted and has used to prove his qualities while becoming one of the team’s key players.

While they have always been successful in attack, this term their defensive performance has been exceptional. At the time of writing, Ajax have only conceded FIVE league goals in 22 games, which is a remarkable record and underlines the importance of their defensive players.

Ten Hag’s side also made history in the Champions League by winning all their games in the group stage, outplaying Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund and Beşiktas.

Ajax are currently the best performing team in Eredivisie, displaying high awareness, composure and consistency. The team’s well-measured actions and anticipation skills result in a high success rate in almost every aspect. 

The Ajax players are proficient in winning their challenges clearly, despite actually having the highest challenge intensity (duels, tackles and interceptions per minute of opponent possession) in the league. They are first in the league in terms of successful actions with 66.9% of won defensive duels on average.

Despite the lack of experience, Jurrien Timber has successfully contributed to Ajax’s unbreachable defence possessing impressive composure in defence which puts him ahead despite his lack of physicality and height. His technique and confidence on the ball allow him to dive into challenges and escape pressure through dribbling which helps the team in retaining possession.

His composure results in winning 76.2% of his defensive duels, which is a better percentile compared to his centre-back partner, Lisandro Martínez (73.5%).

What makes him successful defensively, though, is his positional sense. Timber’s ability to read the game helps him in anticipating the oppositions’ movement and move into spaces so he can pressurise his opponents and block their attacking efforts. He contributes with 13.35 recoveries per game and roughly four of them are in the opposition half.

This underlines his strong positioning and anticipation skills, although it also indicates the whole team strategy, which has the defensive line positioned high in possession.

The key qualities that have led to his valuable contribution are his concentration and work ethic. The 20-year-old is constantly aware of his surroundings and it is difficult to catch him out of position and unprepared. If their opponents Benfica are to triumph in this tie, they will have to do incredibly well to bypass Jurrien Timber and his resilient defensive counterparts.

Ridle Baku, Wolfsburg

Ridle Baku has enjoyed a seismic rise over the past 18 months, swapping relegation-threatened Mainz 05 for Champions League football at the Volkswagen Arena. 

At an age where many of his peers are just beginning to take their first steps in the Bundesliga, Baku has already started over 100 topflight Bundesliga matches, won a U21 European Championship, and narrowly missed out on Germany’s Euro 2020 squad.

With summer interest from PSG & Bayern, and Tottenham Hotspur it won’t be long before Baku is tearing up the pitch for Hansi Flick’s national team and competing for silverware at one of Europe’s elite outfits.

The right-sided midfielder, come right-back is an incredibly astute, tactically aware and all-round footballer.

The young right-back was an influential piece in the Germany U21 side that won the European Championship in June and as a result, is already attracting significant interest from clubs around Europe. Baku was named Player of the Match in the U21 final against Portugal and even concluded the tournament with the highest assists (3).

In the 38 appearances Baku made for German side Wolfsburg last term, he recorded an impressive 16 goal involvements, recording 6 goals and 6 assists in the German Bundesliga.

This season, he has continued his fine contribution to Wolfsburg’s goal threat, with two goals and two assist whilst also scoring in the Champions League group stages against RB Salzburg in November.

The 1.76m-tall defender, who can even be deployed as a midfielder, lead the ranking for the Bundesliga with 1,061 sprints last season. This season’s tally may have decreased, but he’s still within the top 10 sprinters in the division with 598 sprints. Few players covered a greater distance last season than him. He was the 10th-best runner with 351 km run on the field.

The 23-year old is always more than willing to make lung-busting runs forward as well as make the hard yards back to rescue a situation defensively.

Baku is highly versatile too having already played in all possible positions on the right-flank for the team. He’d prove a valuable asset for any top outfit in Europe owing to his incredible versatility but also providing his side with the opportunity to be tactically flexible. Wherever he is deployed, Ridle Baku will give his utmost.

With quick changes of direction, a glue-like control, and fluid movement, Ridle Baku is able to wriggle free from any lunging challenges and create the attacking impulses which have made him such a resounding success at the Volkswagen Arena.

The 23-year-old has brought lofty comparisons to Germany and Bayern Munich icon Philipp Lahm, showing what a generational talent Wolfsburg have on their books.

Though Ridle Baku has a long way to go before winning 113 national team caps, and 17 major titles, the intelligence in his positional play is right in line with FC Bayern’s former captain. Whereas Lahm made the switch from rightback to defensive midfield in the latter stages of his career, Baku has undergone the opposite transition, playing primarily as a midfielder for Mainz before operating almost exclusively on the right flank at Wolfsburg.

Just as Lahm was adept at moving inside from right-back or dropping into the wide channels from a midfield role, Baku’s ability to drift into the half-spaces have made him an absolute nightmare for opposition fullbacks. The Under-21 European Championship were perhaps the best example of this. Baku, operating primarily at right midfield in a classic 4-2-3-1, was electric from start to finish, ending the competition with the most goal contributions as Germany lifted the title with a 1-0 victory over Portugal.

Baku completed the 5th most crosses of any Bundesliga fullback last season, routinely searching for the head of new Burnley striker Wout Weghorst or providing a driven ball into the run of an advancing midfielder. Whilst he may not be as prolific as either Borna Sosa of Stuttgart or Filip Kostić of Frankfurt, the variety of ways Baku can hurt an opposition defense makes up for his somewhat inconsistent crossing.

Ridle Baku may have only registered 2 assists from the wide right channel this season, but when afforded time and space he is more than capable of finding his target.

Nuno Mendes, Paris Saint-Germain

Nuno Mendes has been getting rave reviews since making the move from Lisbon to Paris last summer as PSG’s new left-back.

At just 19 years old, Mendes has adapted well from a wing-back role in a 4-3-2-1 at Sporting Lisbon to a full-back role within PSG’s 4-3-3, but his skill set remains unchanged.

The Portugal international has made 15 appearances for Mauricio Pochettino’s side in Ligue 1 this season, alongside his six appearances in the UEFA Champions League. Touted as one of the finest talents of his position on the continent, Nuno Mendes is certainly on his way to world-wide stardom.

Last season at Sporting, Mendes cemented his status as the finest left-back in Portugal thanks to a deadly combination of speed, explosive movement, and close control which allows him to create danger either from a standing start or whilst on the counter-attack.

Apart from his dribbling, Mendes boasts an excellent crossing ability whether tightly marked or open in space, and his physical prowess allows him to beat out opponents to the ball either with his speed or strength.

Despite boasting such incredible speed and strength through his lambasting runs, he’s only successfully completed 0.88 dribbles per90 so far this season, but that will only increase with more playing time and development. However, he is relatively still creative with his contributions in attack, averaging 0.98 key passes, and 3.43 final third passes per90 whilst also possessing 2.64 shot-creating actions per90. He’s al an adept defender, boasting a SmarterScout defending intensity rating of 95 out of 99.

Given his speed and imposing size, he is able to recover well whenever he might be slightly out of position, frequently nicking the ball away from the opponent and often blocking crosses into the box. He averages a very good 4.12 tackles + interceptions reading per 90 minutes. For ball recoveries and interceptions, he is rated by SmarterScout 97 out of 99.

His 3.3 dribbles attempted per 90 put him in the top 10 per cent for full-backs in Ligue 1 this season, and he can be crucial in opening up space for his team-mates to exploit.

Mendes is still in the category of a raw and unpolished talent but he has all the materials and skills required to be one of the leading left-backs in world football. The pace of Mendes and Kylian Mbappe down PSG’s left-hand side is enough to give any opponent nightmares, even their knockout opponents Real Madrid. Be prepared for an enthralling tie.

Vinicius Jr, Real Madrid

It’s completely safe to say, Vinicius Jr is enjoying his best season in a Real Madrid shirt.

His 12 league goals are bettered only by team-mate Karim Benzema, with the pair contributing to a high proportion of his team’s attacking output this season as Los Blancos lead the way in La Liga, by four points.

Vinicius’ turnaround and maturity in his decision-making and all-round game over the past year or so has been nothing short of phenomenal. In 2020/21, he underperformed xG by a remarkable 3.82. For context, that’s twice as bad as anyone else in the Real Madrid squad. In 2021/22, he’s overperforming by 3.1 xG, a figure more than twice as good as anyone else, excluding Karim Benzema.

Benzema-dependencia, as the Spanish media like to call Real Madrid’s reliance on Karim Benzema for goals, well that phrase has been thrown out the window as a result of Vinicius Jr’s sudden purple patch. Now, Karim Benzema who didn’t approve of the Brazilian over a year ago, simply cannot perform without him.

While its a testament and credit to the 21-year-old, the credit must also be given to Carlo Ancelotti who has totally unleashed the Brazilian with undying belief and faith in his abilities.

He is a double threat from the left wing, scoring goals as well as creating them (8 assists so far this campaign) — largely owing to his direct play when the ball is at his feet. No player in La Liga can top his rate of 7.3 attempted dribbles per 90 this season, and goes to show how often he looks to commit defenders which can open up space for others, such as Benzema.

In this season’s Champions League, Vinicius’s 18 chances created in open play is more than any other player in the competition, as he frequently drives into dangerous areas to pull a pass back for an oncoming team-mate.

Vinicius is no longer that naïve, overconfident and inexperienced raw talent that arrived through the Real Madrid doors in 2018. He’s now more an assured, mature and decorated performer, still possessing bags of potential to become even greater and that spells such great news for Real Madrid, a healthy return on their risky investment.

Vinicius has shown this season whatever the situation, he can and will create – whether it be scoring or assisting, he is quickly becoming a central protagonist within Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

Real Madrid’s upcoming blockbuster clash with PSG is arguably the pick of the last-16 matches. Having won the competition in three successive seasons from 2016-2018, Real have gone out of the Champions League at this stage twice in the last three seasons.

If they are to correct that slide, they will need Vinicius Jr at his flawless best as he’ll be coming up against the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Di Maria and Messi. Pick your poison.

Antony, Ajax

Already an Olympic gold medalist, Antony has enjoyed a spectacularly successful rookie season at Ajax. The Brazilian right-winger is known for his rapid dribbling, amazing ball-trickery as well as his unique eye for goal.

The fact that Ajax have two talents on this list once again highlights their incredibly bright youthful roster, and a potential prediction that they could yet again take the UEFA Champions League by storm like they did in the 2018/19 campaign.

Whilst Sebastien Haller has been the pick of a talented bunch, Brazilian wing-wizard has arguably stolen the spotlight through his showstopping performances for Ajax in this year’s Champions League.

The 21-year-old has recorded 2 goals and 5 assists in 5 games, possessing a phenomenal xA average of 2.0 placing him the top 6 of players throughout the competition. The Brazilian also ranks first in the Champions League for goal-creating actions (9) and goal-creating actions per90 (2.06). He also ranks sixth for progressive carries (52).

The Brazilian is an inventive and intelligent player. With nine goals and eight assists in his first 1,200 Eredivisie minutes, there is unlikely to be a better rookie in the Dutch top-flight this season. Antony has taken to life excellently at Ajax, and has his gifted and mastery left foot to thank.

Much of the time, Antony enjoys hanging wide on the right so he can gain momentum after picking up the ball by driving inwards. His acceleration from a standing start is explosive; his elite balance and lower body strength allows him to remain on his feet even under heavy pressure – he is a worker with great endeavour, the type of player to clean up his own mess.

In Brazil, Antony relied more on ingenuity to create his moments, and there is still an element of that to his game. Now though, after just a matter of nearly a couple years in Europe, he plays with a calculating maturity and sensibility, while retaining that endearing unpredictable streak.

As with most Ajax players under the age of 25, the Johan Cruijff Arena will not be the last stop on the Antony Express. Slotting into elite European competition without skipping a beat is a sure-fire way of alerting Europe’s financially well-endowed sporting directors.

Who knows, some more scintilating performances in the knockout rounds will certainly push him closer to one of Europe’s elite clubs, probably this coming summer. The continent is certainly Antony’s oyster.

Alessandro Bastoni, Inter Milan

Italy is without doubt the home of defending. The list of renowned defenders from Bel Paese is endless. Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Gaetano Scirea, Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta are just some of the legendary names that have represented Gli Azzurri. 

As a new generation approaches for Italian football, their next great defender seems to already be turning heads across the continent.

Alessandro Bastoni was born in the small town of Casalmaggiore, Lombardy. At the age of seven, he joined Atalanta’s renowned youth sides. The young defender made waves at the Bergamo club, eventually earning himself a €31million move to one of Italy’s biggest clubs; Inter Milan.

After spending spells on loan to both Atalanta & Parma, Bastoni has now finally secured his place in the starting XI for the Nerazzurri. Currently touted as one of best defensive talents of this generation, Bastoni has immersed himself as one of Inter Milan’s most prominent figures for Antonio Conte in the title winning side last season, and for current manager Simone Inzaghi.

Bastoni’s defensive statistics aren’t spectacular, but they are exactly what you’d expect and want from a CB at a top club. He ranked 6th overall amongst Serie A defenders when defending vs. the dribble.

This season, he continues to impress within a well-rounded, cohesive and organised system in Simone Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 shape, a continuation of Conte’s title-winning formula last season. Batoni averages 3.10 tackles + interceptions per90, an improvement from last season (2.49), 2.93 clearances per90, 1.30 blocks per90 and wins an outstanding 67.8% of his aerial duels owing to relatively tall, lean and imposing frame.

Alessandro Bastoni’s defensive ability is incredible for his age. Inter Milan have kept the 2nd most clean sheets (10) and have conceded the second least goals (20) in Serie A this season. Bastoni has been a key part of that defence, playing in 21 of their 25 of league games.

One of the areas that the Italian thrives is on the ball. Bastoni has long been regarded as one of the best ball-playing centre-backs in the division. He completes 4.62 passes into the final third per 90 – amongst the best for defenders in the league. He is not only progressive on the ball, he’s very secure with it too. He has completed 93.6% of passes this season so far. Bastoni is not someone who shies away from the ball either, averaging the third most touches of Inter’s starting XI per 90 (79.7).

The Italian is clearly an incredible young defender, anybody who has watched Inter Milan this season will know this. With a tough fixture against Liverpool to come, Inter will need their stunning young centre-back in his best form if they are to stop the likes of Diogo Jota, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane from wrecking havoc.