You might not have heard about the young Colombian making impressions for Millionarios FC, but you absolutely want to remember his name: Oscar Cortes. An electric footballer with an ability to find space while surrounded by defenders and with one eye seemingly always turned towards goal, looking for that final ball to be put home by a teammate in the box. At home on the wing, Cortes can play on either flank and is strong with both feet, giving fans a reason to buy a ticket just to watch his ability to make magic out of nothing. Not to heap pressure on the kid (I don’t think he’ll be reading this anyways), but I haven’t seen so much potential in a Colombian winger since Luis Diaz.

Amidst starring for Colombia at the U20 World Cup, Oscar Cortes has recently been linked with RC Lens, and while Fabrizio Romano hasn’t given the “Here We Go!” yet, there is good reason to believe this move is happening. Reported by Colombian sports journalist Pipe Sierra, RC Lens have recently agreed on a 4M euro initial fee for Cortes. Lens are in prime position to finish 2nd in Ligue 1 this year, and with PSG looking less and less intimidating by the year, Lens could be looking to boost their chances at a potential title challenge with the addition of Cortes.

RC Lens and Millionarios share a common owner, Amber Capital, an investment firm owned by Frenchman Joseph Oughourlian. This is a long shot from the wealth of clubs owned by say, the City Football Group or Red Bull, but the movement of players through “feeder clubs” is nothing new to modern football. This also helps explain the modest 4M fee for a player of Oscar’s potential. Should Lens sell him on in a few seasons, they will almost certainly make a handsome profit, as I believe Cortes has the potential to become a top player in the best leagues in the world.

Of modest stature at 5’7″, Cortes possesses the build to produce intricate dribbles through tangles of defenders, using his low centre of gravity to make up for any lack of weight when being challenged by defenders. Capable of playing in the #10 role in the centre of the pitch, Cortes is adept at cutting inside from either wing and looks calm under pressure. What consistently impresses me is his ability to find space, whether it is space to run into, to thread a pass through a defender’s legs to a teammate, or the space that will open up in the box.

His tactical versatility is a manager’s dream. With experience playing across the width of the attacking midfield line and his excellent vision of the field, Cortes can easily roam from his natural right-wing position to the centre or left flank, creating man advantages and the chaos in defense he is so good at exploiting. Due to his skill, Cortes is often tightly marked by one or more defenders, and has shown the ability a top footballer needs to draw those defenders out of position and find a teammate in space. This work rate is prevalent out of possession as well, with Cortes often pressing hard and winning the ball back, though his tackling technique can be improved to avoid conceding as many fouls.

I’ve praised his playmaking ability so much, as it is the area I believe Cortes will become world-class in, but don’t let that make you think he can’t score. Cortes helped Colombia to a 3rd place finish in the 2023 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Sub 20 tournament with 3 goals, one behind the team leader. Cortes is averaging a goal contribution every 83 minutes in the Colombian top league, Categoria Primera A, for Millionarios, which is an impressive feat for a 19 year old winger playing against grown men in South America.

If you didn’t know, the top-flight leagues in South America are officiated much less strictly than European leagues, meaning if you’re a talented young winger, you’re going to get fouled, a lot. For any stats people out there, Cortes is fouled an average of 2.4 times per game. Neymar, the most fouled man in the world since 2016, has been fouled an average of 3.1 times per game. This goes to show the problems Cortes can cause for defenders, who are incapable of stopping him without committing fouls. There seems to still be some bias against South American players moving to Europe (especially the Premier League), where their toughness and physicality are questioned. I’m here to tell you, any teenager that can perform in the top men’s league in Colombia is not going to have ANY issues with toughness, physical play, or the most belligerent of opposition fans.

Oscar Cortes is a bargain for Lens at 4M and should the rest of their recruitment be as efficient as this, we might have an interesting Ligue 1 title race next season. I cannot speak highly enough of this future star, if he receives playing time at Lens next season, there will not be a club in Europe that doesn’t want to sign him. Don’t be like most of the world outside of South America. Remember the name: Oscar Cortes.