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Category: U21 Euro

Potential First Caps – Rising International Football Stars

September 4th, 2025

Hello everyone, an international break is upon us again, so I thought I’d take the time to point out some of the more exciting players who could be in line to receive their first cap for country over the next weeks. Now having been scouting the U21 Euro tournament, I got to watch several of these players play at this summers tournament. Here are some of my favorite potential first cap selections from the latest team selections.

England: Djed Spence and Elliot Anderson

Both players made a case to be in the England squad last year, and are now receiving slightly overdue callups. Elliot Anderson had a strong season after moving to Nottingham Forest from his boyhood club Newcastle, being pulled back from the #10 role he was asked to play previously and succeeding as a left sided #8 under Nuno. Anderson is a real all-round midfielder; last season he averaged 8 duels won p90, 1.2 dribbles p90, and 0.2 assists p90. At the U21 Euro he played in a double pivot for England and was England’s metronome, dictating the tempo and getting a lot of touches. Anderson’s future is bright, and his callup is well deserved.

Djed Spence has really pushed on over the past year and become one of the Premier League’s best fullbacks. There might not be another fullback in the league who has such a high level of ability on both sides of the ball. “Bring me your favorite winger,” Spence posted on social media after another strong performance against Manchester City where he nullified Oscar Bobb, showing his confidence is reaching new levels. Defensively, he has been performing at a very high level, and going forward he offers unpredictability and goal threat from fullback. Able to comfortably play either side of the pitch, this is a smart selection for Tuchel.

Spain: Jesús Rodríguez

Another player who I had the pleasure of watching at the U21 Euro, Spain’s new LW callup, Jesús Rodríguez, is having himself quite the past few months. A graduate of the Real Betis academy, Rodríguez played only one full season for the Betis senior team before Como made him their club record signing for 22.5 million euros. If you like wingers with flair and tricks, then this is the player for you. One thing has been consistent in Rodríguez’s career so far: he will take on defenders, no matter what level he is playing at. Last season for Betis, he averaged 2.4 successful dribbles p90 and over 3 fouls won p90. This style of play caught the eye of Cesc Fabregas at Como, and of Luis de la Fuente, who rewarded Rodríguez with his first senior callup this international break. If he is given his first cap, expect him to make the most of it.

Germany: Nnamdi Collins and Paul Nebel

Both representatives of the German U21 team at this past summer’s Euro’s, Eintracht Frankfurt defender Nnamdi Collins and FC Mainz 05 midfielder Paul Nebel have both received senior callups and have the opportunity to gain their first caps. Collins, a rapid defender who can play as a CB or on the right flank, was in contention for best RB of the tournament at the U21 Euro. He had the most touches of any defender in the tournament, being a key player in buildup and showing a strong passing range. Collins averaged 2.3 accurate long balls p90 and 1.13 chances created p90, while also showing strong dribbling metrics. This season at Frankfurt, he has mostly played at CB, with his strong pace and technicality making him a productive ball-playing CB.

Collins (left) and Nebel (right) at Germany training camp – credit: Yahoo Sports

Paul Nebel really caught my eye at the U21 Euro, as I had not heard too much about him beforehand. Enjoying a breakout season at Mainz (his first full season in the first team) in which Nebel contributed 10 goals and 5 assists. While small in stature, Nebel seems to just slip away from stronger defenders, using his superior agility to his advantage. He is adept at long passing and switches the play very effectively. Out of possession, Nebel presses like he’s been deprived of ever getting to kick a football before, covering a lot of space in the midfield. He averaged 1 successful tackle and 5 recoveries, along with 4.5 duels won p90 in the Bundesliga last season. Julian Nagelsmann clearly sees something in him, and it will be exciting to see what Nebel can do in the senior team if given the opportunity.

Denmark: William Osula

Osula was one of my favorite strikers that I saw during the U21 Euro’s when he lead the line for a very successful Denmark team. Osula scored 3 and assisted 2 in 185 minutes played at the tournament. His workrate and pressing is top notch, and has already shown that he can score in the Premier League for Newcastle this season. There are a few players at ST with seniority over Osula, and his first cap may be dependent on the game state in Denmark’s two matches this international break. If not now though, Osula’s breakthrough into the Danish national team seems imminent.

France: Maghnes Akliouche

Monaco’s breakout star Maghnes Akliouche has shown quite a rise in his play over the past year. Deployed as an attacking midfielder or winger, he featured 43 times for Monaco last season across all competitions, scoring 7 goals and adding 12 assists. In Ligue 1, Akliouche provided consistent xG and xA numbers, averaging out to around 0.6 expected goal contributions p90. He likes a dribble, and works hard out of possession to recover the ball fairly often. Through three matches in Ligue 1 this season, Akliouche has provided two goals and an assist, with over 1 expected goal contributions p90. Having been linked to clubs such as Spurs this past summer, Akliouche’s first senior callup will certainly help accelerate interest in him. While I haven’t had the chance to watch him play live yet, there are certainly signs of a potentially bright prospect here.

These are some of the recent uncapped players who have received senior international callups that I’m most excited to see in action! Check back later for more football articles on Futbird!

Thanks for reading,

LM
U21 Euro: Team of the Tournament

June 29th, 2025

As a very exciting U21 Euro tournament ended yesterday, I can share my team(s) of the tournament. For me, most “Best XI” teams for tournaments are mostly based on the team results, but for mine I prefer to look at simply the performance of the players. Yes, performing well in the biggest matches and moments makes an impact, but the team won’t be entirely English and German players (the two finalists). If a player performed at the highest level for his position in the tournament, he was considered for the Team of the Tournament, regardless of team result. With that said, here are my 1st and 2nd Team of Euro U21 2025.

First Team:

Forwards: Clement Bischoff (DEN), Nick Woltemade (GER), Raul Moro (ESP)

Midfielders: Djaoui Cissé (FRA), Tomáš Rigo (SVK), Rocco Reitz (GER)

Defenders: Quentin Merlin (FRA), Oliver Provstgaard (DEN), Castello Lukeba (FRA), Tino Livramento (ENG)

Goalkeeper: Noah Atubolu (GER)

I have already published a report on many of these players, if you want to read more in depth about them. I’ll give a brief summary of each player here.

Clement Bischoff, a 19 year old winger from Brøndby IF, was spectacular for Denmark. Averaging 1 goal and 0.5 assists per 90, with a >70% dribble success rate, Bischoff was a consistent offensive catalyst for Denmark. He showed strong passing range, great offensive awareness/positioning, and was remarkably effective out of possession.

Nick Woltemade really established himself as a top-level striker prospect at this tournament, finishing with 6 goals and 3 assists (leading the tournament in both categories). A 198cm tall striker who has incredible mobility and technical ability for his size, Woltemade was a danger to defenses whenever he was on the ball.

Raul Moro was a pure chance creating machine whenever he got the chance to play for Spain. However, his manager never seemed to treat him as a starter despite averaging over 4 successful dribbles and chances created per 90. No winger at the tournament was better at turning dribbles into chances created, and Moro was very good at both. One of the most fun players to watch here.

You might have already heard me rave about Djaoui Cissé (see the article published on him), but if not, he was fringe addition to the French squad before going on to be their most important midfielder. A real all around midfielder with a scorer’s touch, I liken him to a bigger Pape Matar Sarr. Cissé was a joy to watch and has world class potential.

Tomáš Rigo was a true midfield standout for hosts Slovakia. He created the most chances of anyone in the tournament (despite only playing 3 matches). He generally opts not to attempt dribbles, but is very effective at driving forward into space and picking out a pass. Rigo was an effective creator with both short and long passing, from central and wide areas. He is certainly ready to take a step up from Banik Ostrava in the Czech league.

Rocco Reitz is the type of midfielder that perhaps doesn’t get a lot of credit. He did the work that needed to be done to make Germany thrive. He will move around the pitch to wherever he is needed, and is the midfield conductor of his side. His switches of play and crosses were very impressive (28% cross completion rate, 3.4 successful long balls p90), and could also boast impressive ball retention with a 75% dribble success rate and having very rarely been dispossessed.

Quentin Merlin from France was without a doubt the standout left-back at the U21 Euro. He can already boast nearly world-class level of delivery, with a sneakily quick cross that defenders cannot block off reactions. With high work rate and stamina, he could surely play at a higher level than Ligue 1, it’s just a matter of when.

Oliver Provstgaard was a favorite of mine to watch at this tournament. This is a centre-back with all the makings of a future world-class player. A very strong box defender, who is comfortable on the ball, and has a level of focus and determination throughout the 90 minutes that is second to none. He was a huge reason why Denmark performed so well at this tournament. A breakout season at Lazio is likely forthcoming if he gets the opportunity.

Castello Lukeba from France is a player most of you will already know, but that’s no reason to not include him. The Leipzig CB had a very strong tournament for France, commanding at the back, very strong in his duels, and even picked up two assists. His performance against the Danish strikers Osula and Harder was a critical factor in France’s quarterfinal victory over Denmark.

The right-back of choice is Tino Livramento from England. Another player who is no hidden gem, Livramento showed his quality in several full-back roles. His movement and quick interplay with teammates in buildup is at a very high level, and can comfortably operate in both central and wide areas. Newcastle did very well to snatch him up, and he will be an England senior team player for years to come.

Finally, in net, I’ve chosen Germany’s Noah Atubolu. Already an established Bundesliga player, Atubolu looked like he was too experienced for this tournament. He was a rock at the back for Germany, recording two clean sheets, a 71% save percentage, and having a monster game against France in the semifinal with 7 saves. Keeping THIS France side off the scoresheet is a tremendous achievement in itself. His distribution was also very good, completing a tournament best 40 long balls (8 per match).

There’s your Team of the Tournament! Now here are the players I selected for the 2nd Team all-Euro U21.

Second Team:

Forwards:
William Osula (DEN)
Nelson Weiper (GER)
Geovany Quenda (POR)

Midfield:
Alex Scott (ENG)
Oliver Sorensen (DEN)
Eric Martel (GER)

Defenders:
Irakli Azarovi (GEO)
Adam Obert (SVK)
Bright Arrey-Mbi (GER)
Nnamdi Collins (GER)

Goalkeeper:
Samuel Soares (POR)

All of these players had great tournaments as well, with 17 year old Geovany Quenda a particularly interesting player to see.

This has been an extremely enjoyable tournament from both a scouting and entertainment perspective. If you have any questions or would like to request a scouting report on a player, feel free to contact me at scouting.futbird@gmail.com.

LM
U21 Euro Ones to Watch: Quentin Merlin

June 27th, 2025

Today’s highlighted player from the U21 Euro tournament is France’s left-back, Quentin Merlin. The 23 year old defender became a regular starter for Marseille in Ligue 1 over the past season, and has carried that momentum into the U21 Euros. The quick summary that you came here to see is that this is the best chance creating fullback in the tournament.

Over the course of four 90’s this tournament, Merlin is averaging 2.72 chances created per 90, which is the highest in the tournament both overall and per 90. This comes from an average of 2.5 successful crosses per match and a 23% cross accuracy rate. While this does not seem particularly high, it is very impressive. If nearly 1 in 4 of Merlin’s crosses reach a teammate of his in the box, that is very good delivery. Crosses that are recorded as “unsuccessful” can still cause problems for the defense and lead to a corner kick, or are cleared back out to Merlin’s teammates. Also near the 90th percentile in the U21 Euros for successful dribbles per 90, this starts to paint the picture of the type of player Merlin is.

Merlin is very intelligent with where to position himself when his team has the ball. He identifies space to be exploited, and times his runs well to provide a passing outlet that can quickly be turned into a chance created. His short passing and buildup is no weakness, and he can comfortable help his team move the ball up the pitch with shorter passing. His greatest strength, and the ability that impressed me the most, was definitely his crossing. More specifically, it was how he delivered his crosses. Often in football, it can be rather predictable when a wide player is going to look to put a cross in. Defenders watch for their wind up and will attempt to block the cross. Merlin’s delivery is so quick that it was near impossible for a defender to block his crosses through reaction time. He does not have a big wind up with his leg, and the time from when he starts a crossing motion to when it is on its way under a half second every time. This caused significant problems for the defenders that France faced in this tournament. To prevent Merlin from getting crosses in, they would need to be tightly marking him before he receives the ball, however, doing so left the likes of Mathys Tel with far too much space to operate in, giving the defence a “lose-lose” decision to make.

While I wouldn’t market Merlin as having Wan-Bissaka levels of defensive ability, he is certainly no defensive liability. He is not the greatest aerial strength, but is an effective counter-presser and interceptor of the ball, averaging 6+ recoveries/interceptions per 90, while only committing 1.3 fouls per 90. At 173cm, Merlin is not a very tall player, but has a strong build that allows him to retain possession and challenge for ground duels rather effectively. His biggest weakness, and the weakness that could be exploited the most, is his aerial ability. A back post cross to a striker would likely cause Merlin difficulty in defending it, and this could be taken advantage of on set pieces.

However, his overall brilliance shown in creating chances and pressure for his team when in possession more than outweigh any minor defensive weakness. Merlin looks to have the potential to become one of the best crossers of the ball in world football, not just the best at the U23 level. His workrate level is high, and is most definitely still young enough to have room to grow. I would be very surprised to see him stay at Marseille much longer, as his performance at the U21 Euro’s was very impressive and showed his capability to perform at an even higher level. There is certainly a future for Merlin in the French senior national team, as I do not believe they have a player of his type available at LB right now. He is most suited to play for a possession based team – his incredible on the ball ability and movement would fit perfectly into a squad that is looking to control possession and apply consistent pressure on the opposition defence. I would not be surprised to see the likes of PSG or Bayern Munich take a chance on Merlin, as his delivery is already at a very high level, and could easily fit into their squads. Overall, Merlin was the best LB at the U21 Euro’s, is an elite chance creator, and looks destined for bigger things in the future.

Quentin Merlin, One to Watch.
U21 Euro Ones to Watch: Nick Woltemade

June 26th, 2025

Good Morning in the Americas, Afternoon in Europe/Africa, and Good Evening to everyone in Asia! Today’s featured prospect from the U21 Euro’s is Germany’s Nick Woltemade. A true unicorn of a player, Woltemade stands at 198cm tall, has a decently strong frame, and has impressive agility and mobility for someone of his height. To profile him as a target forward because of his height would be a massive mistake, as Woltemade can bring so much more to a match.

It is very difficult to make a player comparison for this type of player, I can’t remember the last time I saw someone of this height moving on the pitch like they thought they were a winger. The best I can do is that Woltemade’s potential lies somewhere in between a Sebastian Haller, and a poor man’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (that’s a huge compliment, becoming 50% of the player Zlatan was will give Woltemade a successful career). In terms of style though, Woltemade does remind me a bit of a young Zlatan, a physically imposing forward who also has flair and creativity.

Throughout this tournament, Woltemade has been a star man for Germany U21. In 4 matches so far (he sat the final group stage match nursing an injury), Woltemade has produced a hat trick against Slovenia, a goal and two assists against Czechia, another goal and assist against Italy in the quarterfinals, and a goal against France in their recent semifinal victory. So going into the final, Woltemade is averaging 2 goal contributions per 90. After a season with VfB Stuttgard where he scored 12 goals in 28 appearances in the league, along with 5 goals in 5 DFB Pokal matches, Woltemade was one of the older players eligible for this tournament, and has showed his experience.

Off the ball, Woltemade is a strong presser, showing his Bundesliga education. He knows how to angle his runs when pressing to force the opposition into moving the ball where he wants them to, and has an eye for an opportunity to win the ball back high up the pitch. For someone of his size, he is very quick and agile. So far, Woltemade has recorded 13 recoveries and two tackles won, while committing just 6 fouls and receiving no cards.

In duels, Woltemade has been best in the tournament. Most duels won in the tournament so far (26), along with the most aerial duels won in the tournament (11). He has won 10 fouls, and only been dispossessed 7 times on 165 touches. He showed very impressive strength (the one thing I thought could be lacking in such a tall player), in the semifinal vs France, often holding onto the ball while being fouled and retaining possession under pressure for Germany.

On the ball, Woltemade wants to create scoring chances, either for himself or his teammates. He is a very direct player, always looking for the quickest route to a shot on goal. He can dribble his man very effectively, and has a good eye for a pass. Woltemade set up the shot that eventually turned into Germany’s first goal against France, though he won’t be credited with an assist. I really cannot stress how much his mobility and technical ability impressed me as a player with his size and stature. We see a lot of physically imposing strikers, and their weakness is usually technical. With Woltemade, this is not the case. Even in the Bundesliga against fully grown men, Woltemade averaged a very respectable 0.58xG per 90, exceeding this with his xGoT of 0.72 per 90. This indicates that Woltemade regularly produced higher chances to score with his finishing ability than the shot was worth. Based on his expected numbers, Woltemade was producing an expected goal every two matches, and an expected assist every 5 matches. This prorates to ~ 26/27 goal contributions in a 38 match season. Woltemade had a dribble success rate of 46%, putting him above average for Bundesliga forwards, and was in the 97th percentile in the Bundesliga for touches in the opposition box (averaging 10 per 90).

Mentally, Woltemade looked a determined and motivated player. If his potential is to be a poor man’s Zlatan, then I can almost assure that he will be a more coachable player than Zlatan was (lol). The danger here is if Woltemade becomes another in the long list of misprofiled Bundesliga forwards joining a Premier League team. Sebastian Haller, one of the other better comparisons for player type, was doing fantastic in the Bundesliga playing as the second striker off the #9, until he went to West Ham in the Premier League who saw a strong striker, and tried to force him into a target man role. Woltemade is NOT a target forward, I cannot stress this enough. He can play as an inside forward off the left very effectively, as a lone striker, or in a strike pairing. Given his technical ability and chance creation, combined with the significant aerial advantage that he would have over most fullbacks, I think long term the inside forward role off the left side is Woltemade’s best role. While he can effectively receive long balls under pressure and play hold-up in the centre of the pitch, I think combining Woltemade with another aerially-competent striker could be very dangerous. In the semifinal against France, the Germany coach showed what this could look like, starting Woltemade on the LW, and Nelson Weiper (192cm tall, strong striker) up top. Each player would draw several defenders to them, opening up space for the other. It was near impossible for France to effectively defend both Woltemade and Weiper without leaving Ansgar Knauff wide open off the RW.

There have been rumours throughout this tournament that Chelsea are looking to buy Woltemade. Given their current striker depth of Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson, and Marc Guiu, I can confidently say that Woltemade would be an immediate upgrade on Guiu as a 3rd striker, and very well could find himself surpassing Jackson in the pecking order if he does join Chelsea. With the right development, and if he is played in a role suiting his abilities, I believe Nick Woltemade can become a top top striker in Europe. Having already been given his first senior team callup, his performance at the U21 Euro will only cement Julian Nagelsmann’s decision to include Woltemade in his plans.

A truly unique type of prospect, with potential to be the closest player to Zlatan that we have seen since the big Swede retired. I do not believe that Woltemade is dependent on the additional time and space afforded to him in the half spaces that is a trend in the Bundesliga, and could translate his game effectively to the Premier League, La Liga, or Serie A.

Nick Woltemade, absolutely One to Watch.
U21 Euro Ones to Watch: Raul Moro (Ajax’s Next Star?)

June 25th, 2025

Today’s standout player from the U21 Euro is Spain’s Raul Moro. A 22 year old winger who plays for Real Valladolid, and came through the Barcelona and Lazio academies; He seriously impressed when given playing time at this tournament. For reasons known only to the Spanish coach, Moro was used as a substitute in the first two matches, then given a start against Italy where he excelled, before coming off the bench again in the quarterfinals vs England that Spain eventually lost.

In a nutshell, Raul Moro is an elite potential chance creator off the wing. The best dribbler of the ball that I saw at this tournament, he averaged 4.24 successful dribbles per 90 (this puts him in the 97th percentile at the U21 Euro), and that is not including all the times he beat a defender with a clever first touch or dummy (these types of plays aren’t counted as “dribbles”). Moro excels at beating his man and getting the ball into the box. Even when the cross doesn’t reach his teammate, it puts pressure on the defence, often winning Spain a corner kick. He often drew multiple defenders to him due to his dribbling ability, freeing up significant space for his teammates. Moro created 4.24 chances per 90, a number that is only in part coincidentally the same as his dribbles per 90. The eye test confirmed, when Moro beats his man with a dribble, he generally creates a chance for his team.

When subbed on for 24 minutes against Slovakia, Moro created 3 chances (more than anyone else in the match), completed 2/2 dribbles, won 3/4 duels, and put incredible pressure on the Slovak defence, eventually leading to a late Spain winner. I was at this match, and the Slovak defence was looking comfortable until Moro came on and changed the match.

In Spain’s second match against Romania, they found themselves down 1-0 at halftime, when Moro was subbed on. He again created 3 chances, beat his man to find space and deliver 6 crosses into the box, and had 3 shots, putting extreme pressure on the Romanian defence. This culminated in Moro assisting the winning goal by Roberto Fernandez in the 88th minute, yet again being a major factor in Spain securing all 3 points. Only with their spot in the knockouts confirmed was Moro given a start against Italy. I was also at this match, and he was incredible. My 6 year old cousin was there with me watching his very first football match, and Raul Moro was pulling off dribbles that he couldn’t believe were possible (I’m not saying Raul Moro is Neymar, but just remember your first time watching Neymar dribble and how that made you feel. That’s the feeling Raul Moro gave to my little cousin, and it was special). Most dribbles completed in the match (5), 2 chances created, and even won the majority of his duels. Moro assisted Spain’s only goal in a 1-1 draw, and while the goalscorer Jesus Rodriguez was given player of the match, anyone in the stadium would tell you that it was Raul Moro.

Regardless of his incredible performance, Moro was yet again put on the bench to start the quarterfinal match against England. In this match, Spain really struggled to transition to offence when they recovered the ball in their own end, with Juanlu Sanchez struggling to provide an effective outlet on the right wing. Raul Moro was given just 33 minutes in this match, coming on with Spain down 2-1. Even in his limited time, he still created the most chances (3) of any player in the match, including those who played a full 90, and yet again provided a bright spark for Spain on the wing. England would eventually win 3-1, ending Spain’s tournament, but Raul Moro’s performance cannot be forgotten. At only 22 years old and recording a goal contribution every 3 matches for the 20th placed team in LaLiga, Raul Moro could be a relatively inexpensive transfer with extremely high upside. It is difficult for attacking players to look good while playing on a relegation-battling team, and yet Moro is having a very respectable season regardless.

He might not be a winger fit for a gegenpressing team, but for a team that needs a winger who can dribble and create chances, I did not see many prospects better than Raul Moro. He reminded fans why they love the game, and still plays without the robotic nature that many modern day players are forced to adopt. I believe Raul Moro could play for a Champions League level side, and is probably best suited for LaLiga or Serie A. I cannot stress enough how much he impacted the match for Spain whenever he was on the pitch at this tournament.

Update: As soon as I finished writing this article, I noticed that there are reports that Ajax have reached an agreement on personal terms with Moro, and are looking to finalize a deal with Real Valladolid. It looks like the Ajax scouts saw what I did, and I look forward to seeing how he performs at Ajax. This could be special.

Raul Moro, One to Watch.
U21 Euro Ones to Watch: Djaoui Cissé

June 24th, 2025

Ready for a fun one today? Perhaps the hidden gem of the French U21 squad, a player many questioned the selection of for this tournament, but a player who has fully silenced all doubters: Djaoui Cissé.

I really cannot stress how much fun Cissé is to watch, he was one of two players (the other is tomorrow’s feature!) who really reminded me why I love football at the U21 Euros.

Djaoui Cissé, a 21 year old French/Malian midfielder who came through the Rennes academy into their first team, was somewhat of a surprise selection to Les Bleus supporters coming into the tournament. He remained on the bench for their first match against Portugal, and then was subbed on with only a minute remaining in the second match against Georgia.

Then, in the final group stage match, he was unleashed on Poland. First, a thundering long shot from Cissé couldn’t be handled by the keeper and was headed in by Nathan Zeze to give France a 1-0 lead, with Cissé being rightfully credited with an assist. Right after the ensuing kickoff, Cissé steals the ball, runs forward, notices the Polish keeper off his line and curls a beautiful shot over the keeper into the top left corner from about 25 yards. Then before the first half could end, Cissé struck again from outside the box, receiving a cross-field pass from the right wing, turning onto his weaker left foot and powering a shot past the keeper at the near post. So in the first half, 3 Cissé long shots turned into 3 goals for France, with him scoring a goal on either foot. Pretty decent debut, no? France went on to be 4-1 winners, with Djaoui Cissé named the man of the match.

In the quarterfinals against a very strong Denmark team, he once again put in an all-around midfield performance, and showed that he doesn’t only rely on long shots to score. In this match, Cissé showed great anticipation and off the ball movement, playing a quick interchange with a teammate while running into the box, before taking the return pass in stride, dribbling a defender, and then calmly slotting home a goal on his left foot.

Cissé has played 181 minutes in the U21 Euro so far, almost exactly two full 90’s. In this time he has recorded 3 goals from 8 shots (5 on target), a 90% pass completion rate along with an impressive 75% long ball completion rate. On the ball, he has yet to be dispossessed, has a 75% success rate in dribbles, tackles, and duels, and has 13 recoveries.

He is truly an all-around midfielder, capable of playing as a 6, an 8, or as the 10. Cissé glides around the pitch when running, looking effortless and with physical levels remaining high throughout a full 90. His positioning sense both in and out of possession is very impressive for a young midfielder. He has high work rate, and hustles back in transition. His high pressing ability was recognizable, and is a good sign for his ability to play at a UCL level club.

When on the ball, he has a bit of that Mousa Dembélé ability to just weave through defenders to progress the ball up the pitch. His first touch and dribbling ability was impressive, along with his sense for where both he and the ball need to go. Cissé is a press resistant midfielder who can use his strong 188cm frame to hold off defenders, and his agility and technical ability to beat them with a quick turn.

A very strong comparison for Djaoui Cissé, both in playstyle and career path, is Pape Matar Sarr. Both players broke into first team football in Ligue 1, Sarr for FC Metz, and Cissé for Rennes. They are midfielders who can truly play any role in midfield, the type of player that managers dream of having. The success of Sarr in the Premier League is a very strong indicator of how Djaoui Cissé might fare. From what I have seen so far, Cissé looks to be a bit physically stronger than Sarr already, which furthers his case for being a potential Premier League star, where physical traits are so important.

Overall, Djaoui Cissé was one of my favorite players I watched at the U21 Euros. With France still to play the semifinals and potentially the final, this will be a great opportunity to further scout Cissé and his performance in the biggest moments of the tournament. From what I have seen so far, I strongly believe that Djaoui Cissé has potential to play for a very top club in Europe. His versatility and general lack of weaknesses in his game would allow him to be coached into the player I believe he can become. Whichever club signs him from Rennes will be given a unique player that if developed correctly, can be come one of the world’s best.

Djaoui Cissé, One to Watch!!
U21 Euro Ones to Watch: Oliver Provstgaard

June 23rd, 2025

Back with another scouting report from the U21 Euros, and today is possibly the CB that impressed me the most in this tournament: Oliver Provstgaard. Now if you had just been following along with the tournament on an app like Fotmob or Whoscored to check match ratings, you will miss a lot of great defender performances. These types of match ratings heavily favour defensive actions / goal contributions, and as we know, a CB can play a great game without needing to make many defensive actions due to good positioning. This was the case for Provstgaard.

Captaining this Denmark side in the tournament after moving to Lazio in January from Velje, Provstgaard has all the makings of a top top CB. Standing at 194cm tall with a strong build, he does not require much physical development to make it to the top. In terms of his mentality at a young age, it is perfect. His attitude, determination, concentration, leadership, focus and communication were at a very high level throughout the matches he played, never dropping focus late on. I honestly haven’t seen a CB remain so ready to make a play when the ball isn’t near them, for this entire match when the ball was upfield, Provstgaard remained in an athletic crouched stance, facing the side of the pitch, ready to make a run back or step up when needed. I never saw him walking around the pitch upright when the ball was not near him.

Physically, Provstgaard also looks ready to play at the top level against fully grown professionals. His pace, mobility, and strength were better than almost every other CB in this tournament. He has the bravery to complement his physical characteristics, and is unlikely to be physically dominated by an opposing striker.

Tactically, Provstgaard is an elite box defender, and has very strong positional and game sense. He regularly was in position to clear a cross before it reached an attacker, or to win the aerial duel on a high cross. In this tournament, Provstgaard won the majority of his tackles, averaging 7 defensive actions per match compared to only 1 foul conceded per match. He does not recklessly dive into tackles, and plays a very smart defensive game.

On the ball, Provstgaard has the potential to be a very good ball playing CB. At the U21 Euro, he averaged 3.7 successful long balls per match, which fits my eye test of noticing that he can play a very good long diagonal ball to switch play or release a winger in attack. His overall pass accuracy at the tournament was 88%, showing that he does like to try a long ball. He was never dispossessed while on the ball, and looked calm in possession. On set pieces, his aerial presence provides a considerable threat.

Overall, Oliver Provstgaard looks to be headed right to the very top, and should be primed for a breakout season at Lazio this year if he gets the game time. I believe it is almost a certainty that he will become a regular for the Danish senior team in the future, and has the potential to play for a top European club challenging for the Champions League. He does not have any major weaknesses, and likely just requires a bit of belief from his manager to continue his impressive development. One of the best prospects I saw at the U21 Euro, and certainly One to Watch.
U21 Euro Ones to Watch: Jakub Jakubko

June 22nd, 2025

The next player that caught my eye at the U21 Euro’s was the young Slovak CB, Jakub Jakubko. The 20 year old defender who plays for FC Košice in the Slovak top flight is almost certainly a relative unknown for the football world. At this tournament, he partnered the more established Adam Obert in defence, and never looked out of place. Obert, for comparison, has already played 77 matches for Cagliari in Serie A, and has registered 12 caps for the Slovak senior team. As Obert was the more ball playing CB, Jakubko played a defensive cover role very effectively.

The first thing I noticed about Jakub Jakubko was his mentality. He is as determined of a player as you’ll ever see, with the bravery required to make crucial blocks and tackles. While he was not yet leading and commanding the backline (naturally, due to Obert’s seniority), he will still be eligible for the next U21 Euro tournament in 2027, where he will be the most experienced CB on the squad and given a leadership role.

Physically, Jakubko is as ready to play at the top level as any 20 year old CB you might see. Some physical development will come with time, but he already exhibits very good pace and stamina. While not losing duels at this tournament on strength, that could be a development curve if he were to play in a top 5 league right now. However, with his pace and positioning sense, Jakubko often puts himself in place to make a defensive play before the need for a physical duel is necessary.

In this match against Spain, the Slovak defence was put under heavy pressure for the majority of the match. Jakubko showed impressive concentration throughout the match, and made many important blocks. He rarely put himself in position to concede a penalty, being very smart with his physical challenges inside his own box.

The area most requiring development (if it was required for the system he is playing in), is his on-ball play. Comfortable making short to medium range passes, you could not call him a ball playing CB at the moment. Not all systems require ball playing CB’s, and so this is more a hurdle if Jakubko is to play for a top team in Europe.

Overall, I think that Jakubko could be playing for a mid to low table Serie A club within the next year. There has been a successful path to the Italian leagues for promising Slovak players. Milan Skriniar, Tomas Suslov, Ondrej Duda, Stanislav Lobotka, the aforementioned Obert, and of course, Marek Hamsik are all examples of Slovak national team players who came through Italy in their club careers. Clubs like Cagliari will look at Obert’s success at that level and have (hopefully) seen that Jakubko made a very solid CB partner for him at this tournament. Barring significant technical development on the ball, I think Jakubko may not play for Inter Milan and PSG like Milan Skriniar did, but he absolutely has a very strong chance to be a good Top 5 leagues player and Slovak senior team starter.

Jakub Jakubko, one to watch.
U21 Euro Ones to Watch: Dominik Javorcek

June 20th, 2025

So I recently returned from a trip to Slovakia to watch the U21 European Championships, and today is the start of a series of player scouting reports for promising players that caught my eye in the match. I was generally focusing on players that the majority of football clubs/supporters might not know, if you are not a follower of that national team. So this means that even though Jarell Quansah had a good game for England, his 58 senior appearances for Liverpool already make him a pretty well-known quantity and not worth my time to scout compared to a more unknown player. For each report, I’ll be assessing the player’s level in relation to the others on the pitch, identifying their strengths/weaknesses, and making an educated guess on what their ceiling for potential might be.

When watching Slovakia take on Spain, I was impressed by Dominik Javorcek’s match, albeit a losing effort. Javorcek, 22 years old, is a product of the Zilina youth system, and spent the past season on loan in the Bundesliga with Holstein Kiel.

Javorcek is primarily a wide-left, defensive player, able to comfortably play anywhere from Left-back to left midfield. In a back 5, he would be a competent wide centre back on the left. If needed, he could play as a LW, although this will not be his best position. Javorcek is tall for a full-back, at 183cm, and has a strong build.

Technically, there is still work to be done if Javorcek wants to become a top level fullback/wingback. He does not possess a lot of tricks and is a very functional dribbler (when the moment calls for it, he does not go out of his way to try and dribble his man). He is very comfortable playing short passes in buildup, and has a very good sense of positioning both on and off the ball. His crossing is already at a decent level, but some more consistency in his delivery is needed. Javorcek has strong defensive sense and is physically capable of keeping up with speedy forwards. While not an elite aerial player, Javorcek will win headers over opposition wingers relatively easily.

The tactical and mental sides of his game were what impressed me the most about Javorcek in the match against Spain. His best attribute is his off the ball runs. Javorcek showed a great sense for when to make a run forward, and consistently curved his runs to stay onside. Javorcek was able to recognize when he needed to make a run inside to support his winger, and did so very competently. He made more positive forward runs than his teammates were able to take advantage of by finding him with the ball, which is a good sign if Javorcek were to play at a higher level. Mentally, he appeared to have a professional mindset already despite his young age. His determination and effort levels did not drop off during the match, despite having to cover a lot of ground up the left flank.

Javorcek (#5), playing at LB against Spain U21

While his season at Holstein Kiel did not appear spectacular just based on statistics, football is a lot more than statistics, especially for defenders. Kiel was one of the weakest teams in the Bundesliga, which also will affect how an individual player on that team appears to be performing. In the match against Spain, Javorcek was able to catch Marc Pubill off guard with his runs on several occasions, who had a very strong season in LaLiga 2 this year. As Pubill is a player more of you will be likely to know, it can be a useful comparison. Defensively, Javorcek is on Pubill’s level if not slightly better. In terms of making runs and positioning in possession, Javorcek outperformed Pubill. Only in technical ability was Pubill clearly superior to Javorcek in this match, which is understandable given that Spain regularly prioritizes technical development in young players.

Given that the Bundesliga is a significantly better league than La Liga 2, and Javorcek was playing for a relegation candidate in the Bundesliga vs Pubill playing for one of the better teams in La Liga 2, the difference in their season statistics/ratings appears to be mostly down to this. As of right now, I believe Javorcek is at the level of a very good 2nd division player in the Top 5 nations in Europe (2. Bundesliga/Championship/Serie B/ etc.), or pushing for a starting spot in the Dutch/Belgian top divisions. Considering that the main area he needs to improve in is technique, while his game sense and mentality are already at a very high level, joining a club with a strong coaching staff could see Javorcek get significantly better, very quickly. He already is the type of person you want on your team, and is very close to being at a technical level to contribute in Europe’s biggest leagues. At only 22 years old and a defender, Javorcek has plenty of time to reach his full potential. I strongly believe that he will be a starter for the Slovak senior national team soon, possibly as soon as the 2026 World Cup (given Slovakia’s relatively thin depth at LB).

Dominik Javorcek, absolutely one to watch.