Due to the sheer spectrum of structures and philosophies displayed by such high-quality teams, the Premier League is without a doubt the most unforgiving league in world football for up-and-coming talent as things stand.   One week, you’re spending ninety minutes attempting to break through a brick wall Burnley back-four, the next you’re being pressed…

Aaron Hickey’s wonder strike against Sassuolo made the masses stand up and notice the Scotsman, his performances for Bologna impressive after swapping Edinburgh for Northern Italy.   Starting off in Celtic’s youth system before being discarded for Hearts – Hickey favouring first team opportunities over sticking with the Scottish giants – it looks as if…

When it comes to producing top-class footballers, Germany has always been a gold mine. Each country has natural characteristics associated with its players — Serbians tend to be flexible and hardened, Spaniards are elegant and associative, Brazilians use samba as a lifestyle on the pitch, and Germans are known for their intelligence and teamwork.  …

Eredivisie talents automatically command scrutiny nowadays. For every Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay, there’s a Davy Klassen and Justin Kluivert. Unlike those, and mixed successes such as Steven Bergwijn and Donny van de Beek, Jesper Karlsson hasn’t been made in Amsterdam or Eindhoven. This 23-year-old’s 14 goals and assists this season have come at…

When Siniša Mihajlović replaced Filippo Inzaghi as coach of Italian club Bologna in January 2019, Mattias Svanberg was a player that still needed refining in his game despite already earning valuable playing time in Serie A.   The Swedish youngster found his opportunities limited for the remainder of the 2018/19 campaign under Mihajlović, but he…

Only three players started both, Chelsea’s FA Cup final victory in 2018 and the Champions League win three years later. All three played starring roles in both conquests, but have since had question marks hanging over their heads.   César Azpilicueta and N’Golo Kanté have both been plagued by the curse of being on the…

After the unsavoury and unceremonial exit of Mesut Özil to Fenerbahçe on January 17, 2021, it has been difficult for Arsenal to find consistent rhythm in the attacking third of the pitch. The mercurial German would always prove difficult to replace, with Özil providing 77 assists in 254 appearances in his seven-and-a-half years in North…

Christopher Nkunku was born in Lagny-sur-Marne, an eastern suburb in Paris, the same area where Paul Pogba was born and brought up. Nkunku was an incredibly gifted and robust player with a “footballer’s DNA” from a young age and joined France’s renowned national academy, Clairefontaine, alongside the talent of Marcus Thuram, Allan Saint-Maximin, Amine Harit…

When Raphinha joined Leeds on October 5, 2020, for £17 million, few eyebrows were raised. The Brazilian winger had just helped Rennes secure Champions League football for the first time in club history, contributing 9 goals and 5 assists in all competitions, and had impressed in Portugal for Sporting and Vitória de Guimarães, but nevertheless, not…

Brighton & Hove Albion have had an inconsistent first half of the season with the Seagulls winless in 12 games in all competitions after winning the first 6 of their 7 fixtures of the season.    The constant loss of important players such as Lewis Dunk (out until February), Pascal Gross, and Adam Webster have…