November’s U23 Hot List: Neves, Timber, Miley among stars،
Welcome back to the ESPN FC Hot List, which each month highlights some of the most in-form talents aged 23 and under across Europe.
Typically, young but established stars like Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham or Barcelona’s Gavi are not included – otherwise they would be on the list every month – but we will highlight some of them. who deserve praise for their performances and who could potentially become the next big name in European football.
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The next superstar to emerge from Portugal? Very probably. What is certain is that the best European clubs, notably Manchester City and Manchester United, have already started to surround themselves with this extremely talented midfielder. Having signed a new contract this summer – which includes a €120m release clause – his move won’t come cheap but it could be worth it.
Technically brilliant and intelligent, Neves finds space and protects the ball wonderfully well. With fabulous close control, highly developed vision and an ability to hit beautifully angled passes, Neves can operate as a No.10 or No.8 in midfield and stylistically resembles João Moutinho (before he was moved to a deeper role later in his career). .)
But Neves, who scored the stoppage-time winner in the Lisbon derby against Sporting CP this month, is not just about flair and aesthetics; he also brings a suitable change to the team and averages 3.4 tackles per 90 minutes.
With Feyenoord’s record-breaking striker Santiago Giménez (who has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League) featuring regularly in this column, it’s time to take a closer look at another high-achieving youngster from the club who has attracted the attention last month.
Twin brother of Arsenal’s Jürrien, Quinten also came through the ranks at Ajax but had to take a detour to Utrecht to try his luck in the first team. He is now in his second season at Feyenoord, and he is becoming one of the team’s hottest players.
No. 8 has all the fundamental qualities to excel in this role. Blessed with exceptional stamina and quick ball movement, he tirelessly supports his attack by entering the box. In November, he got on the scoresheet three times in the league and recorded a remarkable number of key passes per 90 minutes for the season.
Whoscored presents its U23 players of the month from the seven best leagues in Europe: English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish LaLiga, French Ligue 1, Italian Serie A, Dutch Eredivisie and Portuguese Liga. Monthly ratings are based on their comprehensive algorithm which uses Opta data during live matches, with over 200 raw statistics, which give a player a unique rating from 1 to 10 (1 being poor; 10 being excellent) weighted by depending on its influence within each. game.
Arguably the most influential striker in the Eredivisie this season, few players have had such an explosive development as PSV’s left-winger.
As well as cementing his status as a key player at club level, he is also set to claim a regular place for Belgium. And for all the rumors about the demise of Belgium’s golden generation, another is taking shape – with Bakayoko and Man City’s Jérémy Doku on each wing, Belgium are sure to keep opposition defenses busy this decade.
Bakayoko’s enthusiastic style is a joy to behold and his exceptional one-on-one skills allow him to outrun defenders on both sides. He is productive when cutting inside with his left foot and almost never hesitates, always looking to move the ball forward. Last weekend he scored and provided an assist in PSV’s 3-0 win at Twente and, with a transfer valued at around €30 million, he is no doubt being watched by some of the top clubs Europeans.
Ajax have had a horrible start to the season, losing five of their opening eight games before a recent mini-revival, but as bleak as that may seem, they can always look to their youth.
The last player to emerge from their legendary “De Toekomst” is left-footed centre-back Hato. Composed, capable of playing from the back (6+ progressive passes per 90 minutes), tactically astute, mobile and blessed with a good first touch, the 17-year-old has apparently already mastered the basics required of an Ajax defender.
November was a pretty special month for Hato: he first made his first senior cap for the Netherlands against Gibraltar and a few days later he scored his first senior league goal for Ajax in victory 5 -0 at home against Vitesse. The goal, which recalled Ajax’s ‘total football’ of the 1970s, saw Hato start the move from midfield before pushing into the box and scoring from close range after a neat exchange with a teammate.
Camarda became the youngest debutant in Serie A – at 15 years and 260 days – when he came on for the final eight minutes this weekend against Fiorentina. Even though the Milan striker hasn’t set the world on fire, his goalscoring record at youth level is certainly something out of the ordinary.
Although he has often played against opponents several years his senior – he first played with Milan’s U19 team at the age of 14 – he is a notorious goalscorer in the youth ranks and has found the net three times in the UEFA Youth League this season (including a brace against Newcastle), as well as four for the Italian U17 side earlier this autumn.
In addition to his innate goalscoring instinct, Camarda also possesses enough pace to outrun defenders, excellent timing in the air and a penchant for a spectacular finish.
While attacking stars such as Florian Wirtz, Victor Boniface and full-backs Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong have rightly received a lot of credit for Bayer Leverkusen’s sensational start to the German Bundesliga, Kossounou is arguably playing the better football. of his life and even scored in the 4-0 victory against Union Berlin in early November.
Despite some technical deficiencies – his first touch could be better – the Ivory Coast international’s proactive and aggressive style makes him a hugely impactful central defender. His ground speed isn’t hard to spot, but he’s also a quick thinker and does well under pressure. He is never afraid to pass the ball past the opponent to block them and even to step out of his role as right centre-back in Xabi Alonso’s back three.
Impressive on set pieces in both areas and extremely confident in duels, few defenders in the Bundesliga rival Kossounou in terms of application and physicality.
Despite promising signs during Newcastle’s preseason campaign, no one would have expected the 17-year-old midfielder to appear as unfazed as he did on his Premier League home debut against Chelsea on Sunday.
Beyond her sublime assist for Alexander Isak’s opener in the 4-1 win, there are plenty of reasons to be captivated by Miley’s outing. More than anything, the England U19 international looked comfortable and composed, his ball retention steady and sure in a fast-paced game, as was his distribution as he linked up perfectly with Kieran Trippier and Miguel Almiron.
His decision-making is reminiscent of a seasoned Premier League midfielder and he showed no signs of being intimidated by the exuberant atmosphere at St James’ Park. He also played 90 minutes in Newcastle’s Champions League draw against PSG and this mature and reliable central midfielder is sure to earn more minutes in the coming months.
