February’s U23 Hot List: Cubarsi, Pavlovic, Beier 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 such as 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 those who deserve spotlights. praise for their performances and could potentially become the next big names in European football.
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Pau Cubarsí, 17, CB, Barcelona
It wasn't a huge surprise to see Cubarsi make his first-team debut for Barcelona in January, as the Spain Under-17 captain has long been regarded as one of the best central defenders in European football. However, his importance to the team despite being just 17 came as a shock and was notable as he was among Barcelona's best players in the 4-0 home win over Getafe at the weekend. last last.
Although his skills on the ball are well known – he is so confident in finding the right angles for assists – he also excels at defending in the box. Against Getafe, he avoided danger on at least two occasions thanks to a well-timed sliding tackle, and although the sample size is still small, he emerged victorious in an impressive 74% of his defensive duels.
Considered by many scouts to be Spain's next world-class central defender, Cubarsi has enjoyed a wonderful start to his senior career.
Aleksandar Pavlovic, 19, DM, Bayern Munich
Bayern may have failed to sign a defensive midfielder in the last two windows, but the struggling Bundesliga champions may have found a future star in their own ranks, based on recent evidence .
Since his first-team debut just before Christmas, Pavlovic has seen plenty of playing time and has been praised by head coach Thomas Tuchel for his attitude and application.
Similar in style to former Bayern star Javi Martinez, Pavlovic is a reliable presence thanks to his deep-lying midfield role. He is disciplined, careful with the ball and tactically astute. In addition to his passionate pressing, varied passing (92% accuracy) and intelligent positioning skills, he also stood out for his skill at set pieces. And, in the offensive phase, his intelligent movement also allowed him to score a good goal against Borussia Möchengladbach in early February.
Victor Kristiansen, 21, LB, Bologna
Kristiansen may have struggled to make an impression in the Premier League with Leicester last season, but things are going well on loan at high-flying Serie A club Bologna. Due to his impressive performances, Bologna are reportedly considering taking up the €15 million option to sign him permanently this summer.
Energetic and powerfully built, Kristiansen stands out for his consistency, while he is diligent in his defensive work and almost never produces a below-average performance. Going forward, the 21-year-old may not be the most eye-catching dribbler, nor one to overwhelm the opposition full-back with persistent attacks, but he is exceptionally progressive in his passing (19 passes before all the 90 minutes) and his center is also of high quality (four assists in Serie A this season).
Luka Romero, 19 years old, AG, Almeria
A standout player at youth level for Argentina, Romero finally announced his arrival at senior level last weekend by scoring both goals – each with his left foot – in Almeria's well-deserved 2-2 draw against Atlético Madrid.
Currently on loan from AC Milan at the bottom team in La Liga, Romero has already had quite a journey in European football: he came through the Mallorca youth system and made his La Liga debut at the age of 15 years before joining Lazio in 2021 and then being released. two years later and finally landed in Milan.
An inverted winger who stands at 5ft 5in, he tends to come into action when cutting in from the left in the final third, using quick dribbles or one-twos with teammates to advance. Creative, explosive and technically gifted, the teenager can be too often inclined to go it alone, but judging by his performance against Atlético, an added dimension of maturity is evident in his game.
Mohamed Bamba, 22 years old, CF, Lorient
Bamba is arguably one of the most successful signings of January as he was signed by Lorient from Austrian club Wolfsberger for €5 million, and has found the net five times in as many matches for the club of Ligue 1 so far (which is one goal every 68 minutes.)
A strong and fast runner, capable of stretching defenses, Bamba is also exceptional at spotting opportunities. By positioning himself intelligently, he can finish quickly with both feet and has already scored two headers for Lorient.
If he still has some gaps in his game in terms of his technical ability, a sometimes erratic first touch and his decision-making, the Ivorian center forward is experiencing a late bloom since he only started his career professional than in 2020 in Israel. But his productivity has given Lorient a real boost in their fight against relegation this season.
Maximilian Beier, 21 years old, CF, Hoffenheim
Following his brace against Borussia Dortmund last weekend, Beier is the youngest player to score 10 goals in the Bundesliga this season, and he also has four assists to his name.
After spending the last two campaigns on loan at Hannover in the 2. Bundesliga, where he showed promise, Beier is now a regular top marksman. The 21-year-old can resemble Timo Werner in the way he moves down the left with purpose and harasses defenders when not in possession. Indeed, even if he is not excessively muscular, the intention and perseverance in his movement on the last line of defense regularly allow him to gain the upper hand over his opponents.
Always alert, Beier also thrives in transition as he can dart forward to make runs that split the defense. And he's also a high-volume finisher (2.7 shots on goal per 90 minutes, half of which were on target.)
