Football Talent Scout Report: Jadon Sancho

Jadon Malik Sancho is an English Under-19 player who currently plays for German Club Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. The 18-year-old played for the Manchester City youth academy until Dortmund paid 7.05 Million Pounds for him in late August 2017. He can play on both the wings in an advanced midfield cum attacking position, but his proficiency lies in the left wing position.

Sancho was part of the England squad which won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in India 2 years ago. The left winger is currently valued at £80 million as per sports analysis website, iSports API.

17/18 season, Sancho played a total of 12 games for Dortmund in the Bundesliga and scored 1 goal in those appearances for the club. In the current 2018-19 season which has just begun, Sancho has appeared for the senior squad in a total of 4 matches – 3 in the Bundesliga and 1 in the League Cup, DFB-Pokal, as per iSports API.

What’s astonishing, is the fact that Sancho has a brilliant record of 3 assists in his 4 appearances this season and that too having just played 96 minutes in total. That averages to around an assist every 32 minutes, which might be one of the best assist per minute averages in Europe right now if we were to leniently not consider various other factors involved.

Just to remind you, we are talking about an 18-year-old here. As per reports from iSports API, after graduating from the Manchester City academy not long ago, Sancho was chased by Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham. He was also offered a new contract at Manchester City worth 30,000 Pounds which he turned down.

The English teenager then chose Dortmund as his new home, after turning down all the English heavyweights. Dortmund Sporting Director Michael Zorc has hailed Jadon Sancho as ‘one of the greatest young talents in European football’ and has assured that he will ‘definitely play at BVB’.

After being given the number 7 jersey at Dortmund which was vacated by Barcelona bound Ousmane Dembele, and has been previously worn by former Dortmund stars Shinji Kagawa and Robert Lewandowski, the future looks bright for the young Englishman.

Also, Dortmund has always been known to produce and develop Europe’s best talents – the list of which contains big names such as Marco Reus, Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Shinji Kagawa and so on – Sancho might be one of the names to be added to this list in the coming 3 years.

In a recent article by The Guardian, Sancho was described as ‘A street player with the potential to be England’s Neymar who can emulate Dele Alli for England' by former England youth coach, Dan Micciche. This is due to the 18-year-old’s quick feet and dribbling abilities on the left wing position for Borussia Dortmund as well as for England at the Under-19 and Under-17 levels. Dan Micciche has coached Sancho at the U-17 level.

Having an Under-17 World Cup under his belt in addition to the number 7 jersey and an important squad role at Dortmund, there is only one thing that is sure about Jadon Sancho - his development.

The teenager will surely learn a lot from German World Cup winners Mario Gotze and Marco Reus who are his teammates at Dortmund, while the three of them fight for the advanced midfield position at the club.

Another fact is that Dortmund guarantees Sancho not only good exposure of German football but also European competitions, which is a big plus if the Englishman is bound to ever return to one of the Premier League giants. The Premier League clubs have been disappointing in the Champions League for many years now and would love a huge prospective European talent like Sancho, 3-4 years down the line.

The future is bright for the 18-year-old Englishman.

All datas from iSports API.

Phil Foden, the next superstar in Manchenster City

Being a young player at a big club is not easy. It’s even truer at Manchester City where all positions are covered twice (almost three times) and where the bench still contains world-class quality.

Almost 10 years on from Mansour’s takeover, not one English player from City’s academy made a Premier League or Champions League appearance last season. Phil Foden is the exception.

He has been at Manchester City since the age of nine. Now 17, the young midfielder has been promoted to the first team after excelling for the U18s last term.

He also was the star man for England under 17s as the Three Lions made history by winning the FIFA U17 World Cup for the first time in the country’s history in 2017. His two goals in the competition’s final secured the trophy as he emerged the golden ball winner as the tournament’s best player.
Style of play

Phil Foden has developed as an offensive midfielder with a preference for the leads. Some fans already name him the ‘Stockport Iniesta’ in reference to his hometown. Indeed, there are a lot of similarities between the Barcelona player and the young Englishman.

Firstly he is a playmaker. Either in youth competitions or in elite games, he always has the adaptability to lead the game thanks to very good qualities with and without the ball. He scores and provides assists in the same quantities, the mark of top players, being decisive whatever his position on the field.

Phil Foden is very fast and smart. Here he oriented his body to be ready to get the ball and move forward quickly.

Like Iniesta, he is also a dribbler thanks to an incredible left foot. Moreover, he has a particular physique. He is quite thin for a player reaching such a level (even more for the Premier League) and boasts excellent stamina and maximum speed.

Although his apparent lack of toughness can be seen as a weakness, he protects the ball well and is so rarely dispossessed.

On the field, he played most of the time in the midfield, either behind the striker as a number 10 or a bit on the right side.

However, when Pep Guardiola called him up to play with the first team to play Premier League games (he played a total of 43 minutes last season and already eight minutes this season, as per iSports API), he used him on the left side of the attack as we can see on the touch map below.

We really started hearing about him when Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City. The Catalan said of the player during the pre-season tour of the United States in 2017:

“It’s a long time since I saw something like this. His performance was another level. He’s 17 years old, he’s a City player, he grew up in the academy, he loves the club, he’s a City fan and for us he’s a gift.”

In fact, it is not his habit to play a lot of young players but recent declarations show how Phil Foden and Guardiola have a good relationship.

“It gives me a lot of confidence that the manager wants to keep me. He’s always talking to me and letting me know where I need to improve. I just listen to him and see what he can help me with and make me better.”

That is why he opted to go on City’s tour instead of playing for the England U19 team this summer.

“I think it was right for me to stay here and try to develop more and become a better player. It’s going to be quite difficult. I just need to try and show the manager what I can do in training, work hard and see where that takes me.”

With Guardiola in charge, Foden may just develop into another world-class superstar reminiscent of Xavi or Iniesta.

One tough obstacle for Foden is that there are a lot of players higher in the hierarchy, not to mention Riyad Mahrez’s arrival this summer. However, there are some elements in favour of the young Englishman.

Firstly he is a homegrown graduate in a club which definitely needs that kind of player. Currently the Premier League allows a maximum of 17 non-homegrown players in each 25-man club squad. This means that in a full squad, there must be at least eight homegrown players. Therefore Foden is likely to stay in the plans of management, at least for this reason.

With a busy club schedule, he will also have more playing time as David Silva gradually leaves his place little by little. Phil Foden is the perfect substitute for the Spaniard, who recently retired from international duties.

But like Daniel Sturridge or Kieran Trippier before, the young talent could be forced to leave Manchester if he doesn’t earn more playing time. This is the downside of the influx of cash and the arrivals of big stars.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz is one of Europe’s most prodigious talents

At the tender age of 20, Kai Havertz has already been dubbed as one of the next big stars in football – a future Ballon d’Or winner, a player to stand above the rest.

This is something similar we’ve been hearing about some other youngsters as well, namely Kylian Mbappe, who’s received identical treatment from the media and other stars alike ever since breaking onto the scene.

And similarly to the young World Cup winner, Havertz’s claims seem very much warranted despite his tender. After all, not many can boast the accolade of being crowned Bayer Leverkusen’s player of the season at such a young age, nor can they boast netting an incredible 20 goals and tallying seven assists in just 42 games across all competitions in 2018/19，as per iSports API.

This in itself is already an incredible achievement but what exactly makes Havertz so special and who is this 20-year-old who’s seemingly setting the world alight? Let’s start at the beginning.

Havertz joined the Leverkusen youth in 2010 and has quickly progressed through the ranks, reaching the senior team in 2016. Since then, his estimated value has skyrocketed and now he’s worth £81m, per iSports API.

He’s the second most valuable player in the Bundesliga, only behind Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho.

The attacking midfielder’s talent is undeniable. Despite not being the finished product just yet, he is already a lethal finisher, exceptionally technical with great vision and versatility while also being physically powerful enough and dominant in the air.

From the looks of it, Havertz truly is the whole package just waiting to be delivered to the doorstep of an elite club. Let’s analyse his traits in more detail.

His technical side can immediately be seen from his passing and dribbling abilities. Last season, according to Wyscout, he boasted 89.6% passing accuracy in Bundesliga with 2.25 long balls per game. Similarly, he attempted 3.76 dribbles per game in 2018/19 with a success rate of 59.1%, accoding to iSports API.

It seems that if they can’t stop him fairly the opponents resort to dropping him to the ground, with Whoscored noting Havertz was fouled 1.5 times per game.

But despite only managing one key pass per game, his assist tally tells a different story. Seven assists throughout all competitions last season is an impressive figure and those usually arrive by virtue of his deadly passes.

We can see the proof of his outstanding vision and passing prowess in his game. Havertz receives the ball in a slightly deeper position and as soon as his spots his teammate’s run, he reacts with a beautiful pass over the defence and into the free pocket of space behind the opposition.

As we’ve seen in the stats above, this is almost a regular occurrence for the young midfielder. His 6ft 2 frame enabled him to win 1.6 aerial duels per Bundesliga game in 2018/19 and that also makes the youngster a real threat in the box in crossing situations. But his talents don’t stop just there.

According to iSports API, Havertz has played in a multitude of positions throughout his career, ranging from central midfield, to number ten, to winger. This versatility makes him an outstanding asset to any team and it offers flexibility when the manager wishes to tinker with his system.

And judging by his heatmap above, Havertz is pretty much active on the whole right side of the pitch, regardless of his delegated position on the teamsheet.

Bayer Leverkusen have a player that offers a variety of different skills including passing, vision, technique, physicality and, most importantly, a finishing prowess that netted him 20 goals across all competitions last season.

But there’s also one final aspect worth discussing and that’s the fact that Havertz is already a clutch player at just 20 years of age.

Bayer Leverkusen played eight games in the Europa League in 2018/19 and he scored three goals and assisted a further three, a remarkable return given the prestige of the competition.

Needless to say, he played a big role in both the Bundesliga and Europa League campaigns for his team and very much deserved the Player of the Season award that was presented to him.

All that remains for us now is to wait and see how high this prodigious talent can rise in the game.

If the story so far is anything to go by, the sky is the limit for Havertz.

Neymar Is The Best Choice For Bacelona To Increase Strength

Barcelona are confident of bringing Neymar back to the club after talks on Tuesday with Paris Saint-Germain.

According to Goal, Barca CEO Oscar Grau travelled to the French capital with a delegation and reportedly offered the Ligue 1 champions €160 million (£144 million) plus additions for the Brazil superstar.

However, PSG want Portugal international Nelson Semedo as part of any deal and would accept €100 million (£90 million) plus the Barca defender. The Spanish champions are reportedly reluctant to let any of their squad depart Catalonia.

The 27-year-old left the Blaugrana for Les Parisiens for a world-record fee of £222 million (£200 million) during 2017's summer transfer window, as per isports API.

However, just two years on, it appears the forward could soon be lining up once again with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to form their revered attacking trident. It was felt Neymar wanted to escape the shadow of Messi by leaving Barca, but his two years in the French capital have not brought success in the UEFA Champions League to the Parc des Princes.

The Spanish team have allowed Philippe Coutinho to leave for Bayern Munich on loan with a view to a permanent transfer, and the full-time exit of Neymar's compatriot would open the door for a dramatic return for the PSG talisman.

Barca have continued to dominate in La Liga, but Neymar would be expected to help Ernesto Valverde take the club back to the top of European competition.

Football data collected from iSports API.

Loan Dani Ceballos From Real Madrid, The Best Transfer For ARSENAL In Recent Years

The U21 Euros may not be a true indication of a player’s talent, but provides a glimpse into their potential. No matter, winners Spain went one step further than they did two years ago and exacted revenge upon Germany in last month’s final as goals from Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo delivered success to La Rojita, the latter of who has been linked with a move to Premier League.

There’s another Spaniard who shone in Italy that has been loan out to England, Dani Ceballos has been a member of the gunners. Real Madrid are prepared to cash in on Ceballos, despite thriving for Luis de la Fuente’s side this summer. The massive recruitment drive means Los Blancos need to cash in on fringe and young players, with the 22-year-old available for transfer as the LaLiga powerhouse ready a big money move for Paul Pogba or Christian Eriksen.

Even as he put a disappointing season behind him to excel for Spain, his availability is expected to trigger a mad scramble for his signature. A lack of a consistent run in the Real Madrid side means Ceballos has struggled to replicate his Real Betis performances at the Bernabeu and a change in role for the U21 side brought out the best in the in-demand attacker, who proved just how dangerous a midfielder he can be when a team plays to his strengths.

Unfortunately, with Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane eager to continue with the 4-3-3 setup at the Bernabeu, Ceballos has become marginalised by the Frenchman and it’s only a matter of time before the Spaniard departs for pastures new and, if a team can tap into his immense potential, then he’ll make for a fine addition to any side.

That said, he showcased a number of his best traits despite his limited time on the pitch. Only Arthur (93.5%) had a better pass success rate than Ceballos (92.6%) of those aged 23 and under in LaLiga last season, as per isportsapi.com, with his ball retention qualities shining through time and time again. Yet while he performed admirably in a central midfield role, it was in the number 10 role that saw him really rise to prominence this summer.

Ceballos made more successful final third passes (144) than any other player at the U21 Euros, as per isportsapi.com, with his ability to pick out a teammate in the attacking third with ease a hugely effective strength to his game that can be utilised by any top flight manager. The Spaniard was top for key passes (14) and joint-top for assists (2) at the competition, with nobody able to really fault the creative side to his game.

When pressed with the chance to score, too, Ceballos didn’t disappoint. It was his rasping effort from distance against Italy that set Spain on their path to international success this summer and he added his second of the tournament in their 5-0 rout over Poland. Both goals came when starting behind the striker, so it adds further weight to the idea that he has been mismanaged by Zidane at Real Madrid.

Given his age, Ceballos could be coached to adapt his game enough to succeed in a central midfield role, but you’d be robbing the player of the chance to really put opponents to the sword. Having completed more dribbles (19) than any other player in Spain’s successful summer, as per iSportsapi.com, having him feature behind the frontmen provides a more direct route to goal, adding another dimension to an attack.

There’s no denying that Ceballos’ development has stunted at Real Madrid and he is yet to really hit the heights of his Real Betis days. A change of scenery would do the player the world of good and away from the glaring spotlight that comes from playing for Real Madrid, Ceballos would have a fresh opportunity to take his game to the next level. Even in just a handful of appearances for the U21 national team, the freedom granted to the player allowed him to attack defences on a whim as he played a key role in Spain’s summer success.

Real Madrid clearly wasn’t the right move for Ceballos and potential suitors should be queueing up at the Bernabeu to convince the midfielder to move to their side this summer.

All datas collected from iSports API.

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