After the conclusion of a 15-year spell with his hometown club of OGC Nice on the 1st of July 2020, 21-year-old Malang Sarr has become one of the most sought after and desirable free agents on the market this summer. With a plethora of major European teams chasing him to acquire his services for the…

On April 13, 2014, Martin Ødegaard became the youngest ever player to debut in the Norwegian top flight at 15 years and 118 days old, coming on as a substitute against Aalesunds FK at the Marienlyst Stadion. It took him just 18 minutes to make his mark on the game; he picked up a loose…

In February 2019, FIFA leveed Chelsea with a one-year transfer ban after the English club was found to have breached international regulations in relation to third-party influence and youth player registration.   While Chelsea were able to register Christian Pulisic, who they signed nearly two months prior to the ban before loaning him back to…

Manuel Lanzini burst onto the scene as a 22-year old during West Ham’s outstanding 2015/16 campaign, combining with the extraordinary Dimitri Payet to propel the Hammers to a seventh-place finish in their last season at Upton Park.   The Argentinian attacking midfielder, who was then on loan from Abu Dhabi-based Al-Jazira, scored 8 goals and…

In recent months, United States international Weston McKennie has been linked with a move away from Schalke 04. The 21-year-old has been linked with a wide variety of clubs ranging from Hertha Berlin, Southampton, Everton, Leicester City and Aston Villa, with Schalke reportedly demanding a fee within the region of £20 million.   When McKennie…

From Gaetano Scirea to Franco Baresi, from Paolo Maldini to Giuseppe Bergomi, from Alessandro Nesta to Fabio Cannavaro, Italy has been blessed with a long line of world-class defenders over the years, and the latest examples in this list are Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.   To paraphrase the words of Tottenham Hotspur manager José…

Over the years, several African nations have become specialists at producing players of a certain position or role. Nigeria has become famed for its lethal, potent forwards such as Rashidi Yekhini and Victor Osimhen, Mali for its long-legged, restless midfield workhorses like Seydou Keïta and Diadie Samassékou, whilst Cameroon has developed a penchant for its…

When the 2018/19 Premier League season concluded, Manchester United finished in a disappointing 6th place, a season in which they conceded a total of 54 league goals, more than any other club inside of the top 6. The oft criticized trio of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo combined for a total of 41…

Since joining Real Madrid’s academy at the age of 8 years old, Sergio Reguilón has risen up the ranks of La Fábrica to become one of the top left backs in Spain. The Madrileño joined third division side UD Logroñés on loan for two seasons, before returning to Real Madrid Castilla in 2018. From there,…

Lucas Torreira was a revelation when he played at Sampdoria and he earned plaudits for his ball-winning abilities as well as his effective ball distribution. The Uruguayan’s ability to fit into Blucerchiati coach Marco Giampaolo’s system kept Luca Cigarini out of the starting line-up, prompting the experienced playmaker to move to Cagliari after one season…