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The Art of Carlos Baleba
How was he discovered by Brighton? What does he excel in? How high is his ceiling? Where is his perfect next move? Carlos Noom Quomah Baleba was born in Douala, Cameroon, in 2004. Growing up in a footballing environment, he thrived at youth level in his academy in Cameroon, originally playing as a…
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Jacopo Fazzini: Empoli’s Hidden Gem
Club: Empoli Nationality: Italy Position(s): CM, AM Preferred Foot: Right Height: 5’10”/178cm Age: 21 Strengths: agility, dribbling, passing variance, duels, defensive work-rate, press resistance, athleticism Areas of Development: application, strength It seems like every year, there’s a new interior midfielder who’s leaving one of Serie A’s smaller teams and taking his talents to one…
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Thierno Barry: Villarreal’s New Attacking Talisman
Last season, Villarreal went from battling relegation to competing for Europe and finishing eighth in the LaLiga table. They did so thanks to the exploits of Alexander Sørloth, whose 23 goals saw him finish as the second-top scorer in the Spanish top-flight behind Artem Dovbyk (24). With Atlético Madrid signing Sørloth for €32 million, Villarreal…
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Yacine Adli Finding a New Lease on Life at Fiorentina
From Mike Maignan to Mattèo Guendouzi to Adrien Rabiot, we’ve seen quite a few players go from developing in Paris Saint-Germain’s academy to excelling in the Italian top-flight, and the latest player to make the jump and excel in Serie A is Yacine Adli. Born in the Parisian suburb of Vitry-sur-Seine to Algerian parents,…
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Why Bryan Mbuemo Is the Perfect Mohamed Salah Replacement for Liverpool
Bryan Mbeumo is the epitome of the ‘moneyball’ approach that Brentford have taken to their recruitment since the 2015-16 season. If you’re unfamiliar with that approach, essentially it’s using stats/data to identify players who are ‘undervalued’ with high potential that are brought in to be developed and sold for a lucrative profit. Mbeumo was…
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Giovani Lo Celso: Back to His Best in Betis
It has been a rollercoaster career for Giovani Lo Celso. He was 20 years old when he left boyhood club Rosario Central and headed across the Atlantic Ocean, joining Paris Saint-Germain for £8.5m. He was 22 when he left for Real Betis in search of playing time, emerging as a revelation for the Verdiblancos with…
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Ricardo Pepi: Unlocking a New Level at PSV Eindhoven
Ricardo Pepi began his professional career in MLS with FC Dallas, where he progressed through their academy and debuted for the first team in 2019 at just 16 years old. Pepi’s breakthrough came in the 2021 season, where his goalscoring exploits, including becoming the youngest player in MLS history to net a hat-trick, earned him…
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Nicolo Rovella: The Regista Turned Destroyer
All of the visuals in this article were made with the usage of Once Video Analyzer Elite. Download Once Sport here and use our discount code BTL10 to get an extra 10% discount off your purchase! The importance placed on the defensive midfield position has arguably never been higher. The role’s most outstanding player, Rodri, won…
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Mattia Zaccagni Flourishing with Bigger Responsibility at Marco Baroni’s Lazio
Lazio are enjoying a resurgence this season under new coach Marco Baroni and currently find themselves in fifth place with 31 points from 15 matches, level on points with Fiorentina and Inter (who have a game in hand), four points behind Napoli and six behind Atalanta (both of whom have played one more match than…
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Ademola Lookman: Why the Nigerian Star Deserves to Be Crowned as Africa’s Finest
In a year filled with impressive displays by African footballers within and beyond the shores of the continent, few have shone as brightly as Nigeria and Atalanta talisman, Ademola Lookman. The 27-year-old forward has been a revelation since making the move to Serie A, combining breathtaking skill, clinical finishing, and relentless determination to cement his…
