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Tor Christian Carlsen, ESPN
Welcome back to the ESPN FC Hot List, which each month highlights some of the hottest talents aged 23 and under across Europe.
In general, young but well-known stars such as Erling Haaland of Manchester City, Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid or Barcelona. dryI haven’t been included – otherwise they would be on the list every month – but we will highlight some of those who deserve praise for their performances and who have the potential to become the next big name in European football.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
Marc Goyo, 17, Street, Barcelona
While La Masia’s academy has a proven track record, Barcelona aren’t really known for developing world-class No.9 strikers. But Guiu may turn out to be breaking that pattern. Along with Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, he impressed for Spain in the European Under-17 Championships earlier in the year, scoring four goals to finish as joint top scorer with his teammate.
Goyo, a popular goalscorer in Barcelona’s youth ranks, became famous after coming on as a substitute in the first team’s 1-0 win over Athletic Club earlier this month. Despite being a surprise inclusion in the squad, the 6-foot-2 striker ended up deciding the game 33 seconds into his debut when he beat the offside trap to brilliantly slot past the goalkeeper.
Guiu has top-class finishing ability, a sophisticated first touch, good aerial power and a great poaching instinct, so he should go far.
Isaac Toure, 20, defender, Lorient
Toure is the tallest player in Europe’s top leagues at 6ft 9, and is a formidable presence at the heart of Lorient’s defence. Signed by Marseille in 2022 after impressing in the Under-19 European Championship, Toure was allowed to leave the troubled club at the end of the summer transfer window for around €8m as Pamo Meite moved on loan in the opposite direction. But given his early performance, Marseille may regret this decision.
Due to his sheer size, the centre-back has been the subject of much discussion within the scouting community. But Toure mitigates some of his lack of mobility with intelligent positioning, has a proactive style in defending and appears in three defensive plays to his strength. He adapts to the ball (although he generally leaves the longer distribution to his teammates) and clearly represents an attacking threat from set-pieces when allowed to venture forward.
Lenny Euro, 17, midfielder, Lille
Just when you thought France had exhausted their number of promising young centre-backs, Euros emerged. Euro, another graduate of Lille’s prestigious academy, started getting first-team minutes in the second half of last season, but this season, the 17-year-old has been a regular in Paulo Fonseca’s defence.
In addition to playing with a more experienced defender, the France Under-21 international has excellent movement and match-reading skills, allowing him to see danger early and intercept passes before the opposition can react. His confidence on the ball is also high, with 93% pass accuracy per 90 minutes, which is useful against high-pressing sides and means he can dribble out of trouble.
Luis Obinda, 22, ST, RB Leipzig
After signing for Lens for €38.5 million this summer, Obinda has started his Bundesliga career in impressive fashion. The Belgium international has scored eight goals in his first 10 matches and is fast approaching his fourth consecutive season in the league with double figures.
Obinda is primarily known for his exceptional finishing skills, which often arise as a result of incisive runs in behind the opposition defence. Always moving in search of space to exploit, he is not active in the build-up phase and does not tend to drop deep, but when the ball enters the final third he goes to work.
A natural striker with the DNA of a scorer, he quickly maps the defenders around him and takes some crucial touches before finding the right angle to shoot.
Filip Jorgensen, 20, goalkeeper, Villarreal
Although young goalkeepers don’t regularly feature in this column – mainly due to lack of playing time – the Denmark Under-21 international is one to keep an eye on. After just two games in La Liga, Villarreal have been happy to put their faith in the 20-year-old and he has met the challenge so far.
Jorgensen was particularly impressive in the 0-0 draw away to Getafe, producing an impressive array of saves – from low one-handed stops to top-class reaction efforts. However, he doesn’t just excel at the goal line; He plays alert and often picks up balls outside the penalty area through his good anticipation and courage.
While his distribution still needs fine-tuning, the 6-foot-3 Jorgensen already cuts a fairly complete picture of a goalkeeper and will only improve with more first-team minutes.
Brian Zaragoza, 22 years old, striker, Granada
Primarily used as an impact player as a substitute player in La Liga last season, the right-footed left winger has impressed in La Liga for newly promoted Granada. Indeed, his brace – one with a brilliant touch with the outside of his foot – in the 2-2 draw against Barcelona in early October and his call-up to the Spanish national team put him firmly on the map.
Although still a bit sloppy tactically, Zaragoza’s temperament-driven style and directness – always wanting to press inside the penalty area – makes it extremely exciting to watch. Blessed with unpredictable natural skills (3.7 successes per 90 minutes) and a powerful shot, his style is similar to that of a young Franck Ribery. Regardless of Granada’s performance in second place this season, Zaragoza is unlikely to be at the club within a year.
Matthias Soli, 20 years old, Frosinone
The Argentina Under-20 international has enjoyed an impressive start to his season-long loan spell from Juventus. After 10 matches, Solé has scored five times and provided one assist.
Having emerged at youth level at Juventus – he started five Serie A matches for the Turin giants last season – the playmaker has come out of his shell at the newly promoted side. Stylistically somewhat of a trequartisa A throwback, Soulé is equipped with great artistic ability and vision. On top of his newfound goal-scoring abilities – two of his goals this season have come from headers – he has also become more advanced with his passing, often picking off teammate passes with a beautifully angled through ball.
Despite his over-reliance on his left foot, he is still capable of getting past opponents (3.6 successful dribbles per 90 minutes) and moving between the lines, often cutting in from the right wing.
