From Croatia to the Netherlands, Serbia to Portugal, some of the most productive academies across Europe could put together a veritable super team, with the likes of Josko Gvardiol, Dušan Vlahović, João Félix, and even Sofyan Amrabat all beginning their footballing development in countries away from the continent’s so-called top five leagues.
Belgian sides have been no less prolific, producing Kevin de Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and the rest of that “Golden Generation” from clubs all across one of Europe’s smaller countries. Given that track record, and a growing pressure to revitalise an ageing squad and trump their recent successes, there’s no better place to start our search for the next generation of superstars.
Marco Kana (20), R.S.C. Anderlecht
Making his first-team debut at just 16 years of age, Congolese midfielder Marco Kana actually came into François Vercauteren’s Anderlecht side as a centre-back, racking up impressive defensive numbers despite his sub-six-foot stature. With an above-average 67.2% defensive duel success rate and a rate of 9.3 ball recoveries per 90, the teenager played over 1000 minutes for the 34-time Belgian champions throughout the 2019-20 season. However, there was a glaring weakness; Kana won just 18.5% of his aerial duels that campaign, the worst of all his positional peers.
It isn’t especially surprising, then, that Kana was swiftly pushed into midfield when Vincent Kompany took over, addressing this weakness in the air, while also making the most of his ball-winning ability further up the pitch. Indeed, comparisons have been drawn between Kana and Kompany, who earned his stripes playing as a defensive midfielder at Hamburger SV before his move to Manchester City.
Since that breakout season four years ago, Kana’s minutes have been limited, so using data to assess him should be done with caution. Nonetheless, his defensive capabilities remain clear to see, as an imperious performance against Gent this September underlined, managing an impressive 14 ball recoveries and winning 100% of his defensive duels.
What makes Kana a particularly attractive prospect though, particularly in the eyes of a more possession-dominant side, is how comfortable he is on the ball. Again, a small sample size of 654 minutes should be considered, but in the Belgian Pro League and UEFA Europa Conference League last season, Kana recorded an average pass completion rate of 91.6% from 55 passes per 90 (91.2% when passing into the final third), and just 5.6 ball losses from 41.6 ball receptions. To put these numbers into context, N’Golo Kante was averaging nine ball losses per 90 from 38.3 ball receptions, and 88.1% accuracy from the same number of passes (82.5% when passing to the final third) in 2020-21, when Chelsea won the Champions League.
Such a comparison should be taken with a pinch of salt, given disparities in quality of opposition and game time, but it does go some way to reflecting Kana’s ability to consistently make the right decision in possession, as well as the utility he might have if he nails down consistent minutes and continues on this trajectory.
If he can recover from a pelvis injury by the time club football resumes, then there is every chance that he will find himself playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues soon. The move to Liverpool that he has touted as being his “dream” is perhaps a step too far too soon, but with European qualification remaining uncertain for Anderlecht this season, they might struggle to hold onto their more promising assets if the offers start coming in.
Luca Oyen (19), K.R.C. Genk
Just over 100km down Belgium’s E314 motorway is the Cegeka Arena, home to current league leaders, K.R.C. Genk, and a Nottingham-born Belgian youth international, Luca Oyen.
The tricky winger burst onto the scene last campaign, scoring two goals and providing three assists, amounting to 0.43 goal contributions per 90 for a side that stumbled to an eighth-placed finish. Despite this fine form for De Smerfen – yes, The Smurfs – neither John van den Brom or Bernd Storck were willing to accommodate Oyen by sacrificing record signing Theo Bongonda, all of whom have since left the club. Frustratingly, though, a pre-season cruciate ligament injury has left the youngster unable to capitalise, still yet to feature in 2022-23, despite the palpable excitement that had been building around the prospect of consistent game time.
It’s hard to know where to begin when assessing Oyen, but perhaps the most eye-catching facet of his game is his dribbling ability, more specifically his close control in tight areas, press resistance, and willingness to take on his man. Last season, he attempted an average of 7.1 dribbles per 90 with a success rate of 61.5%, making him the fourth-most effective dribbler of all his positional peers in the Belgian Pro League. The benefits of this are twofold: it allows him to find space for himself in the final third, and to open up gaps in the opposition defence when a player steps out to press him. His confidence using both feet makes him even trickier to shut down, as confident driving outside to the byline as he is cutting inside, an unpredictability that can cause nightmares for a back-pedalling defender.
What’s more, Oyen has demonstrated his efficiency in the final third. His arsenal of passes is varied and dangerous, with an average of 0.31 expected assists per 90 (92nd percentile), 1.1 key passes (96th percentile), and 72% accuracy when passing into the penalty area (98th percentile). His ability to read the game extends beyond passing too, with a tendency to arrive late in the box to attack a pocket that has been left unaccounted for by the opposition defence. Combine his 46.2% shooting accuracy (85th percentile) with his 3.9 touches in the opposition box (85th percentile) and it becomes clear what a handful he can be; give him space and he can find a pass or a shot, press him and he will likely wriggle past you.
Perhaps the most interesting thing regarding Oyen’s development is whether we could see him deployed more regularly in central areas; for example, in an advanced left-sided ‘8’ role. Indeed, he has shown a real ability to progress the ball from deep when called upon, with a 92% accuracy when passing into the final third being the best in the league in his position.
Combine this with his ability to receive the ball in the half space, drive forwards, and remain calm under pressure, there could be the makings of a very talented midfielder. He may need to work on his upper body strength to hold off more physical midfielders in tight central areas, but this could be an interesting development pathway for Oyen, with this intriguing positional versatility potentially earning him the playing time he deserves.
Martim Neto (19), Benfica
In the last ten seasons, Benfica have ceded 40 players to sides playing in Europe’s so-called top five leagues, including Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias, and most recently, Darwin Núñez. Even so, safely through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, and unbeaten in their last 28 competitive games, the Portuguese side have arguably never been stronger.
While Roger Schmidt rightly takes most of the credit, the club’s ability to replace such talismanic figures from within is perhaps an even more crucial factor in their success. To replace £64 million man Núñez came Gonçalo Ramos with 20-year-old Henrique Araújo (0.59 per 90) waiting in the wings. And, in the case of a departure for Enzo Fernández, whose performance for Argentina has earned him plenty of suitors, a certain Martim Neto should be ready to step in.
The 19-year-old midfielder has appeared just once for the first team so far, a solid 26-minute cameo in a 2-0 victory over Paços de Ferreira last season, in which he recorded one shot assist, two progressive runs, two ball recoveries, and 100% accuracy when passing to the final third. It is his performances for Benfica B and the Portuguese youth set-up, however, that should have European scouts on high alert.
A cousin of Pedro, Martim has been the beating heart of Benfica’s B side for well over a season, pulling the strings in midfield for a team that has earned a reputation as one of Europe’s premier academy sides. There is no greater example of Neto’s omnipresence than his performance in their 6-0 UEFA Youth League Final victory over RB Salzburg last season; scoring once, assisting once, recovering the ball eleven times, providing three shot assists, and completing two progressive runs. He also hit the target against Juventus and twice against Barcelona in the same cup run, including a goal-of-the-tournament contender against the Catalan giants, striding from the centre circle before driving the ball into the top left corner from all of 35 yards out.
While his prodigious ball-striking ability shines through, arguably his most valuable asset is his passing and creativity in central areas. Of the 60 central midfielders to have played more than 500 minutes in the Portuguese second division this season, Neto is the most accurate forward passer, with 86.7% of his 12.7 forward passes per 90 finding their intended target. That said, only 27.5% of his passes actually go forward, a below average proportion.
This is not a negative though, but a reflection of his ability to orchestrate the tempo of a game from midfield. More than anyone in the league, he has the ability to drive his team towards goal with a pass or a carry (2.3 progressive carries per 90, making him the fourth-best). Choosing his moments wisely, depending on game-state, he is happy to keep possession by playing patient passes that tire out the opposition if his side are ahead, and equally capable of looking vertically when in need of a goal. This is a ceiling-raising skill that should not only allow him to transition to the Benfica first team with relative ease, but will also make him an attractive prospect to any possession-dominant side.
One thing that clubs often have to be wary of when managing the transition of players from their youth set-up to the first team is the step up in physicality and intensity. However, unlike the overwhelming majority of clubs in the English system, Benfica operate a B Team alongside their various age cohorts, where players are able to spend the final stage of their development acclimatising to senior football in Portugal’s second division. Marry this experience with Martim Neto’s footballing intelligence and impressively varied skillset, and it’s reasonable to expect him to follow in the footsteps of the €545m worth of players that have left Benfica since 2018-19.
Martin Baturina (19), Dinamo Zagreb
Choosing just the one promising player from Dinamo Zagreb is a tough task, particularly given the form that 17-year-old Luka Vrbančić (4 goals and 7 assists; 0.96 goal contributions per 90) and 19-year-old Gabrijel Rukavina (5 goals and 3 assists; 0.45 goal contributions per 90) have displayed for the Under 19’s this season. Youth football is a distant memory for 19-year-old Martin Baturina though, who has established himself as a regular starter for the league leaders under Ante Čačić.
Given the role that Hitrec-Kacian (Dinamo’s youth academy) played in the development of both Mateo Kovačić and Luka Modrić, it makes even more sense to look at Baturina, who looks poised to feature at the heart of Croatia’s midfield in the future. Since first breaking into the team in 2021, he has played nearly 2,000 minutes of football for Croatia’s dominant force, scoring five goals and laying on four assists. A cameo against bitter rivals Hajduk Split, however, was the real head-turner, scoring and assisting in the final ten minutes to turn a 1-1 draw into a 3-1 triumph. On the biggest of occasions, it felt as if a star had been born.
Since that virtuoso performance, he has become an increasingly important member of the Dinamo squad, featuring regularly in the league and making substitute appearances in five of their six Champions League group stage fixtures. Playing largely as a 10 or an advanced 8 alongside the more experienced pair of Luka Ivanušec and Josip Mišić, Baturina has become one of the most, if not the most progressive central midfielder in the league. With a success rate of 88.9%, he is the most accurate progressive passer – though not the most frequent (5.7 progressive pass attempts per 90; 58th percentile) – whilst also being the league’s premier ball-carrying central midfielder with 4.1 progressive runs per 90, a whole 1.5 more than his closest competitor. The rest of Baturina’s underlying metrics make for equally pleasing viewing, particularly for a 19-year-old, highlighting the dynamism that he brings to a league-leading midfield. 4.4 dribble attempts per 90 (97th percentile); 84.3% accuracy when passing forward (97th percentile); 84.6% accuracy when passing into the final third (95th percentile) help to paint the picture of an elusive, progressive and technically gifted creator.
One thing that really stands out when watching Baturina is his eagerness to get onto the ball, constantly scanning his surroundings and making intelligent runs in and out of the half-space, allowing him to receive the ball on the turn and drive his team up the pitch. Despite being the second youngest midfielder this season to have played more than 500 minutes in the Croatian top flight, Baturina has both made (51.6 per 90) and received (41.7 per 90) the second-most passes in the division. To outperform his divisional rivals in these metrics is not especially impressive given Dinamo dominate possession (61.8%), but to have more touches than club legend Arijan Ademi and the highly-regarded Luka Ivanušec certainly is, and it speaks volumes about both his maturity and importance to this side.
Though his primary role is to help the team progress towards the opposition goal and unlock defences when in the final third, Baturina has also shown promise inside the box, too. Much like his ability to get into the half-space in optimal moments, his positional awareness and intelligent movement mean that he regularly drifts into dangerous pockets of space around the edge of the area, arriving late and poking shots toward goal; two of his three goals this season have come when receiving the ball to feet in the box, whilst the third came from a well-timed out-to-in run from the left half-space. This movement has seen him amass a respectable per 90 expected goal (xG) return of 0.2, which he is currently exceeding by 0.12, the third consecutive season in which he has overperformed his expected goalscoring metrics.
Assuming he can stay fit and continues to feature regularly in Dinamo’s midfield, it seems likely that teams from Europe’s top five leagues will soon be enquiring about his services. Luka Modrić made 128 appearances in all competitions for Dinamo before moving to Tottenham as a 22-year-old, while Mateo Kovačić moved to Inter Milan as an 18-year-old with 73 senior appearances to his name. No one will want to miss out on the chance to sign the next Croatian midfielder superstar, so Baturina’s 45 games may already be enough to tempt some clubs to make a move.
