The Weekly Take, Issue 77: The Most Underrated Young Prospect in the World

It is always interesting to track the career developments of young players and finding out if they ever live up to the hype. Some end up fulfilling all the promise they showed in their younger years, while others simply peaked early and never lived up to the expectations that surrounded them.

Today, some of the more promising young prospects who have been receiving considerable amounts of attention include Jadon Sancho, Frenkie de Jong, Kylian Mbappé, João Félix, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Matthijs de Ligt, Christian Pulisic, and Luka Jović, just to name a few.

However, there is one young player who has consistently gone under the radar. It may be because he doesn't have a flashy playstyle, doesn't play for a glamorous, big-market club (in fact, his club is despised by most in the league in which he plays), and has never commanded anything approaching the fees paid out to sign some of the players just mentioned.

Still only 23, this player has been on a clear upward trajectory and has established himself as a rising star, but seldom receives the credit which he deserves.

This player is RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner.

Leipzig began their Bundesliga campaign on the right track. The Saxony club registered a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the first league matchday of the season. Werner played a key role in the victory by scoring Die Roten Bullen's opening goal. He posed a major threat to Eintracht's defense throughout and combined well with strike partner Yussuf Poulsen.

Despite his young age, Werner has been quietly impressive for Leipzig ever since he joined the club in 2016.

In 95 Bundesliga games for Leipzig, Werner has scored 52 goals, with 21 of those coming in his breakout first season with Leipzig in 2016-17. He has been one of the Bundesliga's more consistent strikers over this period and was deservedly named as part of Germany's ultimately doomed World Cup squad.

However, despite his poor World Cup, he has been impressive for Die Mannschaft as well. In a team loaded with talent up front, Werner has already amassed 25 caps and 10 international goals at the age of 23. He was also the top scorer in the 2017 Confederations Cup.

There is every possibility that Werner might be primed to take his game to the next level soon. Werner already possesses impressive speed, ball control, and finishing skills. If he were to refine his decision-making and improve his passing a little more, he might very well become one of the most feared strikers on the planet.

Werner also holds three "youngest" records in the Bundesliga. He is the youngest player to score at least two goals in a game, to play 100 games, and to play 150 games.

Having already achieved all of this, it is surprising and something of an injustice that the Stuttgart-born player is seldom regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in world football, because he clearly is.

It must be kept in mind that if his career were to follow the trajectory of most players, he is still four to six years from his absolute peak. The fact that he already has such an impressive record in a major league for one of its leading clubs should give Leipzig fans much excitement and anticipation for what he might achieve in the years to come.

This excitement should only increase after Werner spurned Bayern Munich to remain at the Red Bull Arena until 2023. Many a young Bundesliga player in his position have been drawn away from other clubs by the allure of the glamour, prestige, history, opportunity for trophies, big market, and of course the money which the Bavarian giants are able to offer. However, such was clearly not the case with Werner, much to the delight of Leipzig fans (and the chagrin of many of other Bundesliga clubs).

Given all that he has already accomplished in his young career, it is evident that Werner could easily go on to become one of the best players in the world if his career continues on the path on which it has been. It's time he got his due - he has undeservedly gone under the radar for far too long.

The Weekly Take, Issue 76: A One-Season Wonder?

One of the biggest surprise packages in European club football last season was Getafe.

Last season, the club based in central Spain set a club record by finishing fifth in La Liga, narrowly missing out on a first-ever Champions League spot and ending the season ahead of more established teams such as Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, and Sevilla, among others. They also reached the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.

However, they have started their current La Liga season with a loss. In their opening league fixture, Getafe lost 1-0 to Atlético Madrid. Álvaro Morata scored the only goal of the game to give Atlético the victory.

This match was expected to be the highlight of the matchday with last season's second- and fifth-placed league finishers going head-to-head. As it turned out, though, Getafe were somewhat fortunate to lose by just one goal. They failed to register even one shot on target, completed two passes for every three of Atlético's, and had far less possession than did Atlético.

Although this was the first game of the season, the question now hangs over Getafe's heads: are they a "one-season wonder"?

The history of European club football is rife with examples of teams which enjoyed one amazing season, only for it all to come crashing down the very next.

The textbook example of this is (yes, you've guessed it already) the Leicester City team of 2015-16.

Having finished 14th in the Premier League the season before, nobody could have foreseen what was to come from the Foxes. Led by the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy, Kasper Schmeichel, and N'Golo Kanté, the club took advantage of slumps suffered and transitional periods undergone by virtually every single one of England's leading clubs to defy the odds and win the league for the first time in their history.

Before the next season began, Kanté was sold to Chelsea, and this proved to be the move that ultimately ruined this Leicester team. Apart from Kanté, the team understandably chose to run it back with virtually the same group of players. The only bright spot of an otherwise dismal season was a Champions League quarterfinal run - they finished 12th in the league and were knocked out early in both domestic cups.

Another example of this phenomenon was Wolfsburg.

In the 2008-09 season, the Lower Saxony club recorded a remarkable upset, edging out Bayern Munich to clinch one of the most hard-fought Bundesliga crowns ever. At the time, it truly seemed as though the sky was the limit for Die Wölfe after winning the league for the first time ever.

The next season, however, the club only finished eighth in the league and were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage despite not making any major changes to the team. Head coach Armin Veh was fired during the season; he was replaced by Lorenz-Günther Köstner. The only positive for Wolfsburg that season lay in the fact that rising star Edin Džeko topped the Bundesliga's goalscoring leaderboard. The Bosnian finished the 2009-10 campaign with 22 league goals.

One of the more dramatic one-season wonders was Real Sociedad.

In the 2002-03 La Liga season, a somewhat ragtag bunch of players including Nihat Kahveci, Sander Westerveld, Darko Kovačević, and future all-time great Xabi Alonso took the Basque club to second place in the league, the club's best league finish in 15 years.

The next season could not have been more different.

The club slumped to 15th in the league, only avoiding relegation by five points. They were knocked out in the Champions League's round of 16 by Lyon and the Copa del Rey's round of 32 by Alavés. Since then, they have never even been close to replicating the success of that 2002-03 season.

Coming back to Getafe, it is imperative that they do not become complacent and let the success of last season go to their heads. Their performances last season impressed many across Spain and beyond, and at the same time highlighted the excellent coaching of José Bordalás.

The season is still new, so there is ample time for Getafe to bounce back and prove that last season was not a one-off. Time will tell if they establish themselves as one of Spain's leading clubs or if they just happened to catch "lightning in a bottle" for one season.

The Weekly Take, Issue 75: "Crisis" Is Too Mild a Word

It just keeps getting worse and worse for Chelsea.

The West London club were taken apart by a Manchester United team lacking the star power and flashy names of past years. The 4-0 loss was a clear indictment of everything that has gone wrong at Stamford Bridge over the past few years.

Evidence of how far this team has fallen could be seen in the players fielded in their starting 11. The likes of Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, Emerson Palmieri, and Tammy Abraham would not even come close to getting a start for most other major teams. It also didn't help Chelsea that they had been placed under a transfer ban.

The problems had already been mounting in prior seasons. Last season may have been their most tumultuous yet - only the outstanding play of Eden Hazard kept the club relevant, culminating in a rather undeserved Europa League victory.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out what Chelsea's main problem is: ownership. Roman Abramovich is clearly the worst owner in European club football. He has turned a once mighty club into a punchline.

There are some clubs which are outstandingly run from top to bottom. Clubs such as Liverpool, Napoli, Atlético Madrid, and (I may be a little biased here, but even my own) Borussia Dortmund come to mind. Even though these clubs do not always win titles, they are run in such a way that they are set up for success in a sustainable manner.

On the other hand, Abramovich has caused Chelsea to become a club which has turned into the exact opposite of those just mentioned.

The decisions he has made, especially over the last three to four years, have been mind-bendingly bad. Firing coaches left, right, and centre, including above-average to elite coaches such as José Mourinho, Antonio Conte, and most recently, Maurizio Sarri. Bringing out big money to sign average to below-average players; the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Danny Drinkwater, Jorginho, and Álvaro Morata come to mind. Signing players with no regard for how they would fit into the team and its strategy. Not having any patience with young academy players until now, after the transfer ban forced the hands of the club.

The transfer ban as well as the departure of legendary winger Hazard to Real Madrid have made circumstances even more difficult than ever before for the Blues, and there seems to be no way out.

In short, Chelsea are a veritable dumpster fire largely because of the Russian oligarch.

At the moment, the best course of action that could be taken by Chelsea might very well be offloading superstar defensive midfielder N'Golo Kanté who clearly is far too good for this club as well as several others, tear the whole thing down, and rebuild around rising star Christian Pulisic. Of course, this also implies that Abramovich will also sell the team to someone much more capable. It will be a process that may take three or four years, and in those years, Chelsea would be likely to finish around eighth to 12th in the Premier League and miss out on European football entirely. However, it may be the only way that the Blues ever return to becoming a true contender, whether domestically or in Europe.

Of course, this will almost certainly not happen. What is much more likely to happen is Abramovich making yet another ill-advised signing that wastes much of Chelsea's transfer money or perhaps firing another head coach and replacing him with someone even less suited for the position.

When Chelsea signed Pulisic from Dortmund, it was initially hailed as a major coup for the London club and a way for the Pennsylvania-born youngster to truly take his game to the next level. However, it looks as though Pulisic is about to embody the phrase "be careful what you wish for" - he could not possibly have found himself in a worse situation.

As for Kanté, he needs to follow in Hazard's footsteps and get out of Stamford Bridge as soon as he can. His career is in danger of stagnating if he stays at the moribund, directionless, embarrassing catastrophe of a football club that Chelsea has become.

This club may be damaged beyond repair.

The Weekly Take, Issue 74: A Most Unlikely Purchase

Arsenal have always been known as a club who have been cautious in the transfer window.

The Gunners have historically held out on signing big-name, big-money players unless a major opportunity were to fall into their lap. In recent years, players who could be classified as such include the likes of Mesut Özil, Alexis Sánchez, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

This is why it came as such a surprise when Arsenal shattered their club transfer record by signing Ivorian winger Nicolas Pépé from Lille. With a transfer fee of 

€79 million, Pépé is now the most expensive African footballer of all time, beating the record previously held by his new teammate Aubameyang.

Now, while I do not believe that Pépé will play poorly during his stint at the London club, I consider this a mistake on Arsenal's part.

As Pépé is still only 24, his high transfer fee is both the product of current performance as well as projected future potential. However, it does not seem as though he has the ceiling of a true superstar. While this fact might not be a problem in and of itself, when a club signs a player for that high a transfer fee, the club ought to expect the player to be able to deliver at such a level.

Pépé did have a breakout campaign at Lille during the 2018-19 season. He scored an impressive 22 league goals and handed out 11 assists to lead Les Dogues to second place in Ligue 1.

However, it ought to be noted that he did not do this in one of Europe's major leagues. Thus, the level of competition that he faced every week was lower than what was encountered by some other rising stars such as Luka Jović, Joshua Kimmich, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Richarlison, and Leroy Sané, among others. Since the level of play in the Premier League is much higher than that of Ligue 1, Pépé may find it difficult to adapt; in fact, there is even a slight possibility that he never does so and struggles throughout his time in England, though that is the absolute worst-case scenario.

The addition of Pépé to the current Arsenal team also seems somewhat redundant. This is due to the fact that Aubameyang, who is clearly Arsenal's best player, is currently on the roster.

Pépé is a player whose style of play is very similar to that of the Gabonese striker. Able to play on either wing or at centre-forward, Pépé often uses his blistering speed to leave defenders behind him when moving inside from out wide.

This description is almost an exact copy of a description which could have been used to describe Aubameyang, particularly during his Borussia Dortmund days when he was younger and more athletic. Arsenal could easily have used the money spent on Pépé to sign a player such as Richarlison, Jović, Sébastien Haller, or Cengiz Ünder - young players of similar or higher calibre and who are all better fits alongside Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette up front.

One area in which Arsenal erred in this transfer window was their failure to make any notable transfers until July 25, when they signed William Saliba from Saint-Étienne. By this point, teams such as Real Madrid, Juventus, and Bayern Munich had all made multiple major signings. Even domestically, the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham had both landed a signing of note well before Arsenal did. This therefore artificially inflated Pépé's price - typically, the later in the transfer window the player is signed, the more inflated the transfer fee.

Now, I don't think this transfer is completely negative for Arsenal. Pépé is a clear upgrade over Alex Iwobi and should move straight into Arsenal's starting 11. There is definitely some potential in him, as was shown by his impressive 2018-19 season. He can definitely be a solid starter at the Emirates Stadium this season.

However, when the player in question is signed for €79 million, you expect much more than just "solid starter". You expect a star, and I do not believe Pépé will ever become one.

If this transfer is anything to go by, Arsenal fans can once again expect a difficult season after a below-par transfer window - a common refrain for the club over the last decade.

The Weekly Take, Issue 73: For Whom the Bale Tolls

The seemingly endless transfer saga involving Gareth Bale has taken yet another twist.

The Real Madrid winger had seemed all set to leave the Spanish capital to chase one final big payday in the cash-rich Chinese Super League by joining Jiangsu Suning.

However, despite the fact that head coach Zinedine Zidane had openly stated that the club had been moving towards moving the Welsh winger, Real's board vetoed the transfer after citing the immense, then-world record transfer fee the club had paid to sign him from Tottenham in 2013.

Bale has certainly had an interesting six years at the Bernabéu. On one hand, he has been an integral part of Real Madrid's dynasty, helping Los Merengues win four Champions League titles in five seasons. Scoring a spectacular bicycle-kick in the 2018 final against Liverpool ensured that Bale would forever have an indelible place in the history of the world's most storied football club. He was also selected as part of the Champions League's all-tournament team in 2016.

On the other hand, though, Bale's stint at Real thus far has also been blighted by numerous injuries. Over the six seasons he has spent at Real, Bale has played in just 155 of Real's 228 league matches. On average, one can reasonably expect him to miss approximately a third of the season. This fact has certainly hindered both Real's success and his own development as a player; his peak was all too brief because of those injuries. Furthermore, he also had chemistry issues with some of Real's other players; his game has not always dovetailed well with those of his teammates.

In recent times, Bale had fallen out of favour with Zidane and seemed to be on his way out of the club. The proposed transfer to Jiangsu would have made Bale the world's highest-paid player. Although Bale received public support from club president Florentino Pérez, the fact that he had already been in an awkward spot at the club has only added further confusion to what was already a tense and highly-charged situation.

The veto of Bale's transfer may have been influenced by a severe injury suffered by promising young winger Marco Asensio. During an off-season friendly match against Arsenal, the Spaniard tore his ACL, ruling him out of the entire 2019-20 season. This in turn would leave Real somewhat thin on the wings, thus causing the club to reconsider Bale's departure. Asensio's ACL injury may also have affected the transfer status of James Rodríguez, whose own expected transfer out of Real also seems to have hit a snag.

Despite this fact, there are teams which ought to consider making a move to sign Bale. At 30, Bale does have two or three more good years left in him before obvious signs of decline are likely to set in. Should he end up leaving Real, he does have options; he might yet even end up becoming a key contributor to a deep Champions League run, but for a different team.

One of the more intriguing possibilities for Bale would be a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. There has been much speculation regarding the future of Edinson Cavani and Neymar; both could end up leaving during this current off-season. Bale would be able to serve as an ample replacement for one of them, thus bolstering their chances of making a deep Champions League run. Even if neither leaves, Bale might take over from Cavani as a starter alongside Kylian Mbappé and Neymar. His arrival would make PSG even more formidable than they already are.

Napoli would also be another viable option. Bale would be a clear upgrade over José Callejón. Alongside Dries Mertens and Arkadiusz Milik, Bale would become part of one of the best frontlines in world football and turn the Campanian club into a possible sleeper pick to win it all. Napoli have never been beyond the round of 16 in the European Cup or Champions League; Bale's arrival might just change that.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for the greatest player to ever come out of Wales. Whatever Gareth Bale's next move may be, it will certainly have quite an impact on European club football as a whole during the coming season.

The Weekly Take, Issue 72: The Legacy Continues

In some of my previous posts, I have written about Juventus' outstanding defense, the fact that Juve have always been a club with a defense-first mentality, and their legacy of legendary defenders.

All-time greats such as Claudio Gentile, Gaetano Scirea, Gianluca Zambrotta, Giorgio Chiellini, and Leonardo Bonucci have represented the Bianconeri at the back. They have played major roles in Juve's success and development of its club identity.

Now, Juve may just have added the latest all-time defensive great to this illustrious list.

Juventus have just signed Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax for €75 million - a remarkable fee given the fact that the Dutchman is just 19 years old. However, in due time, this signing is likely to prove to be well worth the money spent.

Even at his young age, de Ligt is perhaps already the second-best centre-back in the world, only trailing his compatriot Virgil van Dijk. He is the current holder of the Golden Boy award, thus proving his immense potential and sky-high ceiling.

A product of Ajax's iconic youth academy, de Ligt has all the attributes that a defender needs in order to become one of the greats.

His tackling is arguably the best in world football today. He has no fear of aerial duels; he is comfortable in the air as well. De Ligt also has a level of defensive maturity rarely seen in a player of his age; his play might not be the most showy, but it is certainly fundamentally sound and conducive to victory. He can even be a threat on the offensive end. De Ligt is a good passer for a centre-back and has also been known to be a dangerous receiver of set-pieces.

As if all these qualities weren't already enough, de Ligt has also shown impressive leadership abilities. Evidence of this can be seen in the fact that he is the youngest captain in Ajax history. He also became the youngest player to captain a team in a Champions League match when he did so in Ajax's upset victory over Real Madrid last season, earning many plaudits in the process.

De Ligt now has the opportunity to take his game to the next level. As I earlier mentioned, Juve is a club with a long and distinguished history of defensive legends. Thus, it is one of the best clubs for a young defender to join.

De Ligt's arrival in Turin might also prove to be just what Juve need in order to land their first Champions League title since 1996.

While Juve already had an impressive starting back four last season which consisted of Chiellini, Alex Sandro, Bonucci, and João Cancelo, the man from Leiderdorp may have elevated Juventus' defense from merely being elite to arguably the best on the planet.

Of course, de Ligt is not Juve's only major signing of the current off-season. They've brought in Adrien Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey, and Luca Pellegrini, among others. However, it's obvious that de Ligt is the real game-changer among these signings.

This signing also came at an important time for Juve. With Cristiano Ronaldo now being 34 years old, he will soon be on his last legs. Thus, it was important that Juve sign a player who could potentially go on to become the next cornerstone of the team - a player great enough to lead Juve to not only multiple Serie A titles, but one or more Champions League titles as well. De Ligt might very well be that player, especially if he goes on to play for Juve for a decade or more - a distinct possibility, given all that surrounds him at the moment.

It's somewhat clichéd to say this, but it is nonetheless true: "offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships." Juve as a club have clearly taken this saying to heart over the years. A great defense is often the foundation of any great team.

Such defenses are often led by one overpowering, commanding figure, and for now and in the coming years, Juve might have obtained such a figure in Matthijs de Ligt. Although he might not have played even one game for the reigning Italian champions, based on what he has already shown, he may have made Juventus the favourites to win the Champions League this season.

The Weekly Take, Issue 71: Absolutely Pathetic

I’m not holding back at all this week.

The player I’m writing about has forever sullied his legacy by making the weakest transfer move I have ever witnessed.

This player is a perennial Ballon d’Or contender, the MVP and top scorer of Euro 2016, a World Cup champion who was third in the tournament’s MVP rankings, arguably the world’s best player at his position, and had been the best player on one of the best club teams on the planet.

So what does he do?

Of course, he chooses to run away from the challenges he is faced with and join forces with an immediate rival, both domestically and in the Champions League.

As great of a player as he is, I am so appalled by this transfer that after I mention his name for the first time, I will not do so for the rest of the post. I will channel my inner Skip Bayless and refer to him by his jersey number.

You might already have guessed that I’m referring to Antoine Griezmann, who has just left Atlético Madrid for Barcelona. It cost Barça €120 million, the fifth-highest transfer fee of all time, to land #17.

However, that’s irrelevant. #17 forced his way out of the Wanda Metropolitano, making a transfer request after spending five years at the Madrid club.

Despite clearly having the game and the squad around him to be able to lead Atlético to the top, the man from Bourgogne chose to take the easy way out, joining forces with a direct rival and teaming up with Leo Messi and company.

Here are the reasons as to why I consider #17’s move to Catalonia to be truly pathetic.

1) He was already on a genuine Champions League contender.

Over the five seasons that #17 was at Atlético, the club was never ranked lower than sixth in pre-tournament club coefficient. What’s more, they were ranked second before last season’s campaign, while Barça had been ranked fourth. They also generally lived up to expectations, reaching the quarterfinals in 2015, final in 2016, and semifinals in 2017. Since Atlético were already among the title contenders with #17 on their roster, it’s obvious that he chose the easy way out.

2) His motives were different.

Consider the other major transfers of the current off-season.

João Felix, Frenkie de Jong, Lucas Hernandez, and Luka Jović are all young players trying to break out as superstars at a major club.

Eden Hazard wanted to escape the toxic, dysfunctional, untenable atmosphere at Chelsea.

#17 is in the prime of his career at 28 and had been playing for perhaps the best-run club in the world. He simply wanted to ride Messi’s coattails to an easy Champions League title.

3) He signed for a team which has recently bested his own team often.

Over the five years during which #17 was at Atlético, they twice finished second behind Barça in La Liga. In fact, during this time, Atlético never finished ahead of the Catalan club in the league. They were also knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Barça twice.

Thus, it’s a really bad look for him to sign for Barça.

4) There were no other reasons for him to leave.

Star player for a superbly-run Champions League contender? Check.

Lucrative endorsement deals? Check.

Enormous salary? Check.

Big-market team in a place with a favourable lifestyle? Check.

He was in what was close to an ideal situation – and left anyway.

The only other transfer I can think of that exhibited this level of mental weakness was Luís Figo’s departure from Barça to then-reigning Champions League champions Real Madrid, a transfer which marked the beginning of Real’s iconic “Galácticos” era.

For what it’s worth, I cannot wait for Barça’s next away match against Atlético.

Certainly, every time #17 touches the ball, the Atlético fans will unleash every last bit of their pent-up rage and frustration on their former ace who turned his back on them. They will surely greet him with a fusillade of richly-deserved boos, jeers, and heckles.

Regardless of the outcome of that match, it will definitely be something extraordinary to witness, and an Atlético win would be especially sweet - #17 will have received his due comeuppance.