Back in 2024, we introduced the Balkans as a profitable supermarket for clubs to shop in.
Jake Entwistle has returned to reprofile the top-flight leagues in Serbia and Croatia – while also adding Greece, Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the mix – using SkillCorner data to find the future.
Photo of Sergio Agüero stood with his hands on his hips, wearing an iconic Atlético Madrid kit. He's wearing a red-and-white striped shirt with blue shorts and red socks. Behind him is a blurred dugout and stands filled with fans.
2008: Sergio Agüero at Atlético Madrid.
Shifty and nimble, balanced and grounded, powerful and explosive. His feet are incredibly light yet his burst is almost brutal. Flips his hips quickly and bounces through contact. Désiré Doué is a special all-round athlete with the technical coordination to match.
Désiré Doué is an amazing athlete.
Back in 2024, we introduced the Balkans as a profitable supermarket for clubs to shop in.
Jake Entwistle has returned to reprofile the top-flight leagues in Serbia and Croatia – while also adding Greece, Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the mix – using SkillCorner data to find the future.
Tawfik Bentayeb has scored 16 goals in 23 games for table-topping ESTAC Troyes in Ligue 2 this season, adding to the 10 goals in 29 games he scored for bottom-half Rodez in Ligue 2 last season. One of the most prolific strikers in Europe. He deserves more recognition.
Photo of Daniel Banjaqui holding up a red Benfica shirt with 'BANJAQUI 2031' on the back. He's stood in front of a wall with red and black tiles.
Another important contract renewal for SL Benfica, tying 18-year-old Daniel Banjaqui down to a long-term deal. One of their best emerging academy graduates and football's most exciting right-back talents. Next step is more significant first-team minutes to vindicate his trust. One to watch.
YUUUUUUUUUURS
Screenshots of a Sofascore graphic showing Serbia's U-19 team that beat Poland to qualify for the 2026 U-19 EURO.
This Serbia team is mighty impressive. Almost all are – or have been – regulars in top-flight football already, and they topped their #U19EURO qualification group ahead of England and Portugal. They will be one of the favourites at the tournament this summer.
Rayan has hit the ground running at Bournemouth, helping fill the huge hole left by Antoine Semenyo. This is why his signing was a(nother) great example of player profiling – and there is plenty more to come.
Graphic featuring a photo of Johan Manzambi wearing an all-black SC Freiburg kit, running with the ball.
Johan Manzambi is a premium talent.
The 20-year-old Swiss midfielder doesn't just contribute to multiple phases, he sequences them together. His tackles lead to dribbles, then carries, then passes, then shots; he moves the ball up the pitch, often all on his own.
More in Volume I: bit.ly/4anAvDm
After Thiago Pitarch, one of the next La Fábrica graduates to break into the Real Madrid first team will be 19-year-old Diego Aguado. He is a left-sided defender that ticks a lot of boxes, and is always a standout at age group level for club and country. High-level prospect.
19-year-old Ieuan Owen at Barry Town is definitely one for National League and League Two clubs to have a look at coming out of the Cymru Premier.
Footballers need opportunity. In February, Hudl Wyscout launched two youth football tournaments as part of their quest to provide emerging prospects exactly that.
We have poured over the platform to select a line-up of the most fascinating players from the inaugural Hudl Wyscout International Cup.
Seeing reports that Bayern München are only prioritising 'super elite' players in the transfer market and will fill the rest of their squad with home-grown academy graduates. That should be the squad-building blueprint for every elite club with high-performing academies.
Nathan De Cat has received his first call-up to the senior Belgium squad. The first of many.
Kees Smit has received his first call-up to the senior Netherlands squad. The first of many.
Photo of Johan Manzambi wearing an all-red SC Freiburg kit, stood with his arms out in a perplexed manner. He's stood on vibrant green grass. Behind him is a blurred crowd scene with a 'EUROPA LEAGUE' hoarding.
Johan Manzambi is a proper midfielder.
Konstantinos Karetsas takes the piss out of defenders at times. Sucks them in with his provocative stop-start style then jinks past with a quick change of direction and sharp shift of tempo, all with the outstanding technical quality to take the ball with him. Fun to watch.
Stade Reims signed Patrick Zabi for €100k from Ivoire FC in January 2025 and sold him to Paris FC for €25 million in February 2026, the second-biggest sale in club history. That is a 24,900% profit after just over twelve months and 26 first-team appearances. The future of football is Africa.
Volume I in physical magazine form, featuring artwork of RB Leipzig's Yan Diomandé set against a vibrant red background.
We've been quiet recently so Tom Curren has written a brief editiorial update to catch you all up on everything that has been happening behind the scenes at SCOUTED lately, from Volume II and fancy conferences to an exciting new scouting project.
Find out more: bit.ly/4lMb1Ug
His profile is unusual: very tall, he used to be a pivot that idolised Sergio Busquets but has carved a niche as an attack-minded midfielder. He takes the ball between lines, finds angles to pass, slips tackles with inventive touches, and breaks beyond. His deft skillset belies his lanky physique.
Jens Hjertø-Dahl running off to celebrate scoring a hat-trick from Tromso IL against Fredrijstad in the Eliterserien. He's wearing a red-and-white striped shirt with white shorts and socks, and is being chased by teammates.
20-year-old Jens Hjertø-Dahl kicked off the new Eliteserien season with an unlikely hat-trick against Fredrikstad, his first in senior football. He's nearing 100 appearances for hometown club Tromsø IL already, and his development has flown under the radar. Keeps tabs on him in 2026 and beyond.
Nothing against Mamadou Sarr, we like him, but what has he done to deserve more opportunities than Josh Acheampong? The obvious explanation is that he cost €14 million. Clubs should trust their own first and foremost.
Graphic featuring a photo of Thierry Henry holding the Premier League trophy above his head, wearing a 2003/4 Arsenal shirt with a medal hanging off his neck. Overlayed onto it is a team sheet from 1993 featuring the Brazilian Ronaldo.
Why we get players wrong, and how to get them right. Back in late 2023, the incomparable Billy Carpenter took us on an odyssey through Descartes, Don Carlo and De Visser in search of clearer thinking and better scouting. If players improve, so can we.
This is Mind Games: bit.ly/47215zK
Portrait photo of Dimitar Berbatov at Bayer Leverkusen. He's looking directly at the camera, wearing a red shirt with a black band across the chest.
Dimitar Berbatov at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Francesco Farioli's Porto is proving to be the ideal platform for Oskar Pietuszewski, the 17-year-old winger they bought for €8 million from Poland this winter. The big Portuguese clubs are perfect for wingers of his skillset: quick dribblers that angle into the box to shoot. Just the start.
Screenshot of Kennet Eichhorn playing for Hertha BSC. He's looking over his right shoulder, wearing a navy blue Hertha shirt. In the background is a blurred stand full of fans.
Graphic featuring a testimonial from Pedro Araújo, which reads: "SCOUTED has been one of the resources used by the FC Porto scouting team in recent years. Their work challenges our approach to recruitment and inspires new scouting practices, discovering new players that might have slipped under the radar or new ways to interrogate and evaluate data. We encourage our team to keep a close eye on what is published at SCOUTED in order to raise our internal level and get to know more talent breaking through worldwide."
In November last year, FC Porto invited us to a match to show support for what we do at SCOUTED. This was an extremely proud moment for the team and a clear sign that our unique discovery and analysis of young players is highly valued in the professional industry.
Jump on board at scoutedftbl.com.
Graphic featuring a testimonial from Pedro Araújo, which reads: "SCOUTED has been one of the resources used by the FC Porto scouting team in recent years. Their work challenges our approach to recruitment and inspires new scouting practices, discovering new players that might have slipped under the radar or new ways to interrogate and evaluate data. We encourage our team to keep a close eye on what is published at SCOUTED in order to raise our internal level and get to know more talent breaking through worldwide."
In November last year, FC Porto invited us to a match to show support for what we do at SCOUTED. This was an extremely proud moment for the team and a clear sign that our unique discovery and analysis of young players is highly valued in the professional industry.
Jump on board at scoutedftbl.com.