The Bedroom Soccer Scout

    Date of birth: 3rd September 2004 Country: South Korea/England Position: Central Defender Height: 195cm Preferred foot: Right Club: Flint Town United   The Welsh league hasn't been blessed in recent years with young talent, but that has changed with the emergence of Isaac Lee. A proper modern day ball playing central defender, turning heads with both his passing and dribbling ability. It is a little surprising to see him playing in central defence as he is constantly looking for the ball and once he does get it he is both calm and willing to run forward with around 1.1 dribbles per game at a 77% success rate. This is a risky strategy as it can be fantastic when it pays off, with his passes and runs often opening up the opposition's defence, but it can be costly. This is something that needs to be worked on should a move be on the cards, but I can see a player here.  His passing is certainly a strength of his, and in the modern era, his style of play is a perfect ...

  Date of birth: 31 December 2001 Country: Netherlands Position: Central Defender Height: 195cm Preferred foot: Right Club: FC Volendam   Normally, a former wonder kid that has been at big clubs during their youth and now end up playing in lower leagues are a "what could have been" story. But with Xavier Mbuyamba the story is "What is his ceiling". A move to Volendam in 2022 raised some eyebrows as he had been a standout in the Chelsea U23 squad, with many tipping him to be the next player to move up into the first team squad. But this move certainly turned out to be great for his development, really showcasing his ability on the defensive end.  Only 1 year in with the club, he was named club captain.  So what kind of player is he? To put it simply: he is a defensive monster. In the era of defenders dropping deeper and putting their hands behind their back, Xavier is the complete opposite. Often stepping forward, he is very good at using his strength to win the ball...

  By Brendan Hunter   With the summer transfer window fast approaching, it is only natural to look at potential recruits that are both interesting and realistic. Here are 4 transfer targets Celtic should be looking at this summer if they realistically want to make a run in Europe this forthcoming season.   Target 1: Michael Olunga Position: Striker/Centre Forward The big Kenyan might be a familiar name to those who watch the J league, with him playing for Kashiwa Reysol. He even scored 8 goals in one J league match in 2020.  28 goals in 32 games led to him making a lucrative move to Qatar with Al Duhail. The goals kept coming, and in just 4 and a half seasons he racked up an impressive 130 goals in all competitions. The 31-year-old was recently released and is available for a free. While Celtic will almost certainly struggle to match the salary offered in Qatar, taking a punt on the 6ft 4 striker is a no-brainer. Blessed with height, strength and pace, Olunga is a pl...

  Date of birth: 23rd March 2001 Country: Japan Position: Centre Forward Height: 173cm Preferred foot: Right Club: Shonan Bellmare Shonan have been the surprise package so far in the 2025 J league season, winning all 3 games and sitting top of the league. The football has been direct and one of the main reasons their attacking style of play has worked is due to the phenomenal play of Sho Fukuda. A complete forward build, Fukuda posseses all the traits that tick the boxes of the modern managers of Europe. Quickness, finishing, pressing and the ability to come short to pick the ball up are all on show each time he is on the park. However his biggest strength for me at least is his off the ball movement. Often finding himself wide open in the box is not a coincidence, it is a result of his constant movement, making him a complete nightmare for opposing defenders who are not sure whether to man mark him or guard their box. This makes him both a danger for goals but also assists, due to...

  Date of birth: 25 August 2006 Country: Scotland Position: Central Midfield Height: 182cm Preferred foot: Club: Motherwell Motherwell have been a fantastic club for young talent over the years, with James McFadden, Stephen Pearson, Allan Campbell and David Turnbull being just a few standouts. David Turnbull became the clubs record sale when he joined Celtic for around 3 million Euros. But young Lennon Miller looks set to net Motherwell an even bigger sum and by the way the youngster has stood out, that could be sooner rather than later. A modern central midfielder, Lennon posesses the traits needed in the modern game, from box to box skills to technical ability. Often found at the edge of the box when his team are on the attack, he is ready to hit a shot rather than work it around, averaging 2.1 shots per game. Although only managing 0.2 on target, he did hit the woodwork twice against the much more dominant Celtic.  His defensive work is pretty solid, putting up around 1 int...

  Date of birth: 16 August 2007 Country: Bolivia Position: RW Height: 169 cm Preferred foot: Right Club: Always Ready When we think of South American football talent our minds tend to instantly drift toward Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and in recent years both Chile and Ecuador. Yet we almost always miss out on the Bolivian side. But with Moises Paniagua making a name for himself, that could all be a thing of the past. Listed as a right winger, Paniagua is currently active in the Always Ready under 19's setup, although he has made 19 appearances in the first league as well as 4 Conmebol Sudamericana competition which shows you just how highly valued he is by the club. Aged 15 on his debut with the first team he even managed to score. Also with his goal against Sporting Cristal of Peru, he became the second youngest player to score at the Copa Libertadores. Watching him play it is clear he is actually more suited in a traditional CAM role rather than a winger. His biggest sk...

  Date of birth: 29 March 2007 Country: Finland Position: Central Midfield Height: 173cm Preferred foot: Both Club: KuPS Scandinavia has always been a scouts goldmine with talented players constantly being developed by big and small clubs alike. In recent years we have seen many of such talents making the move to some of the biggest leagues in Europe or stepping stone leagues. Lucas Bergvall, Hugo Larsson and Sebastian Nanasi being some of those talents making the move overseas. 17 year old Matias Siltanen is no doubt going to follow in their footsteps sooner rather than later. Sometimes players just make the game look easy and make you sit back and enjoy the style of play. This is the case here with the young Finn. A central midfielder who could also play in the CDM role due to his physical style of play, Siltanen certainly does not look like a rookie and is vastly improving game by game. Starting 24 of the 27 games he has played this season, he looks more liek a veteran than a te...

  Date of birth: 4 September 2004 Country: Japan Position: Central Defender Height: 192cm Preferred foot: Right Club: Kawasaki Frontale It has been a great season for Kota Takai, really starting to make himself one of the first names on the Kwasaki Frontale team sheet. Starting 13 games out of his 14 appearances last season, he has already surpassed that, with 21 appearances currently. Kawasaki haven't been able to achieve their dominance this season like previous years, but with Kota Takai becoming another one of their growing academy graduates, the season hasn't been a total bust. The modern centre back needs to be a ball playing defender who can be comfortable on the ball as well as putting in the tackles. With 42 passes per game at a great 88% accuracy rate, including 2.1 long balls per game Kota can handle the ball at his feet. Even when under pressure he rarely panics and makes the best decision, even if it is to simply hook it clear.  One thing that stands out when watc...

  Date of birth: 10 May 2002 Country: Argentina Position: Attacking Midfield Central Height: 168cm Preferred foot: Right  Club: Al-Ain The once common path for South American footballers was to play locally before heading to Europe in their early 20's and plying their trade for a decade before heading home to finish their career. That path has changed over the last few years with many players heading to the middle east. Matias Palacios made the move to Europe with FC Basel before heading to the U.A.E to play under fellow Argentinian Hernan Crespo. That move has proved to be a good choice for Palacios with regular game time, something he never got in Europe becoming more common for him. His stats are improving as well. His main strength is his passing with 4.4 long balls at a 76% success rate being very interesting, especially in the modern possession based style of play. His pass success rate of 90% at 50 passes per game is very appealing with the majority of them being in the...

  The death of a football club is a sad event for all fans of the sport, regardless of who you support. When it is a former giant it is even more upsetting. Their famous youth academy has produced several top class players over the years, including Aurelien Tchoameni, Jules Kounde, Henri Saviet, Yacine Adli as well as having former players such as Zidane, Pauleta, Wiltord, Gourcuff and Micoud. Sadly the future of Bordeaux looks to be bleak with the club set to release all their players before dropping down the divisions. Here I will take a look at who is available. Issouf Sissokho: A 22 year old box to box midfielder from Mali could be worth a pick up for a lot of clubs across Europe. His fitness has a little room for improvement as he only started 14 out of the 31 games he played last season. However, the potential is there and he could be a solid investment for clubs. Completing 90% of his passes showcases his passing ability. He is more likely to be used as a sporidic player at ...

  Date of birth: 28 March 2003 Country: England Position: Central Defender/ Central Defensive Midfield Height: 180cm Preferred foot: Right Club: Peterborough United When you look at a modern central defender there is usually one of two play styles he has adopted. Either the traditional centre back who puts his foot through the ball up the park and dives into tackles but cannot play from the back, or the more modern player who is comfortable with the ball at his feet often at the expense of some of the more standard defensive skill set. Ronnie Edwards however is a very rare breed of player as he is the definition of modern meets classic. Ronnie Edwards has been a first team regular at Peterborough since joining from Barnet's under 18 squad in 2020. He has quickly became a fans favourite, also winning 4 club awards at the end of the 2021/22 season and he has only gone from strength to strength since with a call up to Englands under 20 squad for the world cup in 2023 starting all 4 ga...

  Date of birth: 30 January 2001 Country: Austria Position: Central Midfiled Height: 170cm Preferred foot: Right Club: WSG Tirol We often see a young player be thrown into the limelight, being linked to top clubs and being compared to their successful peers only for those moves never to mature and the player themself being forgotten and becoming a "what if" story. However anyone that has forgotten Matthaus Taferner are missing out on a gem. Currently plying his trade for Austrian side WSG Tirol, Taferner has shown his true football ability despite the fact his club finished second bottom in the Bundesliga. A hybrid midfielder with a true box to box ability, Taferner has got everything the modern manager is looking for, with great passing, work-rate, high pressing, fantastic creative ability among his person. His stats might not scream great passer with Taferner only putting up 3 assists across 29 league games. However, his passing is simply not being rewarded by his team mate...

  Date of birth: 22 Jan 2000 Country: Algeria Position: Central Defender Height: 191cm Preferred foot: Right Club: Esperance Tunis In the modern game central defenders have gone through perhaps the biggest transformation. Going from having few chances to impact to now being involved in the build up, scouts are looking for players that have it all and with more clubs looking to lesser known leagues to find players that fit the modern standard at an affordable price, Mohamed Tougal currently playing in Tunisia will no doubt be on the lists of many. Tougal has been a mainstay in the Tunis squad since joining from NA Hussein Day in his native Algeria, helping the club win 3 league titles. Tougai has a number of strengths that are in demand from European clubs. His main asset for me is his physical strength often dominating his opponents in both the air and ground. In this seasons CAF Champions League Tougai won 4.9 duals per game at a fantastic 68% success rate. When it comes to classi...

  Date of birth: 31 August 2000 Country: Kosovo Position: Striker Height: 187cm Preferred foot: Both Club: Rapid Bucharesti The modern striker has to do it all, hold up the ball, make forward runs and of course finish at a high level. And with a goal conversion rate of 22% Albion Rrahmani ticks all the boxes for any club looking to bolster their front line. A Kosovo native, Albion has been lighting up the Romanian league after moving for a modest fee of 600,000 Euros. This did make him the highest departure in Kosovo league history. In 25 league games he notched up 17 goals, 16 of those being in the box and adding 5 assists to his impressive stat line. Averaging 3.2 shots per game with 1.3 on target, his finishing is the key skill he has to offer, scoring with both feet as well as his head. Albion's hold up play is very impressive, using his height and strength to keep hold of the ball. What's interesting is he doesn't hold up the ball like the traditional way, flicking the...

  Date of birth: 10 April 1998 Country: Romania Position: LW Height: 182cm Preferred foot: Right Club: FCSB There is something majestic about watching a creative winger with the ball at his feet. The excitement on every fan waiting for something to happen is hard to replicate. And with Florinel Coman the excitement never seems to run out. Starting 31 of the 34 league games he appeared in this season, Coman notched up an impressive 18 goals and 10 assists and made a fantastic 15 team of the week appearances. A complete modern winger with high pressing, dribbling, pace and the ability to cut inside and create for himself and team mates, he can walk into majority of teams across Europe. There is a lot to like about Coman's game. When we look at his attacking stats they jump out at you. Taking 3.5 shots per game with 2.0 being on target and posting up a very respectable 15% goal conversion rate he fits the bill for teams looking to play attacking football. The majority of his goals are...

  Date of birth: 9 March 2001 Country: Croatia Position: Attacking Midfield/Creative Forward Height: 178cm Preferred foot: Left Club: Rijeka When you think of Croatian footballers several come to mind, Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic, Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Rakitic, Zvonomir Boban just to name a few. One thing in common with all these players from the tiny country is they are all technically brilliant. And as we move into a new era there is another player edging his way onto the list. Rijeka's Toni Fruk. Bouncing around several youth teams in Croatia and Belgium, Toni eventually found his way to Italian club Fiorentina. H enever made a first team appearance for them, instead moving on loan to several clubs in Croatia before Rijeka signed him in 2023 on a free transfer. And what  abargain that has turned out to be. Starting 30 of the 33 league games he played this season, Fruk let Fiorentina know what they were missing, scoring 3 times and leading the league in assists with an astonishi...

  Date of birth: 22 November 2000 Country: Japan Position: Goalkeeper Height: 190cm Preferred foot: Right Club: Machida Zelvia Japanese football has always been entertaining to watch, from players like Shunsuke Nakamura to Hidetoshi Nakata and from Shinji Kagawa to Keisuke Honda making a vast impression to football fans all over the world, the technical side has always been clear, however there has been a glaring problem in Japanese football for decades now, and that is the lack of a solid Goalkeeper. However, with Kosei Tani shining, that problem could be solved. Contracted to Gamba Osaka and currently on loan to 2024's surprise package Machida Zelvia, Kosei has been a star performer for the J League's league leaders. Starting all 16 league games so far this season, Tani has notched up 6 clean sheets whilst posting a very respectful 2.1 saves at an accuracy rate of 72%. For comparison to Celtic's Joe Hart , Tani has a better save percentage (72% vs 68%) which is impressive...

  Date of birth: 16 May 2002 Country: Sweden Position: Lw Height: 178cm Preferred foot: Right Club: Malmo FF The Swedish Allsvenkan is always a gold mine for scouts and clubs alike looking for young talent playing big minutes in a competitive standing and Sebastian Nanasi has been a standout for the past few seasons with his potential and ability alike on the up and up.  In the 2023 season, Nanasi notched up 2,495 minutes across 20 games notching up 11 goals and 7 assists. Already this season he has appeared in 12 games, starting all and adding 5 goals and 7 assists already, as well as finding himself in the team of the week 8 times.  5 goals is very impressive when you take a look at the stats, averaging 2.3 shots and 0.9 hitting the target. Majority of his shot's come from his fantastic agility, often beating his man and cutting inside and firing at the goal. A goal conversion of 19% is fantastic giving he is often on the wing. All of his goals this season have been fro...