December 31, 2020
On today’s Scout Report, we’re doing Cheap v Expensive Footballers, a concept where we seek out the very best young players your club could buy on a budget. Today we’re focusing on central midfielders, with three different players at three different price points. Ajax wonderkid Ryan Gravenberch is our luxury option, with the Champions League club valuing him at over €25million – and considering the fees they got for Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong, it could turn out to be even more. Considering he’s long been compared to Man United’s Paul Pogba, and is currently posting similar numbers to Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich, he looks like a star of the future.
On the other end of the spectrum is Manchester City midfielder Ivan Ilic, who is currently on loan at Hellas Verona in Serie A. The Serbian under-21 international is still only 19 but already has a wealth of experience in his home country, the Netherlands and now Italy, and has been one of Verona’s most consistent performers in what has so far been an excellent season for the club.
Between the two is Vfb Stuttgart man Orel Mangala. A bit older at 22, the Belgian midfielder is also enjoying an impressive campaign at one of the Bundesliga’s most interesting clubs. Touted as a replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at Southampton after he went to Tottenham, Mangala is one of the very best box-to-box midfielders in Germany right now.
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By Euro Football Daily
