List of U23 players to watch in February: Star players such as Kvarši, Pavlovic, and Beyer

Welcome to the ESPN FC Hot List. Each month, this list features his best-in-form talent under the age of 23 from across Europe.

Generally, young but established stars such as Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Barcelona’s Gabi are not included – they would otherwise be on the list every month. We’re sure there are — but we’re going to shine a light on some of those players. Their performance has been commendable and they could be the next big names in European football.

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Pau Kubalsi, 17 years old, CB, Barcelona

The Spain Under-17s captain has long been regarded as one of the top up-and-coming centre-backs in European football, so it was no big surprise that Kvarci made his first-team debut for Barcelona in January. However, despite being only 17 years old, his importance to the team is something of a shocker, as he was one of Barcelona’s top performers in last weekend’s 4-0 home win over Getafe. collected.

His ball-handling skills are well known and he is confident in finding the right angle for line-breaking passes, but he also excels defending inside the box. Against Getafe, he avoided danger at least twice with well-timed sliding tackles, and although the sample size is still small, he won with an impressive success rate of 74% of his defensive battles.

Kvarsi, who is considered by many scouts to be Spain’s next world-class centre-back, has made an excellent start to his senior career.

Aleksandar Pavlovic, 19 years old, DM, Bayern Munich

Bayern may have missed out on signing a defensive midfielder over the past two seasons, but the struggling Bundesliga champions may have found a future star in their ranks based on recent evidence.

Since making his first-team debut just before Christmas, Pavlovic has enjoyed significant playing time and has been singled out for praise by head coach Thomas Tuchel for his attitude and application.

Similar in style to former Bayern star Javi Martínez, Pavlovic has been reliable in a deep midfield role. He is disciplined, neat on the ball and tactically sharp. In addition to his keen pressing, versatile passing (92% accuracy) and smart positioning, his ability from set-pieces is also impressive. And in attack, his smart movements also led to a fine goal against Borussia Mechengladbach in early February.

Victor Christiansen, 21, LB, Bologna

Christiansen may have struggled to make an impression in the Premier League with Leicester last season, but his loan spell at Serie A powerhouse Bologna is going well. Following his impressive performances, Bologna are reportedly considering a €15 million option to sign him permanently in the summer.

Energetic and powerfully built, Christiansen stands out for his consistency, but is also hard at work defensively and rarely delivers below-average performances. The 21-year-old may not be the most eye-catching dribbler going forward, nor the player who overwhelms opposition full-backs with his relentless take-ons, but he is extraordinarily progressive when it comes to passing (with 90 minutes of 19 forward passes). His crosses are also of a high level (4 assists in Serie A this season).

Luca Romero, 19 years old, forward, Almeria

A standout player at Argentina’s youth level, Romero finally sealed his arrival at the top flight last weekend, scoring both goals with his left foot in Almería’s long-awaited 2-2 draw against Atlético Madrid. Announced.

Currently on loan from AC Milan to La Liga’s bottom side, Romero already has considerable experience in European football, making his La Liga debut at the age of 15 after coming through Mallorca’s youth organization before moving to Lazio in 2021. and then released. Two years later, he finally landed in Milan.

A 5ft 5in opposite winger, he tends to have bursts of action when cutting in from the left in the final third, using quick dribbles and one-twos with teammates to advance. Creative, explosive and technically gifted, the teenager tends to be on his own too much, but evidence of his performance against Atlético shows that his game needs more maturity. Dimensions are emerging.

Mohamed Bamba, 22, CF, Lorient

Bamba was acquired by Lorient for 5 million euros from Austrian side Wolfsberger and is perhaps one of the most successful January signings ever, having played as many games for the Ligue 1 club so far. He found the back of the net 5 times (that’s one goal per year) in 68 minutes. )

A strong and fast runner who can stretch the defense, Bamba also has an excellent ability to sniff out opportunities. His deft positioning allows him to finish quickly with either foot, and he has already scored two goals with his head at Lorient.

The Ivorian centre-forward only started his professional career in Israel in 2020, although there are still some flaws in his game in terms of technical ability, an occasionally erratic first touch and decision-making. It is a late bloomer. However, his productivity has given Lorient a huge boost in their fight against relegation this season.

Maximilian Beyer, 21, CF, Hoffenheim

Following his brace against Borussia Dortmund last weekend, Baier became the youngest player to score 10 goals in the Bundesliga this season and also provided four assists.

Baier has shown promise on loan at second-tier Bundesliga side Hannover for the past two seasons and is now a regular marksman at the top level. The 21-year-old may resemble Timo Werner in that he moves around the left flank with determination and troubles defenders when not in possession. In fact, although not overly muscular, the intention and tenacity of his movements in his last line of defense allows him to regularly outsmart his opponents.

Always alert, Baier thrives in transition as he can pop out to make runs that split up defenses. And he’s also a prolific finisher (2.7 shots on goal per 90 minutes, half of them on target).