6 players in line for breakout years – Part I
Erling Haaland. Ryan Gravenberch. Eduardo Camavinga. The list of young players who broke out in 2020 was a truly star-studded one, with these three imperious names only scratching the surface when it comes to fresh faces in leading roles.
So who’s next? Who will be 2021’s Haaland, Gravenberch or Camavinga?
With the help of the Twenty3 Toolbox, we’ve identified six players who could be in line for true breakout years, helping them breach the wider consciousness of footballing fandom and make a serious mark on the sport.
Part I discusses three of those six, flitting from defence to attack, England to Italy, to profile those primed to explode.
Teun Koopmeiners, 22, AZ Alkmaar
Centre-Back/Defensive Midfielder
There’s something about the way Koopmeiners strikes the ball.
It’s a feeling you get when he makes contact—not dissimilar to the one you probably get when new RB Leipzig recruit Dominik Szoboszlai strikes a free-kick—that makes your eyes pop and your jaw drop.
Koopmeiners has spent the last two years launching sensational passes from deep within AZ Alkmaar’s formation—either firm and through the lines, initiating build-up play; or raking missiles over the top and into the path of runners—and yet remains grossly underrated and underhyped in the grand scheme.
That probably changes in 2021. His excellence from Frenkie de Jong-style positions is starting to catch people’s attention, and every time you watch him you see a different strength flourish: first it’s his passing range, then it’s his free-kick majesty, next his surprising athleticism, followed closely by his aggression in the challenge.
The 22-year-old looks entirely comfortable at centre-back, defensive midfield or in a box-to-box role, his left foot swinging away to release passes wherever he’s deployed. There are serious shades of Daley Blind in him, though he’s an inch or two taller and definitely more mobile.
Frank de Boer has confirmed Koopmeiners will be in his Netherlands squad for the Euros if fit, which could be what finally spells the end for him at AZ. That, or the ludicrous back-heel goal he scored this week against PSV Eindhoven.
He’s clearly ready for a move to Europe’s top table and the summer of 2021 will undoubtedly provide that avenue.
Emile Smith Rowe, 20, Arsenal
Attacking Midfielder
The last six months have seen Smith Rowe’s star rise to remarkable heights.
Back in July 2020 he was on loan at a Huddersfield Town side battling relegation from the Championship; yet in January 2021 he appears to be Arsenal’s latest young saviour, following Bukayo Saka’s lead and taking a key role in an attack that has eyes on a European finish.
Smith Rowe’s sample size in Arsenal’s first-team is small—he has just 5 Premier League starts to his name, 4 of which have come in the last month—and as such there’s understandable scepticism over whether he truly is a solution…or more of a flash in the pan.
But there’s always room for players who do the basics well, or players who raise the general level of those around him. Smith Rowe is both.
There’s a beautiful simplicity to Smith-Rowe’s style: he rarely overcomplicates things on the ball, preferring to take the minimal number of touches and move it swiftly. Playing from a free-ish No. 10 role, he’s able to interpret and drift, racking up touches across the park. If you’re wondering why Arsenal suddenly look so much more fluid and slick, Smith Rowe is a major factor.
He’s improved the Gunners’ ball circulation, progression and grip on games—undoubtedly making Mikel Arteta, a true stickler for control, very happy—but he’s made them a much greater threat in the final third too. His willingness to follow his passes and make forward runs off the ball has opened up a new dimension in Arsenal’s attack, creating space for combination play and bringing the likes of Alexandre Lacazette back to life. He also works hard to recover and pressure the ball.
All of this speaks to an old-school player. In an era where No. 10s are dying out, Smith Rowe emulates the kind of play we’d perhaps expect from the old Mario Götze or Shinji Kagawa at Borussia Dortmund—stylistically, at least. He has some way to go before he can be compared to those two on a qualitative level!
Roger Ibañez, 22, Roma
Central Defender
The balance of a central defensive partnership has always been important, but recent years have seen the search for specialisation in the back line ramp up tenfold.
That specialisation can take many forms. Some clubs want ball-players first, defenders second; others want it the other way around. Some want hulking, aerial titans who stand at least 6ft 3 inches tall, while others are happy to roll with sub-6ft players if they can impact the game in other ways.
Left-footers seem to have taken on increased importance and value, given what they can offer in build-up play from the back. The intense nature of modern football has called for better athletes all over the pitch but particularly at centre-back—pace is a near-must in order to play for a top side.
This all makes players like Ibañez, who combine so many of these traits, incredibly valuable. He’s only half a season into his Roma career and has shockingly few senior appearances to his name considering he’s 22, but playing as he is, he won’t escape the limelight much longer.
The Brazilian has moved across Roma’s back three this season, playing on the left, the right and the centre. It’s not normal for players of his inexperience to look so comfortable in all of these roles.
It’s also not normal for young centre-backs to boast his blend of skills, which include good size (6ft 1), fantastic recovery speed, a natural ease striding forward with the ball and two good feet.
As with any inexperienced central defender, there are times when he gets caught out—either running with the ball, or stepping out to close down and misjudging—but that’s par for the course and will fix itself over time.
But with the raw tools he has, Roma manager Paulo Fonseca is more than happy to let him learn on the job. What we’ve seen from Ibañez so far reminds a little of Liverpool’s Joe Gomez: quick on the recovery and good on the ball, but the decision-making is understandably yet to crystalise.
As Roma’s potentially success-laden season heads to its conclusion the focus will intensify on Ibañez. He might even have an eye on that Brazil squad given Thiago Silva (36) presumably leaves a gap at some point soon.
Join us for Part II in a couple of weeks, where Sam Tighe will identify three other players in line to breakout in 2021.
All the graphics and visualisations in this article use Wyscout data and were produced in the Twenty3 Toolbox.
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