The Nordic countries are increasingly attracting the attention of foreign scouts, even if few of them are now travelling there due to the pandemic. Apart from players of the potential of Aleksander Isak or Erling Haaland, many youngsters have moved to stronger competitions from there in recent years. Denmark, in particular, currently has 46 players in the five major leagues. In addition, 121 players have left the Superligaen for other top UEFA divisions in the last three seasons. One of those who will join that list this season is Jesper Lindstrøm (2000), an attacking midfielder for whom Eintracht Frankfurt have paid Brøndby 7 million euros. Understanding that the Danish league is a tournament with many talented kids, we at Driblab have taken a look at some of the profiles to keep an eye on from Friday, when the 2021/22 edition kicks off.
Most interesting profiles from the previous year
- Evander da Silva · 1998 · Midtjylland · Midfielder who was developed in Vasco de Gama’s academy with a great influence in the build up of attacking plays. He has a powerful shot from distance and is quite dangerous when he takes set pieces. Totaled 0.25 expected assists per 90 minutes.
- Victor Nelsson · 1998 · Copenhaguen · A centre-back who stands out for his effectiveness in individual challenges, both in the air (76%) and when an opponent tries to get past him (80%), and for his guarantees in passing. He has already been linked with several British clubs.
- Kamaldeen Sulemana · 2002 · Nordsjælland · Extremely fast winger with great dribbling ability (3.84 successfulm dribbles per 90 minutes in 2020/21) and presence in finishing zones (5.96 touches in the opponent’s box per 90 minutes). He is the profile with the highest market value in the competition.
- Mikael Uhre · 1994 · Brøndby · Forward with instinct and very smart in his runs to the spaces. He uses to shoot in clear situations (0.18 xG per attempt) and showed a high degree of accuracy in his finishing, converting 17 non-penalty goals with a sum of 12.8 expected goals.
- Frank Onyeka · 1998 · Midtjylland · Holding midfielder with a high volume of successful defensive actions. He was only dribbled 25.7% of the times an opponent tried to get past him, being one of the best in the league within that parameter.
- Anders Dreyer · 1998 · Midtjylland · Left-footed winger who racked up 8 goals and 6 assists in open play, with an average of 1.52 key passes in play per 90 minutes. Brighton signed him in 2018, but he never had enough continuity abroad. His age would allow him a second chance.
U21 profiles to watch in 2021/22
- Abu Francis · 2001 · Nordsjælland · Francis is a box-to-box player who did not reach 1,000 minutes in either of the last two seasons, but we consider him a good prospect. He has great physical conditions and his intelligence in the final metres has allowed him to take part in quite a few actions that end in goals.
- Rasmus Carstensen · 2000 · Silkeborg · At the age of 20 he was the the top-rated full-back of Denmark second division according to our models. He was very active in the offensive side, being involved in 0.70 xG per 90 minutes through a key pass or a shot.
- Anis Slimane · 2001 · Brøndby · Player who has not yet had continuity at his club but who has already made 9 appearances with the Tunisian national team. Slimane is a midfielder really engaged in the build up of attacking plays, but also quite aggressive off-the-ball.
- Morten Frendrup · 2001 · Brøndby · Despite his age, Frendrup is no discovery; he was actually on the pitch for 2438 minutes in 2020/21. His incredible amount of ball recoveries and his efficiency with the ball makes us consider him in this shortlist.
Most competitive signings
- Dawid Kurminowski · 1999 · Aarhus · A forward adquired this summer from MSK Zilina (Slovakia) who hit 13 non-penalty goals from shooting situations of which only 8.2 xG were estimated. Really complete metrics.
- Juninho Ferreira · 1995 · Midtjylland · Brazilian centre-back who belonged to Palmeiras but played the last two seasons at Bahia. He stands out for his timing in defending one-on-one situations, his success rate in aerial disputes or his involvement in the build up of plays which end in a shot.
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