Joachim Andersen
(Lyon)L
ong before the end of last season, it
was common knowledge that OL were
looking at fresh centre-back options.
With the Brazilian Marcelo frequently
making errors, the warning signs simply could
not be ignored, thus prompting club president
Jean-Michel Aulas to splash out a club record
€30m, including bonuses, on Sampdoria’s
up-and-coming Danish rock.
Aulas, by instinct a cautious pragmatist, does
not make a habit of largesse in the transfer
market. But he was happy to make an exception
in the case of the 23-year-old. And no wonderAulas and director of sport Juninho looked so
pleased to welcome the Dane aboard.
Tall and well built, he is powerful in the air and
makes up for a perceived lack of pace with an
excellent reading of the game and flair for timely
interventions. The OL top brass also love his
maturity and leadership qualities, and quite
rightly believe that a central defensive duo of
Andersen and the Belgian international Jason
Denayer has all the bases covered.
Once an pupil at the much-respected
Midtjylland academy, he has clearly given a lot
of thought to his career development path,
keen to soak up a specific football
education at each of his foreign
postings during his time in Holland
with Twente, Sampdoria in Italy
and now with Lyon in the
Champions League.Junior Firpo
(Barcelona)
Jordi Alba beware. After many years as Barca’s
first-choice left-back, Alba now faces stiff
competition for his place from the recently
arrived ex-Real Betis favourite. Born in the
Dominican Republic, he helped the Spanish
under-21s capture the European crown in June.
Jonathan Ikone
(Lille)Now that star front-runner Nicolas Pepe has
flown the Lille nest for Arsenal, the onus will be
on the French under-21 international to take up
the attacking slack at the Ligue 1 runners-up.
Can play out wide but is much more effective
through the middle.Michael Cuisance
(Bayern Munich)Bayern’s signing of the French under-20
midfielder went under the radar amid all the
hullabaloo and excitement generated by the
successful swoop for Barcelona ace Philippe
Coutinho. The 20-year-old, however, was a
class act for Borussia Monchengladbach.Murilo Cerqueira
(Lokomotiv Moscow)
Brazilian central defender signed from Cruzeiro
who, at first glance, seems a little ponderous,
but is a highly effective forward-shadower all
the same. Performed excellently for Brazil’s
under-23s at this summer’s Toulon tournament
in the south of France.
Erling Haland
(Red Bull Salzburg)
The Norwegian put nine goals past Honduras at
this summer’s Under-20 World Cup, setting a
new tournament record. The son of former
Manchester City midfielder Alf-Inge, he moved
to Austria in January from Molde.
BREAKOUT STARS
Powerful in the air, he makes up
for a perceived lack of pace with
an excellent reading of the game