CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | BREAKOUT STARS
Zeki Celik
(Lille)O
ne of the most-improved players on
the French circuit, the 22-year-old
Turkish international right-back is
the sort of pro every coach adores;
a player who radiates consistency, reliability and
energy, never goes off piste tactically and is
quick to learn and adapt.
“He never makes the same mistake twice,”
says Lille boss Christophe Galtier. “He really
surprised me with his feel for the game. He
doesn’t speak much but listens attentively and
observes a lot. He’s smart and he’s ambitious.”
Celik has come a long way in a short space
of time. Prior to joining Lille a year ago from
second-tier Istanbulspor, he had not played a
single minute in the Turkish top flight and was
signed as cover for Kevin Malcuit, whose
departure for Napoli then left the door of
opportunity wide open for the young Turk.
In a finely tuned Lille side which finished
second to Paris Saint-Germain last season,
Celik was one of the unsung heroes. While the
front-line triumvirate of Nicolas Pepe, Jonathan
Bamba and Jonathan Ikone monopolised the
lion’s share of the praise and headlines, Celik
served as the unobtrusive counterpoint, the
busy, athletic and precise grafter in the shadows.
Galtier’s favoured 4-2-3-1 system very much
depends on the full-backs shuttling back and
forth, as vital for
defensive guard duty
as the creation of
attacking overloads.
Located on the
same flank as Pepe,
Celik and the new
Arsenal man linked well together last term
and whenever Pepe moved inside Celik proved
especially effective as the ersatz winger.
Full marks go to the French club’s Portuguese
recruitment chief Luis Campos who signed Celik
for just €2.5million. He must now be worth four
or five times that figure now.Carles Perez
(Barcelona)
The tricky little Barca B winger piled up the
first-team credits in his club’s pre-season tour
of Japan, notably scoring two fine goals against
Vissel Kobe. Rapid, intelligent and a fighter, he
was a key member of the Blaugrana side which
won the UEFA Youth League in 2018.
Renan Lodi
(Atletico Madrid)No doubt about it, Atleti picked up one of the
bargains of the summer when paying Athletico
Paranaense just €20m for the 21-year-old
Brazilian left-back. A native of Sao Paulo state,
he is a monster of an attacking full-back, able
to pierce and destabilise on the inside or outside.Rhian Brewster
(Liverpool)One of the most exciting prospects to come out
of the Liverpool academy in years, the Essex-
born teen is poised to make a breakthrough
this term. Goals are in the striker’s blood and
he was England’s eight-goal trump card when
triumphing at the 2017 World under-17 finals.“He never makes the
same mistake twice”
Lille coach Christophe Galtier