I told you so: The 2025 XI
Llew returns to boast.
Taking credit on the internet is not always easy. It’s especially tough when you have a scout in your midst with a truly absurd track record of spotting quality before it emerges. At SCOUTED, we are not always great at platforming Llew Davies’ immense talent for spotting the future - and usually getting it right. This summer’s transfer window was littered with big-money moves for players Llew had talked at length about, and it certainly wasn’t the first. He’s been doing this, unheralded, for years.
We thought it’d be fun to close 2025 by asking Llew to put together an XI of the players he put you onto before the mainstream caught up. Taking credit for this sort of thing can be uncomfortable: they’ll always be that guy on ‘X’ who scoffs and tells you ‘everyone knew about Yan Diomandé before the summer’ when they most certainly did not, but that’s why I pushed Llew to do this, because I am no longer on ‘X’ and your words cannot hurt me.
Llewstradamus; The Michael Burry of Scouting; at SCOUTED, Mr Davies has many names. This is a celebration of his work this year. But it’s also a look forward: after the 2025 XI, Llew has gathered four predictions for next year, too. Here’s the players we got right; here’s who we’ll be right about in 2026. And if we’re not, well, you can be mean to me, because this was not his idea.
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GK: Robin Roefs (Sunderland & Netherlands)
When I first watched Robin Roefs at the UEFA U-21 EURO, I was convinced I was watching a goalkeeper that would go on to have a long career at the highest levels. Everything he has done at Sunderland in the five months since has only strengthened that belief.
He has been crucial to Sunderland’s remarkable run of form in the Premier League. He’s played every minute of every match thus far, making important saves to earn impressive results, providing an extremely steady presence between the sticks with his hands and feet. Never flustered, the 22-year-old makes the difficult look easy – a trait that the very best ‘keepers almost always have. Signed for €10.5 million from NEC Nijmegen, you won’t get many more worthy candidates in the ‘signing of the summer’ debate than Roefs. It was a slam dunk.
Llew Davies
RB: Givairo Read (Feyenoord & Netherlands)
2025 was a brilliant year for Givairo Read. He broke into the Feyenoord team, becoming an undisputed starter, and was outstanding at the UEFA U-19 EURO, duly named in our Team of the Tournament. It was a year that saw him go from the fringe to the forefront.
Read is a right-back that can do it all: from overlaps and underlaps, sniping carries, punchy passes, quick give-and-goes to adept one-v-one defending and intelligent positional play, he is adaptable to whatever the role or situation demands. The only thing stopping him from having an even bigger 2026 is nagging injury issues. If they stay away, expect plenty from Read.
Tom Curren
CB: Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City & Cymru)
Cardiff City’s relegation was a blessing in disguise. The club have taken the opportunity to retool for the future, appointing a forward-thinking head coach and trusting their own academy graduates. The leading light of their new approach has been Dylan Lawlor.
The 19-year-old has established himself as a regular starter in League One, playing a crucial role as a right-sided centre-back. Lawlor stands out for his fundamentals both in and out of possession, with the ability to overwhelm attackers in defensive duels supplemented by his skill as a ball progressor, breaking lines with passing and carrying into space. His form for Cardiff has brought about opportunities for Craig Bellamy’s Cymru and should continue into the new year and beyond.
Llew Davies
CB: Yarek Gasiorowski (PSV Eindhoven & Spain)
To think that Valencia produced both Christian Mosquera and Yarek Gasiorowoski from their academy within a year of each other. While the former has impressed at Arsenal this season, the latter is making a name for himself in the Eredivisie since moving to PSV Eindhoven for a little under €10 million.
Gasiorowski has played over 20 times and almost 2,000 minutes across all competitions already, with the all-dominant PSV proving to be an ideal platform for the 20-year-old to hone his craft and showcase his valuable profile at centre-back. Left footed, athletic, strong in duels and solid in the air, and a big plus on the ball: his value could skyrocket come the end of his first full season as a starter in senior football.
Llew Davies
LB: Keita Kosugi (Djurgården IF & Japan)
In early 2024, Keita Kosugi made the unusual decision to leave Japan for Europe as an 18-year-old. Then captain of the Japan U-17 team, he left Shonan Bellmare for Stockholm giants Djurgården. Come the end of 2025, that brave decision has been more than vindicated.
The last calendar year has been a great one for Kosugi: over 4,000 minutes played, including a full Allsvenskan season, a deep run in the UEFA Conference League, a positive showing at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, and a number of impressive performances. The 19-year-old is an accomplished all-rounder from left-back in every aspect, particularly technically, and has the qualities to fit different game models.
Just before publishing, Eintracht Frankfurt confirmed the signing of Kosugi ahead of the January transfer window. That scans.
CM: Caleb Yirenkyi (FC Nordsjælland & Ghana)
Caleb Yirenkyi has all the hallmarks of a high-level player. He has showcased them in a leading role for FC Nordsjælland in 2025: running and duelling, receiving and passing, carrying and driving, all at various angles and tempos, all to a high standard. He can power between the box, receive in pockets, prop up play from behind, and a whole lot more. It’s not an exaggeration to brand him the complete midfield package.
HIs 2025 has seen him rack up over 3,000 minutes for Nordsjælland and make his debut for the senior Ghana side, for whom his multi-faceted adaptability has been obvious in a right-back role. Yirenkyi ticks a lot of the boxes to be a Premier League player. A big move will happen in 2026, no doubt about it.
Llew Davies
CM: Ayyoub Bouaddi (LOSC Lille & France)
I branded Ayyoub Bouaddi the next big thing of French football at the start of the year and I’m steadfast in that belief. He only turned 18 years old in October yet has made 73 appearances for LOSC Lille already, and has now established himself as a surefire starter this season.
Bouaddi is on track for a big move in 2026. His vast experience at such a young age is a big tick, as is his skillset which has a number of high-level facets. He is a more than capable athlete, he can progress play by passing and carrying, he can evade pressure and win the ball back. His skillset isn’t as polished as you might think, but I’m sure much of what needs to improve will do so with time. Links to the elite are already surfacing.
Llew Davies
AM: Kees Smit (AZ Alkmaar & The Netherlands)
Kees Smit is my favourite player in this XI, and that’s saying something. I always love watching him play. He does everything – running, passing, carrying, combining, shooting – with a verve and vigour that is difficult to contain and hard to ignore. It’s intense and incisive, and it belongs at the elite level.
His 2025 has been exceptional. After breaking into the AZ Alkmaar team at the end of last season, contributing to their European qualification, he was the consensus Player of the Tournament at the UEFA U-19 EURO won by the Netherlands. Since then, Smit has played over 2,000 minutes at club level and cemented his status as one of the best up-and-coming talents in European football. This should be his last season in the Eredivisie as a big move beckons in 2026.
Llew Davies
RW: Yan Diomandé (RB Leipzig & Cote d’Ivoire)
Yan Diomandé was still a member of the DME Academy in Daytona Beach this time last year. Now, he’s one of the most exciting and anticipated talents anywhere in the world. I predicted big things, but even this trajectory is steeper than I anticipated.
All it took was 542 minutes in 10 appearances for a relegated Leganés side to convince RB Leipzig to invest €20 million to sign him last summer, and that already looks like a snip. The Ivorian winger has taken the Bundesliga by storm: he has eight goal contributions in 14 appearances so far, excelling in a number of metrics, notably as a progressive carrier and shot-creating dribbler, and is lighting up social media with compilations of his gamebreaking performance going viral. Still only 18 years old, Diomandé has the world at his feet and is set for an even bigger 2026.
Llew Davies
ST: Mohamed Kader Meïté (Stade Rennais & France)
Strikers are all the rage nowadays. Clubs are taking more and more punts on the possible next big things, prioritising profiles, attributes and potential over tangible outputs, often investing a lot of money in the process. With that in mind, Mohamed Kader Meïté is one that a lot of clubs should have on their shortlists.
The Stade Rennais striker is big, broad and rangey; he runs the channels, links play, pins defenders and dominates in the box, dunking on defenders with huge leaps and sharp movement. 2025 has seen him score six goals in a triumphant Coupe Gambardella run before breaking into the first team, where he has had a number of breakout moments and been dubbed “the most exciting centre-forward prospect in Europe” by our very own Jake Entwistle. I concur with Jake, and 2026 promises plenty more.
Llew Davies
LW: Said El Mala (1. FC Koln & Germany)
Said El Mala’s rise has been as direct as his dribbling. He broke into senior football at Viktoria Köln last season, putting in an eye-catching debut season in the 3. Liga with 13 goals and two assists as a 17 year old, and it earned a cross-city transfer to 1. FC Köln of the Bundesliga.
Outstanding performances at the UEFA U-19 European Championship in the summer was the launchpad for a breakout Bundesliga season so far, where his powerful and destructive style as a right-footed left winger has demanded attention. El Mala is a menace with the ball at his feet, capable of burning past defenders with ease and cracking off crisp finishes. Unsurprisingly, his hot start to life in the top flight has drawn links to Bayern Munchen, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City.
Llew Davies
Time for the big swing. That’s an entire XI of players Llew spotted this year before the mainstream turned their heads. Next, I’ve asked him to bet his entire reputation (I’m joking) on four names to break out in 2026. Take notes.
CB: Rion Ichihara (RB Omiya Ardija & Japan)
Playing a lot of senior football at a young age is rarer than you’d think in Japanese football. That’s why Rion Ichihara sticks out. He’s already played 80 times and accumulated over 7,000 minutes for RB Omiya Ardija by the age of 20 years old, all while racking up no less than 22 caps at junior level for Japan. He is ahead of the typical development curve.
Ichihara is a big centre-back with qualities that will translate to higher levels than the J2 LEAGUE. He’s strong in contact and especially adept in the air, winning big headers in both boxes. His quality on the ball is a key feature of his game too, and he has played at the base of midfield on occasion for the Japanese national teams. After two-and-a-half seasons as a starter for Omiya, the 20-year-old will almost certainly take the next step in his development in 2026 – and there won’t be a shortage of high-level European clubs after him.
FB: Saba Kharebashvili (Dinamo Tbilisi & Georgia)
We’re always searching for the ‘modern meta’ at SCOUTED and Saba Kharebashvili fits the bill for what’s demanded of full-backs at the highest levels of the game nowadays. Ostensibly a left-back, the Georgian is adept at playing on the move, receiving the ball in different spaces, and playing forward with incisive passes and punchy carries. He pops up in midfield, drives down the outside, supports from underneath, and does everything from everywhere in between. It’s easy to see how his skillset fits in at the highest level in the most modern game models.
Despite turning 17 years old last September, Kharebashvili has already played over 5,000 minutes in senior football. He also made his debut for the senior Georgia national team as a 16-year-old back in the summer.
CM: Selton Sánchez (Athletic Club & Spain)
I first watched Selton Sánchez in a UEFA Youth League match and was immediately impressed. He bossed the game from midfield as captain, contributing to every phase of play, making a tangible difference with his combination of obvious technical qualities and slinky smooth athleticism. He beat players, moved the ball, and changed the picture, all with an ease that put him head and shoulders above the rest on the pitch.
Given the standard of that performance, it’s no surprise that Sánchez is now a regular for Athletic Club’s first team. He’s skipped through various B team stages to start LaLiga games and come off the bench in the UEFA Champions League—with even more involvements to come, no doubt. A Spanish-Brazilian, the 18-year-old is cousin to Roberto Firmino and I’m really excited to see how he kicks on in 2026.
ST: Shim Mheuka (Chelsea & England)
14 goals in 14 games speaks for itself – that’s what 18-year-old Shim Mheuka has done at academy level for Chelsea so far this season. Predominantly a centre-forward, he scores goals prolifically at every age group he plays at. But he also does more than that too: some of the best performances I’ve seen him put in were in deeper roles, connecting midfield to attack and supporting with driving carries and late runs into the box.
2026 promises to be a big year for Mheuka. He’s been on the fringes of the Chelsea first team for a while now – making six appearances to date – and the next twelve months should see him make the permanent step into senior football somewhere. I’m really keen to see what’s in store for him.
