The players we’ll be watching at UEFA U-21 EURO 2025
Another tournament-focussed edition of The Shortlist
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Headliners
The players we watched this week will watch over the next few weeks.
Just two days after publishing our UEFA U-17 EURO Team of the Tournament, SCOUTED HQ is gearing up for two more UEFA Youth tournaments.
On Wednesday 11 June, the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia will begin. On Friday 13 June, the 2025 UEFA European Under-19 Championship will start. So, the next two editions of the Shortlist will be dedicated to each one.
It’s been two years since England were crowned Under-21 EURO champions for the first time in their history and we published the Team of the Tournament below.
Llew Davies
16 teams will compete for the title this year, with England defending their trophy against the likes of Spain, Portugal, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and more. We’re going to run through the players you might end up seeing in our 2025 Team of the Tournament or might join the official Player of the Tournament roll of honour.
Players born on or after 1 January 2002 are eligible to participate which means there are some big names and stacked squads.
Short…listed:
A short recommendation from Scouting Editor Llew Davies.
Ukraine U-21 captain Volodomyr Brazhko gets added to the Shortlist.
He’s a relative veteran at this level. With well over 100 club appearances for Dynamo Kyiv and Zorya Luhansk to his name, Brazhko appeared at the UEFA U-21 EURO back in 2023 and followed it up by playing every game in Ukraine’s ill-fated UEFA EURO campaign in 2024. Now 23 years old, this could be his launchpad tournament.
A strong showing in Slovakia could bump him up clubs’ shortlists for the summer. He has many of the attributes and traits needed of a Big Five League midfielder. Firstly, his athletic presence: he’s of a very sturdy build with a strong frame and rock-solid legs, which enables him to cover space and wedge into challenges. Then there’s his on-ball ability, which is functional rather than fancy - he is good at punching forward passes into feet and playing at a steady, take-it-move-it tempo. He does it from the base of midfield, usually as the single pivot, but I can see him playing higher to squeeze the game and threaten the goal with powerful two-footed ball-striking skill.
I’m interested to see if Brazhko can really assert his ability at this tournament. We see it in spells, but those are often broken up by one or two weak tackles, a couple of slack miscues, some clumsiness under pressure. Everything is there, but clubs will want to see him pull it all together consistently.
HEATWATCH
SCOUTED50: Keeping tabs on the golden boys you could see at the 2025 UEFA U-21 EURO.
🔥 47 / NOAH NARTEY
One of Llew's favourites, Nartey emerged as one of the most press-resistant midfielders in the 2024/25 Superligaen when discovering the Secrets of Scandinavia with SkillCorner data in January. At the U-21 EURO, you should get to watch him at the heart of the Denmark midfield.
🔥 46 / FINN JELTSCH
Finn Jeltsch won the UEFA Under-17 EURO and FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2023 and partnered Pau Cubarsí in our Team of the Tournament for the latter. In the second half of the 2024/25 season, not only did Jeltsch become a regular starter for VfB Stuttgart, he consistently racked up 100 Touches and played a part in the DFB-Pokal triumph.
🔥 36 / NATHAN ZÉZÉ
A big tournament for Nathan Zézé could secure his status as a Premier League player in 2025/26. The links to Bournemouth have quietened, but recent reports that the Cherries could lose Illia Zabarnyi alongside Dean Huijsen should trigger a bid for Zézé. In a dream world, they partner him with Jon Martín.
🔥 19 / GEOVANY QUENDA
When a player signs for Chelsea, interest disappears. But do not lose sight of the fact that Geovany Quenda will be one of the youngest players at this year's UEFA U-21 EURO. As you'll find out in a bit, he shares a remarkably similar profile to another player in the Portugal squad. We just hope they both get the chance to show their talent.
🔥 16 / PAUL WANNER
Florian Wirtz's decision to join Liverpool should be good news for Paul Wanner. Despite the positive start, his loan spell at 1. FC Heidenheim fizzled out and he will be glad to return to Bayern. Should he strut his stuff in Slovakia, he might find a spot in Vincent Kompany's first-team squad.
🔥 3 / ETHAN NWANERI
Amongst suspect links to Konstantinos Karetsas, Arsenal fans need to remember that they have one of the most exciting talents on their books. Ethan Nwaneri, also born in 2007, is a genuine Player of the Tournament despite the fact he will be eligible to feature in the 2029 tournament. This is yet another reminder to not let what Lamine Yamal is doing blur your expectations for an 18-year-old.
Watchlist
Click here to see every squad for the UEFA U-21 EURO — read below for more players to keep an eye on.
GROUP A
🇸🇰 Slovakia
Hosts Slovakia are making their first U-21 EURO since 2017. Upon reading that, many of you may have been transported back in time Ratatouille-style to when Stanislav Lobotka was running the show. In this year’s squad, keep an eye on Adam Obert (2002, Cagliari) and Leo Sauer (2005, Feyenoord) in particular.
🇪🇸 Spain
Spain have reached a record nine finals and won it five times, a record they share with Group A opponents Italy. In their quest for La Sexta, Cristhian Mosquera (2004) will likely partner Valencia team-mate César Tárrega (2002) at the back. In midfield, I hope Mikel Jauregizar (2003) is handed a starting role. The forward line is packed with Roadrunners: Jesús Rodríguez (2005), Yeremay Hernández (2002) and Raúl Moro (2002) are all demon dribblers. I was gutted to see Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Eliezer Mayenda miss out on the final squad.
🇮🇹 Italy
As mentioned, Italy are joint-record U-21 EURO champions but have not reached the final since 2013. This year’s squad contains a strong full-back pairing of Matteo Ruggeri (2002) and Michael Kayode (2004). In between them, Diego Coppola (2003) will be looking to build on his incredible season for Hellas Verona - he won more Aerial Duels than any U23 player in Europe’s Big Five Leagues and made the most Interceptions across all ages. I am gutted that we have been robbed of some potential Francesco Pio Espositio bangers.
🇷🇴 Romania
Romania featured in the 2023 tournament and were in fact semi-finalists in 2019, their best-ever performance at the U-21 EURO. This year’s squad includes Toulouse’s left-footed Mountain centre-back Ümit Akdağ (2003) and 2002-born CFR Cluj forward Louis Munteanu, he scored 23 goals in 35 SuperLiga matches this season to claim the Golden Boot.
GROUP B
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
2002 champions Czechia are regulars at this tournament but this will be my first introduction to pretty much every player in their squad. Václav Sejk (2002) caught my eye because of his 33 caps and 12 goals at this level but this is his last year as an U-21 international. The youngest player in the squad is Viktor Plzeň’s 2005-born centre-back Jan Paluska. While Baník Ostrava midfielder Matěj Šín (2004) is the only player to be capped at senior level.
🏴 England
The defending champions’ squad seems stacked on paper. Both Harvey Elliott (2003) and Charlie Cresswell (2002) were part of the 2023 squad. Goalkeeper James Beadle just played 38 Championship games for Sheffield Wednesday. The midfield is ridiculous, but our focus will be on ball-progressing machine Hayden Hackney (2003).
Ashwin Raman
It will be interesting to see who plays up top in the absence of now-Chelsea striker Liam Delap.
🇩🇪 Germany
Germany were most-recently crowned champions in 2021 and there is one name that stands out in this year’s squad. Nick Woltemade (2002) is one of the most fascinating profiles we have stumbled across this season and it will be good fun to see if he can dominate this level. Merlin Röhl (2002), Rocco Reitz (2002) and Paul Nebel (2002) are all midfielders I would like to watch more. Eintracht Frankfurt wing-back Nathaniel Brown (2003) marries lockdown ability in defence with substantial attacking threat through crosses. Finally, in Noah Atubolu (2002), Germany have the best goalkeeper at the tournament.
🇸🇮 Slovenia
This is just Slovenia’s second U-21 EURO appearance, following their Group Stage exit in 2021. Similar to Czechia, I am out of the loop with their squad so I am going to highlight the 2005-born Jaka Čuber Potočnik, an apparent brute of a striker that could very well fit the Power Forward Archetype.
GROUP C
🇵🇹 Portugal
Recently crowned UEFA U-17 EURO champions Portugal will be looking to win their first-ever title at U-21 level having finished runners-up in 1994, 2015 and 2021. We have written a lot about Roger Fernandes (2005) across all recent newsletters so this is your chance to watch him. And it will be super interesting to see how he and Quenda operate in the same squad. Will one operate on the orthodox side or will they swap in-game? Will Portugal switch to a 3-4-3 to deploy one as a wing-back and one as an attacking midfielder? Or will Portugal split starter and finisher roles between them?
🇫🇷 France
Similar to England, the France squad is always stacked. But Les Bleuets have not won the tournament since 1988, a crime considering how deep their talent pool is. They have not even reached a final since 2002. That’s the year Castello Lukeba was born, he is the only player in the squad that has been capped at senior level. Given his left-footedness, we might not see as much as Zézé as I was hoping. Lucien Agoumé (2002) is the one to keep an eye on in midfield. Of all U23 players to attempt 25+ Take-Ons across Europe’s Big Five Leagues in 2024/25, Agoumé had the highest success rate with 73.3% (22/30). Up top, SCOUTED stocks are invested in big Thierno Barry (2003). But the biggest news is that AS Monaco have banned Saïmon Bouabré from taking part due to his refusal to sign a new contract. It’s a disgrace.
🇵🇱 Poland
Poland are making their first appearance since 2019 and have never made it further than the quarter-final stage. I would pay close attention to 2003-born forward Szymon Włodarczyk. He spent the 2024/25 season on loan at US Salernitana 1919 from Sturm Graz. You should know the rule by now.
🇬🇪 Georgia
Georgia made their first-ever U-21 EURO appearance in 2023 after qualifying as co-hosts, but they progressed to the quarter-final stage after topping a group that included Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands. Soon-to-be Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made the squad and they technically did not lose a game, getting knocked out by Israel on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the quarter-final. Clubs will be desperate to unearth the next Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Gabriel Sigua (2005) could be the latest star developed by the Dinamo Tbilisi academy. Sigua was part of the U-21 squad in 2023 and, despite not making an appearance, was included in the senior squad for EURO 2024. Turning 20 at the end of June, Sigua is billed at 1.91m and made 16 appearances for FC Basel during the 2024/25 Swiss Super League season.
GROUP D
🇫🇮 Finland
Play-off winners Finland are making their second tournament appearance since their debut in 2009. Chelsea goalkeeper Lucas Bergström (2002) is one of 11 players in the squad that have been capped at senior level. That includes two of the three 2005-born players: Juho Talvitie, a left-footed winger that plays for Heracles Almelo in the Eredivisie, and Tomas Galvez, a left-back that spent the 2024/25 season at Eerste Divisie club Cambuur, on loan from Manchester City. The other 2005er is Dario Naamo, a right-back for Austrian second division side SKN St. Pölte.
🇳🇱 Netherlands
The Netherlands have failed to reach the final since winning back-to-back tournaments in 2006 and 2007 - you may have fallen in love with Royston Drenthe in the latter, Real Madrid certainly did. I’ll be focussing on the defence from this year’s cohort. I would like to see a back four of Devyne Rensch (2003), Ryan Flamingo (2002), Wout Goes (2004, called up to replace the injured Youri Baas) and Jorrel Hato (2006) ahead of 2004-born AZ goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro. That being said, the ball-carrying of Ezechiel Banzuzi (2005) will turn heads, he features in an upcoming SkillCorner article. 2004er Ruben van Bommel, son of Mark, is also in the squad.
🇺🇦 Ukraine
Ukraine finished runners-up when making their tournament debut in 2006 and reached the semi-finals in 2023. Beyond Llew’s shortlisting of Volodymyr Brazhko, 2005-born centre-back Taras Mykhavko is the standout name. He played 26 times in the Premier Liga for Dynamo Kyiv in 2024/25, also making seven appearances in the UEFA Europa League and featuring in the European Night Watchlists I published earlier in the season.
🇩🇰 Denmark
Denmark return after making the quarter-finals in 2021 and have a super-exciting set of forwards. Newcastle United’s William Osula (2003), Sturm Graz’s William Böving (2003), Brondy’s Mathias Kvistgaarden (2002) and Conrad Harder (2005) from Spoting CP all feature. But it’s also worth keeping an eye on Ajax’s Anton Gaaei (2002) in defence as well as Nartey in midfield, in case you missed him in the Heatwatch section.
That’s all, folks. See you next Friday.
For everything on the next generation, stay tuned to SCOUTED.
