Scouting for under-the-radar under-23 strikers

After profiling eight strikers set to be in high-demand this summer, it’s time to discover alternatives. After all, even if you can afford to sign Alexander Isak, only one club can get him.

From Isak to Ekitiké: profiling in-demand strikers

Find the perfect centre-forward with Attributes and Archetypes

SCOUTEDJake Entwistle

In this article, I will provide a selection of centre-forwards born in the year 2001 or later that match the profile of the strikers we analysed in part one. For those that missed it, they are:

In this article, I will provide a selection of centre-forwards born in the year 2001 or later that match the profile of the strikers we analysed in part one. For those that missed it, they are:

• Alexander Isak
• Viktor Gyökeres
• Liam Delap
• Benjamin Šeško
• Victor Osimhen
• Ollie Watkins
• Jonathan David

I will be using the Gemini Sports’ app to help me do so. Not only can I search for specific SCOUTED Archetypes, I can set parameters based on age, market value, contract length as well as sort by Attributes in just a click. For example, every striker suggested in this article has a Transfer Value below €20m.

I also utilised Gemini’s Similarity Score, which considers three big pieces of evidence used to build a player’s data fingerprint:

1. Where on the pitch they do their work: do the players light up the same areas as the target player when looking at a heat map for passes, carries, shots and pressures?
2. How they like to play: what is each player’s superpower and do they have similar stylistic traits to the target player - are they dribble-heavy or aerial monsters?
3. Overall level right now: this tracks a player’s form to decide whether they are performing like a star or a squad piece to ensure any replacements can match the level of your target player.

All three areas are then measured against the target player before being averaged out to a 0-100 Score. Let’s create our shortlist.

First, let’s deal with the most wanted striker: Alexander Isak. As highlighted in the first article, Isak is a complete forward: a multi-dimensional profile with the instincts of a number nine and the soul of a mercurial winger. That’s why Hugo Ekitiké is the number one Isak alternative, regardless of age. However, his form was so rich following the departure of Omar Marmoush that a nine-figure asking price has been slapped on the Frenchman himself.

If I was writing this article a year earlier, Victor Boniface would fit the age criteria. But even though suggesting him would break my own rules, let’s just say that if Newcastle are forced to sell Isak and miss out on Ekitiké, a bid for 2000-born Boniface is a must.

In order to discover a SCOUTED-approved pick, I used the Gemini app to search for an under-23 player with a 50+ Attribute Score for Carrying, Dribbling, Passing and Shooting with a maximum market value of €20 million. Incredibly, this returned one result.

Franculino Djú has the well-rounded profile we are looking for, even scoring above Ekitiké for Passing, Dribbling and Pressing. The 2004-born Midtjylland forward does not share the same slim, sleek and silky build as Isak and Ekitiké, however, clubs looking for a Combo Forward - Isak was the highest-scoring player for this Archetype among our most-wanted list - should consider the Guinea-Bissau international.

He also provides competent cover as a wide forward, inverting onto his favoured left foot from the right. In fact, I would not be surprised to see him emerge as a Bryan Mbeumo replacement. Which is why I want to do a bit more digging...

To broaden the pool, I reduced the thresholds from the initial search to 40+ for Carrying, Dribbling and Passing and lowered Shooting to 45+ - after all, Shot Location was the Attribute superpower for both Isak and Ekitiké so I want to lean into it. This new search returned the following list of under-€20m under-23 centre-forwards.

The list is sorted by Gemini Player Rating (GPR), a league -adjusted 0-100 metric that evaluates how above-average a player is when compared to others in the same position. In addition to Franculino, we now have: Mathias Kvistgaarden, a 2002-born Danish poacher that exploded for boyhood club Brøndby in 2024/25; Franjo Ivanović, a 2002-born Croatia international that I will discuss later; Eli Junior Kroupi, the 2006-born soon-to-be Bournemouth sharpshooter and Eliezer Mayenda, Sunderland’s 2005-born forward that is rapidly developing as proper number nine.

I have highlighted Mayenda because he has the smallest standard deviation between Shot Location, Shot Placement, Passing, Carrying, Dribbling and Pressing Attributes. This suggests he could have the potential to become a Complete Forward in the same vein as Isak and Ekitiké. At just 19 years old, he has plenty of time to scale those 40+ and 50+ Scores into the 60s and beyond.

I believe he can do it. There is a reason why I dubbed him the most fascinating player in the Championship. And he provided a glimpse of his exciting potential as a striker in the play-off final.

Next, we turn our attention to the Poster Boy of the Power Forwards: Viktor Gyökeres. Despite scoring 53 goals in 51 games across all competitions, the Swede is a conflicting figure. But even if you believe his superpowers will not scale to an elite Premier League team, there is no denying what they are: ball-striking and ball-carrying. These translate to Shot Placement and Carrying Attributes. In case you missed it from the first article, Gyökeres has the highest Carrying Attribute Score of any player on the Gemini database. So, when searching for a under-23 alternative, I led with this metric.

This time, I searched for an under-23 player that scored at least 65 for Carrying with a maximum cost of €35 million. I sorted these results by the Carrying metric and look who’s at the top?

As discussed in the first article, Delap has emerged as everyone’s favourite Power Forward protégé due to a combination of thunderous ball-striking and bulldozer-like dribbling. He and Gyökeres were the only strikers on the most wanted list that had Carrying as their Attribute superpower. So, if Delap is the clear alternative, let’s use Gemini’s Similar Player search to discover an under-23 Delap-adjacent alternative. The result was fascinating.

The most similar player was 2003-born Richard Kone. Scouting Editor Llew Davies covered Kone’s incredible story in SCOUT NOTES following his goal against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup earlier this season. The 21-year-old finished the 2024/25 campaign with 21 goals in 50 games across all competitions as Wycombe Wanderers reached the League One play-offs. The Chairboys were beaten by Charlton Athletic but Kone’s performance in the second leg at the Valley prompted the below analysis from Llew:

Does that remind you of anyone? Yes, Delap is a nepo baby and was developed at the prodigious Derby County and Manchester City academies but football fans love watching him because he plays like he wasn’t. Just like Kone. Ipswich Town could do much, much worse than bring Kone up yet another step of the footballing ladder to reprise the Delap role in the Championship next season.

Delap may be our Gyökeres alternative but Benjamin Šeško appears to be Arsenal’s. In the first article, we covered the possibility that new Sporting Director’s switch to Gyökeres could represent the desire to add a contrasting profile to his existing option, Kai Havertz, while Arteta’s interest in Šeško was rooted in his athleticism and ability to reprise a similar role to the German.

Not only did Šeško have the best Physical Attribute Score from our most-wanted list, he also ranked first for the Aerial Attribute. In terms of his superpowers, Shot Placement and Pressing scored as his primary and secondary Attributes. Francesco Pio Esposito immediately came to mind, specifically for his ball-striking and height, so let’s see how he compares.

The 2005-born 1.9m centre-forward spent the 2024/25 on loan from Inter at Spezia and finished with 17 Serie B goals, one behind top-scorer Armand Laurienté. Through the Gemini lens, he scores 50+ for both Shot Location and Shot Placement and 50+ for Pressing. But, his clear superpower is his Aerial ability, scoring an incredible 72.0. When comparing all Attribute and Archetype Scores between Esposito and Šeško, it’s clear that the Italian is a much more specialised Target Forward - he scored 61.3 for this Archetype. I also requested the Physical Attribute Score for context and there was a stark difference.

Pio was the lowest-scoring under-23 alternative. Emanuel Emegha, who we will discuss later, was the closest to Šeško’s 75.8 Score. So, for clubs looking to use Šeško’s basketball-like build as a static, sharp-shooting focal point for their attack, the youngest of the Esposito brothers could work. However, for clubs searching for an all-conquering application of the Slovenian’s physical gifts, the only other under-23 players on the Gemini database that scored 50+ for Shot Placement, Dribbling, Pressing and Aerial Attributes were João Pedro and that man Richard Kone - the Brazilian’s Physical Attribute Score is 60.1 compared to Koné’s 69.8.

Forget Ipswich, Premier League clubs should be competing for Kone’s signature this summer.

If Šeško’s appeal is the malleability of his skillset, the opposite applies to Victor Osimhen. Any club looking to sign the Nigerian is seeking a bonafide goal-getter. Osimhen scores 70+ for both Shot Location and Shot Placement. Translation: get this guy in the box and kick the ball to him. Unsurprisingly, no under-23 players scored 70+ for both Shot-based Attributes.

I ran the Osimhen Test numerous times during the 2024/25 season in an attempt to discover the ultimate goal-hangers and Thierno Barry emerged as the standout under-23 alternative. The 2002-born 1.95m striker scored 11 goals in his first season at Villarreal, helping the club secure UEFA Champions League football next season. Based on his Archetype Scores, he can dual role as a Target Forward or Goal Hanger, matching the primary and secondary Archetypes of Osimhen.

Samu Aghehowa is perhaps the box-dominant prospect that people would have expected to see. He bagged 25 goals across all competitions this season but his Transfer Value has already reached €50 million. Nevertheless, he’s a good option to include to provide context for Barry’s level.

Another name I want to mention is so under the radar that his data is yet to populate the Gemini app. Mohamed Kader Meïté, the 2007-born Rennes academy graduate, is the next generation Goal Hanger you need to be aware of.

When preparing this shortlist, Emanuel Emegha emerged as an ideal Ollie Watkins alternative. Both players run in behind relentlessly, both players shoot from fantastic locations - Shot Location is the primary Attribute both players and both score above 80 - and both players can carry the ball to a decent level if not quite able to dribble.

However, Fabrizio Romano has since announced that Chelsea plan to sign Emegha from their BlueCo sister club ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, giving the Dutchman another year to develop at RC Strasbourg. So, I used the Gemini app to find a similar player. Damion Downs was the highest-scoring pick.

Of course, there is a drop-off in current ability. Ollie Watkins just finished as the top scorer for the 5th-placed Premier League side, Emegha has just finished as the top scorer for the 7th-placed Ligue 1 side, while Downs has just finished as the joint-top scorer for 2. Bundesliga champions, 1. FC Köln.

Nevertheless, Downs is a super-willing runner in behind, he shares Shot Location as his primary Attribute and has a similar build to Emegha, suggesting he can scale this superpower beyond the 50.9 current Score. The 2004-born striker has represented both Germany and the United Stats at youth international level, I believe he is a prospect worth investing in.

Despite my best efforts to suggest Jonathan David is the perfect market opportunity for Liverpool to cement their Premier League champion status, it appears Napoli are favourites to sign the Canadian.

David’s superpower is his Pressing: he is the highest-scoring player for this Attribute on the Gemini database. So, I sorted by my columns and quickly stumbled across a name that I have been tracking this season: Santiago Castro.

The 2004-born Bologna forward scores an impressive 75.6 for Pressing; the only centre-forward in the original most-wanted list that can beat that is David himself. There are of course some concerns about the disparity between the Shot Location and Shot Placement Scores, but not many under-23 players can match Castro’s Pressing, let alone get anywhere near David.

The other alternative I have included is a personal favourite I alluded to earlier. Like David, Franjo Ivanović scores highest as a Power Forward due to his strong Shot Placement and Carrying Scores, but his well-rounded skillset allows him to flourish in a variety of roles.

The Croatian scored 16 goals and provided five assists for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, playing a major role in ending their 90-year wait for a top-flight league title, dovetailing with either the gigantic Promise David or the electric Mohammed Fuseini in USG’s attack throughout the season. Ivanović’s ability to operate across the entire frontline or even drop just behind it combined with his two-footed shooting and ball-carrying is extremely David-coded.

Understanding why clubs want to sign the elite strikers using Attributes and Archetypes has enabled us to build a shortlist of centre-forward prospects in the same mould using the information provided in the Gemini app.

And you can repeat this process for every position on the pitch. If you have the ability to ingest tracking data alongside the sample event data from Hudl Statsbomb that was provided for this series, you can leverage even more robust Attribute Scores to enable the most efficient and focussed player discovery possible and develop a universal evaluation system for those eye-test picks.

Now, let’s sit back and wait for the first striker domino to fall.