Young and Rising: U23 Transfers You Shouldn’t Miss - Part 1

Greetings friends!

In the sweltering heat of summer, we're again at that time of year when everyone’s attention is on just three words: Here we go! Most of Europe's top 5 leagues close their transfer windows in early September, while the Turkish Super League remains open until September. Like we have seen before, Turkey has become an attractive market for players who are left with uncertainty after the European deadline. As we begin July, there have been a couple of confirmed major deals, but we’re still not quite in that intense phase where the market moves like a game of chess, with every move followed by a planned reaction. Still, some early names are already standing out.

Florian Wirtz has broken the British transfer record with a move worth up to £116.5m (€137.5m) including add-ons. The German star now holds the title of the most expensive transfer in UK football history. Matheus Cunha from Wolves to Manchester United, followed by a £62.5m transfer, became one of the earliest signings of Ruben Amorim. Real Madrid, in a new era under Xabi Alonso, continued their rebuilding phase by signing one of the most in-demand players of the season, Dean Huijsen, for £50m (€59m).

Manchester City also had an active season following their disappointing season. They signed Tijjani Reijnders from Milan for £46.6m, brought in Algerian left-back Rayan Aït-Nouri for £31m and paid £30.5m for Rayan Cherki to relegated O.Lyon. Chelsea added Liam Delap from Ipswich for £30m. Brighton continued their smart signings with Greek talent Charalampos Kostoulas for £29.8m. Liverpool paid £29.5m for Jeremie Frimpong to strengthen the right side and fill the gap left by Trent Alexander-Arnold. With almost two months left, this is just the beginning, and the next few weeks promise to be even more intense, as economic factors and clubs' strategies drive market madness.

Figure 1: All-Time English Premier League Transfer Records

Figure 2: Top 10 European spender clubs as of 1 July 2025

In this piece, we take a closer look at the standout summer moves so far, focusing on players under 23 who are expected to make an impact soon, especially where there’s a clear story behind the transfer, like a direct replacement or a strategic long-term move. If there’s a move you think we’ve missed or one you'd like to see featured in Part 2, please drop us a message and we’ll make room for it. So, without further ado, let’s dive in.

Martin Baturina (22) Dinamo Zagreb to Como 💰 18 mil. €

After years of “maybe this year, maybe the next,” Martin Baturina finally lands somewhere that feels right, a league that suits his tempo, and a club built to maximise his potential. Add Cesc Fabregas into the mix, and you get a deal that makes perfect sense to anyone who's been tracking him for a long time. With names like Nico Paz, Assane Diao, Patrick Cutrone, Maximo Perrone, and Lucas Da Cunha already a part of the crew, Baturina’s arrival adds another dimension to this energetic team. Como 1907 isn’t just a club about fashion, hospitality or lakeside vibes anymore; there’s serious on-pitch potential building here.

In the graphic below, we try to show why Baturina is a to-the-point move for Como. Compared to Big 5 league Midfielders, Baturina shines with his high creativity statistics in the Croatian League. He accumulated 3.5 Key Passes, 0.42 Assists and 71.88 Touches per 90 minutes whilst having a very high (85%) pass accuracy. With these values, he surpasses many top-class midfielders in the Big 5 Leagues.

Figure 3: Martin Baturina Creativity Stats — Big 5 Leagues + Baturina in HNL (2024-25 Season)

Christian Ordonez (20) Velez Sarsfield to Parma 💰8.50 mil. €

Ordonez is a quick-footed and skilled Argentinian who thrives in tight spaces, always seeking his next move. He has natural ball-winning instincts, presses well, and is strong in 1v1s and build-up play, making him a great fit to lead Parma’s quick transitions. He also has a good shot and can create chances around the box. Bologna showed strong interest in him last year, even asking Santiago Castro (his former teammate) to persuade him. However, Parma quietly won the race, making him the club’s fourth Argentinian player.

As I’m writing this, Parma have just announced Carlos Cuesta as their new head coach. At 29, the Spanish manager became the youngest manager in Europe’s top five leagues this season. He was part of Mikel Arteta’s coaching staff at Arsenal, where he built a reputation for his work with young players. He prioritises tactical development, and his move to Parma is worth watching closely. Why does this matter? For young players, the staff they work with, those who monitor their progress and help them improve, are just as crucial to their development.

In short, that’s great news for young signings like Ordonez. Cuesta knows how to get the best out of young talent, and having that kind of coach can be a game-changer for player development. We already keep a close eye on Serie A, but Parma just became a team we’ll be watching a lot more closely.

Charalampos Kostoulas (18) Olympiakos to Brighton 💰35 mil. €

Charalampos Kostoulas is one of Greece’s most exciting talents, known for his physical presence, off-ball intelligence and clinical finishing. He became Olympiacos’ youngest-ever debutant at just 15 and played a key role in their 2024 UEFA Youth League triumph, scoring five goals during the tournament. Brighton’s €35m transfer makes him the most expensive Greek player in history, and the club’s second-biggest signing, just behind Georginio Rutter.

Kostoulas is a versatile forward who can give Fabian Hurzeler real tactical flexibility. While he’s naturally a striker, he’s equally effective as a second forward or out wide on either flank. He remains calm under pressure, takes responsibility in big moments, and isn’t afraid to lead despite his young age. He’ll probably need time to adapt to the Premier League environment, but his background and personality suggest he’ll settle in quickly. As a whole, he’s a high-potential investment for Brighton, and he can add more options to Brighton’s offensive strategy, giving Fabian Hurzeler more ways to shape the game.

Figure 4: Chralampos Kostoulas Touch Heatmap 2024-25 season

Yasin Özcan (19) Kasımpaşa to A. Villa 💰7.00 mil. €

Aston Villa signed Yasin Özcan from Kasımpaşa in February 2025 for €7M plus €1M in add-ons. Right after the deal, they decided to allow him to stay on loan at Istanbul for six more months. His aggressive style, ball-winning abilities, and long passing range have made him a stand-out left-footed centre-back. Although his main position is centre-back, he’s also been used as a left-back at times, a versatility that fits well with Villa’s modern defensive setup.

That said, there are short-term concerns about his physical strength and how well he can handle the Premier League’s pace and physicality. Still, he’s considered one of the most promising players of his generation in Europe, and if there’s one manager who can maximise his potential and push his development to the next level, it’s probably Unai Emery.

Armin Pecsi (21) Puskas AFC to Liverpool 💰1.78 mil. €

A long-term investment from Liverpool, 21-year-old goalkeeper Armin Pecsi is one of the promising talents of the age group. Armin is a Hungarian Under-21 international and was shortlisted for the 2025 Golden Boy award. He’s not quite at the level to compete with the likes of Alisson Becker or Giorgi Mamardashvili yet, but with plenty of game time under 21, he’s likely to develop into a solid back-up option in the future.

Last season, Pecsi played 30 matches in the Hungarian league, delivering a 72% save percentage with 91 saves, including 2 penalty saves out of 4 attempts. He might look very young, but this feels like another well-planned long-term move from Liverpool. Goalkeeper development is a slower, more complex process compared to outfield players; it takes time, patience, and the right environment. But if everything clicks, Pecsi has the potential to make it worthwhile.

Figure 5: Armin Pecsi Goalkeeping statistics - Big 5 Leagus + NBI (2024-25 season)

Fer Lopez (21) Celta Vigo to Wolverhampton 💰23 mil. €

Continuing Wolverhampton’s ongoing transfer saga involving Jorge Mendes (Gestifute), this time with Fer Lopez. Mendes’ influence at Wolves is well known; notably, the club’s manager, Vitor Pereira, is also one of Mendes’ clients. It’s just another reminder of how heavily involved the Portuguese network still is in Wolves’’ football operations. Okay, that’s not our part. Who is Fer Lopez, and what makes him so special?

Born in 2004, Lopez is a left-footed Spanish talent who loves to cut in from the opposite flank and break down opponents with key passes or shots. Last season, he played 17 games for Celta B before making 20 first-team appearances, scoring 8 goals across all competitions. Celta’s promising coach Claudio Giraldez quickly recognized his potential during a campaign that saw the club finish seventh in La Liga. Then came a rapid rise. Lopez’s progress is really impressive considering he made his debut in La Liga in December 2024.

In Vitor Pereira’s system, he could be the joker in the offensive line, the kind of player you place into different positions when the game needs some energy. Yes, it might take him a bit of time to adapt to the Premier League’s intensity and physical battles, but I wouldn’t expect that to be a long-term issue. Wolves spent part of the €100M they brought in from the sale of Matheus Cunha and Rayan Aït-Nouri to get him, €23M up front plus €2M in add-ons. Whether this turns out to be smart business or not, that’s a question for later in the season.

Ibrahim Maza (19) Hertha Berlin to B.Leverkusen 💰12.00 mil. €

Remember the name: Ibrahim “Ibo” Maza. We’re often not a fan of giving titles to young players too early. Player development isn't an easy road, and it doesn't always follow the same path. But with Maza, it feels more like Leverkusen have a long-term gem on their hands, he is a creative talent who could grow into a key name in their midfield in the coming years.

Born in Berlin to a Vietnamese mother and Algerian father, Maza joined Hertha Berlin’s academy in 2016. After working his way through youth teams and making his professional debut in 2023, he secured a role for himself in the senior squad. In the 2023-24 season, he missed most of the season because of injury. Last season, he appeared in 2,657 minutes across 33 games in Bundesliga 2, contributing 5 goals and 3 assists. Not eye-catching numbers at first glance, but there’s more to his game than stats. Typically playing as a connector midfielder in a 4-2-3-1, Maza is elegant on the ball, good at dribbling and creating chances for his teammates. His heatmap shows a clear tendency to drift into the left half-space, and that flexibility could give him an advantage, both centrally and wide when needed. Maza is a name you’ll likely hear more of in the Bundesliga next season. Still raw, still growing, but there’s something special brewing here, and we’re keeping a close eye on it.

When we dug into the historical data, we uncovered an interesting pattern: Maza’s current numbers at Hertha BSC closely resemble Florian Wirtz’s stats from the 2020–21 season. Of course, they’re not identical, but the similarities are striking. At 18, Maza looks like a more defensively versatile, winger-like version of the 17-year-old Wirtz. Who knows? Maybe this transfer is not just about signing a promising young talent, but finding a true doppelgänger.

Figure 6: Comparative Bundesliga Performance — Ibrahim Maza vs. 17-Year-Old Florian Wirtz

Diego Coppola (22) Verona to Brighton 💰 11.00 mil. €

Diego Coppola, born in 2003, was promoted from Verona's youth system to the first team in 2021. Fearless and athletic, standing at 1.92m, he’s a real warrior in the air who never backs down from a challenge. He brought that energy in every one of his 34 Serie A games last season. Coppola has a high level of positional awareness and a great ability to read the game, especially when it comes to timely interceptions. If he can refine his on-ball movement and sharpen decision-making in possession, this gives us every reason to believe he could evolve into a complete modern defender. And with a coach like Fabian Hürzeler potentially guiding his next steps, that evolution may come sooner rather than later.

Adrien Truffert (23) Rennes to Bournemouth 💰13.50 mil. €

Bournemouth lost Milos Kerkez, and the big question was: how do you fill those boots? They acted quickly and found their man in France’s Ligue 1. Adrien Truffert isn’t as athletic as Kerkez, but offers a different, more technical profile. He's versatile and a real threat from set-pieces and crosses from wide areas. His role in build-up play is clear, ranking in the 88th percentile for progressive passes received in Ligue 1 in the 2024-25 season. His ability to cut into half-spaces and provide a dangerous final ball fits quite well with Andoni Iraola’s high-pressing, quick transition system. We’re curious to see how he’ll adapt, but it’s clear he’s set to bring real flair and fresh energy to Bournemouth’s left flank.

Figure 7: Adrien Truffert profile radar 2024-25 season

Antonio Cordero (18) Malaga to Newcastle United 💰 Free Transfer

Newcastle United have signed 18-year-old winger Antonio José Cordero, known as “Antonito” on a free transfer from Malaga. The Cadiz-born talent is quick, skilful, and primarily plays as an inverted winger on the left, though he can also play on the right or as a second striker. Last season, he scored 6 goals and provided 6 assists in 39 La Liga 2 matches. He stood out with his tight ball control and confidence in 1v1s. He's especially dangerous when cutting inside and crossing with his right, but he can create with both feet. In Malaga's 4-2-3-1 formation, he is mostly used in the right winger position, exploiting spaces between the lines.

He likely won’t be brought straight into Eddie Howe’s first-team squad; a loan move seems probable, most likely to a top-five European league for a smoother transition. Cordero’s technical capacity is obvious as he reminded everyone at the ongoing U19 Euros, where he scored and assisted in Spain’s 3-1 group-stage win over hosts Romania. We’ll be keeping a close eye on his progress; he might return to the Premier League as a more well-rounded player.

This is just the first of our deep-dive U23 analyses, call it Part 1. We’ve got at least 4 or 5 more coming to your inbox soon.

Thanks for reading and catch you soon!

📸 Cover photo via Como 1907 official website.