The Future 1st XI!


With an essay on “Renewable Energy in Cars” due for Monday, I thought now would be a good time to not do that, but to write a piece on our potential future 1st team at Espanyol. Having worked hard for 175 games over a year and a half on the squad, I have seen our 1st team improve from 87s around the pitch with a few 86s here and there and maybe the odd veteran 88 to a squad stocked with talent with 4 players rated 90, all of which are 30 or younger. However, for me its not all about the starting eleven and I have also tried to build a team with depth in risers and high potential youngsters. That said, this is my current future eleven who are 24-years-old or younger.
GK)
Andriy Lunin. 18. Zorya Luhansk. (£630k)
As a free agent signing, I really had nothing to lose in this deal. Lunin joined Zorya from Dnipro this summer after breaking into the first team in the 16/17 season. I expected him to face tough opposition for a 1st team spot at his new club who are a notably stronger team and also play in the Europa League. He has started off far better than I expected and has been the number 1 keeper in the side having missed only 4 games in all competitions. 11 league games, 3 Europa League starts and a cup match take his total to 15 starts, which at 18 is very promising. His European performances have also been strong with an average rating of 7.26 in a group featuring Athletic Bilbao and Hertha Berlin. He has also been outstanding in the youth cup for Fenerbahce where he is on loan in Top 100 where he has earned 4 man of the match awards in just 8 games. So far Lunin is looking set to have a very bright future and if he continues in his current form he may earn himself another move up. I’m hoping to keep him while he develops and hopefully he can work his way up into our 1st team.

CB)
Milos Veljkovic. 22. Bremen. (£2.7 million)
Since joining from Bremen at the start of season 6, I’ve been waiting for him to continue his rise. Having made 10 appearances for Bremen this season he is getting decent game time, however, the side are struggling and he has missed the last 2 games as the manager is trying to find new solidity in the team. However, following a 3-0 loss to Augsburg he may be given his chance again due to poor performances from his replacements. His average rating of 6.62 isn’t anything special but is not overly poor either. At 22 he still has time to progress further and is at a team which have the potential for him to grow. However, for him to reach his peak ability the team must also improve. I hope Bremen and Veljkovic can both pick up their performances and get back on track.

CB)
Stefan Posch. 20. Hoffenheim. (£270k)
After choosing to sign Florian Baak over Stefan Posch at the start of the season, I went back to pick up the 20-year-old in mid October. Joining for £599k, Posch is one I’m very excited about. He started the season in the Hoffenheim second team but following injuries he was promoted to the senior team. He has started 3 league games as well as two Europa League matches where he has averaged a rating of 6.83. At 20 years old he has made a good start and taken his opportunities well. I hope he can continue to play in and around the first team and if he can keep up his play he will develop quickly. I believe he has the potential to grow into a solid first team player in real life and in the game.

CB)
Nathan Ake. 22. Bournemouth. (£10.8 million)
As an already well developed and well known defender in the premier league, Ake is one the closest to being in our first team right now. He hasn’t yet joined us from Boca Juniors but will when his ban is up and will hopefully get a rise soon after. Despite Bournemouth currently sitting 19th in the league, Ake is still one clubs will be following. With an average of 6.81 in 10 games he is showing he still has a lot to give. At 22 his development is far from done and he was even able to pick up game time at Chelsea before he moved. I hope that the team turn their season around to climb to safety, but expect that if they are relegated he will secure a move to another premiere league side. I believe he could be in our first team as early as the next reviews but his teams position may limit his rise. Either way he will be a key player in the long term success of Espanyol.

RWB)
Nacho Vidal. 22. Valencia. (£270k)
With a number of other teams interested, I was lucky to sign Vidal for just £3.9 million. Having moved from Valencia B to the first team in the summer, it looked unlikely that he would make much of an impact, however, he featured in the first two games of the season and has played in three other matches for the team who sit 2nd in LaLiga. He offers the team an alternative option to Martin Montoya and has an average rating of 7.18 in his starts. At just 22 he still has a lot of time to progress and develop, and from early signs it looks as though he has a lot of potential and is already at a team who can help him build as a player. I’d like to see him pick up a bit more game time but considering he has only recently been promoted to the squad he is doing well. If he can remain grounded and avoid injury he will have a bright future.

LWB)
Ruben Aguilar. 24. Montpellier. (£810k)
Another free agent signing was Aguilar who cost just £1.2 million due to no other teams being interested. When I saw he was a free agent I was quite surprised, he has featured in 9 games this season for Montpellier and has filled three positions since joining from Auxerre in the summer. Despite the fact that he can’t play LB in game, I have him here as it’s the positon he has taken up more commonly with 4 of his games coming in this area. He has also featured at right back, right midfield and left midfield making him a versatile squad member. He has averaged a rating of 7.02 in his matches and an average of 7.69 while playing at left back. I expect Aguilar will continue to play in a versatile role, filling in where he is needed. He is at a decent side who can help his development but to really peak a move away may be needed at sometime in his career. His good start and consistent performances across a range of positions mean he is looking like a useful acquisition.

CDM)
Boubacar Kamara. 17. Marseille. (£540k)
One of the players that I’m most excited about in my squad is this young midfielder. At 17 he has already represented Marseille in senior games with 1 appearance in the league along with 3 full Europa league games in which he has averaged a rating of 7.3. He is also currently in the France U-19 squad having represented his nation at U-17 and U-18 levels also. Kamara will have to keep in good form if he wants to retain his spot with other exciting midfielders in the side such as Sanson, Lopez, and Zambo Anguissa all competing for positions also. However, at just 17 I am sure this players future is bright. Having broken into the 1st team of one of Europe’s top teams and playing two years up for the national side he is already showing his worth. A good rise is surely heading his way and hopefully he can continue to develop over the next few seasons and I’m sure he will be pushing for a 1st team spot at Espanyol.

CM)
Abdoulaye Doucoure. 24. Watford. (£5.4 million)
Back with us for his second spell at the club, Doucoure has always been one I wanted to bring back and luckily we picked him up just before the start of the 17/18 season where he is beginning to show his talent. He played 23 games last season for Watford but struggled to help the team who looked likely to dance with relegation. This season, however, the team and Doucoure look different. With 10 games gone Watford are 6th and Doucoure has been one of their standout performers with an average rating of 7.14 and 4 goals from his midfield role. I believe he will be able to maintain his good form and could be pushing for a 1st team spot for us very soon. His ability to play in an attacking or defensive role and physical presence makes him very useful in the midfield which could attract attention from bigger teams. I believe he has the potential to help Watford move to the next level or to help a slightly more successful side out if he gets a move.


CM)
Exequiel Palacios.19. River Plate. (£1.35 million)
Despite still being listed as a River Plate II player, Palacios has already represented the first team in 4 games. In these he has played in the centre of midfield as well as on the wing. His small build makes him nippy and agile which helps him more when he’s on the wing but given time to adjust I believe he will be able to adapt it to a more central role. With a lot of time for him to develop I expect he could make an outstanding player, especially considering he is currently at a club which has shown it can produce top level players. I’m hoping he can claim a more solid 1st team spot and possibly earn himself a move to Europe where he can continue to progress. 
AM)
Sofiane Boufal. 24. Southampton. (£13.5 million)
A risky selection here comes in the form of someone who has already picked up a handful of games for our 1st team, but is struggling in real life. Boufal showed his class in his 15/16 season with Lille where he earned himself comparisons to Eden Hazard, who had played for Lille a few seasons earlier. The Moroccan scored 11 and assisted 4 in the league which earned him a move to Southampton where he has struggled to replicate the form. He made 29 first team appearances in his first season scoring just twice and assisting one. This season he has struggled for a starting spot and has made 4 of his 6 appearances off the bench. He did show what he can do when he scored a great solo goal against West Brom after coming off the bench, however, his celebration left many questioning his attitude after he seemed to taunt his own manager. It’s easy to see the talent that Boufal has but to develop further he must sort out his attitude and adapt to the premiere league. In my opinion it doesn’t look like it’s working out well at Southampton and a move away may be the correct option for him. More game time and a manager with whom he has a better relationship would be good for him as at the moment he seems to have stalled. I hope he can get back on track as he has a lot of potential and could be amazing if he sorts himself out.
CF)
Ezequiel Barco. 18. Independiente. (£5.85 million)
This is the player I see as my number one youth prospect. At 18 he is already a clear first team option and has had some big links to European clubs. In his 7 games this season he has scored once and assisted two more from roles ranging from left wing to central midfield. He has averaged a rating of 7.14 and is the highest valued player at Independiente. He has also represented Argentina at U-20 level and looks likely to push on to the next stage of his career. AC Milan were close to signing him this summer but Independiente wanted around £20 million for the teenager. Although he isn’t a striker I have him in this position due to the lack of any real top forward option. I expect Barco will get a fairly good rise when his league is reviewed but I believe he has the potential to become one of the best players in the world if he remains injury free and works hard. He is one of the only players I have who is completely unavailable for a move.
Total Current Value – £42.12 million
Average Current Value – £3.83 million

What I like about this squad is the range of players I have put my faith in. They range from those who have just been promoted from a clubs youth team to those who have a few years of experience. Despite this it is some of the younger players who I expect to see the most from, while some who are slightly more developed already may potentially peak sooner than I expected. There are a few players I left out of this team such as Lees-Melou, Kobel, Muhl and Success who could all have been included but due to performance, injury or personal opinion they have been left out. It’ll also be interesting to come and look at this post in a few seasons to see how the players are doing and whether they are still at this club. 
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