The World Is Yours (Pt. 1)
The 2026/27 season is on its way. There’s no shortage of players who are ready to take that step up and have their names ringing around European football circles for the foreseeable. Here are some I think can do just that.
Christ Inao Oulai - Fiorentina
Age - 20
Position - CM
Nation - Ivory Coast
Reminiscent of - Marco Veratti
Height - 5ft 8
The development (or regression?) of elite European football has tended to erase away most of the smaller guys who dream of one day playing at the top level, especially central midfielders.
So it’s a thing that Christ Inao Oulai is not European.
To me, he’s a player that’s really hard not to like because he has no regard for what he doesn’t have or can’t do. He rolls his socks up, puffs out his chest and gets on with it.
It’s sort of like how Kante and Verratti would always find themselves the cause of admiration because not only were they competing with guys who completely overpowered them physically- they would make a mockery of them. Without getting too carried away with a player who’s yet to play in Europe’s top 5 leagues – Christ Inao Oulai looks to bear the roots of a similar tree.
Fiorentina fended off strong competition from European clubs to sign Oulai for around 30 million Euros this summer from Trabzonspor. It’s easy to see why so many were after him. And if you watched him against Germany in the World Cup, you’d know too.
Oulai is the youngest of 10 siblings and the way he plays is a reflection of that because he fights for everything – like nothing’s given for free. His personality on the pitch dwarfs his height.
He loves to dribble and attack open space with the ball, with a wonderful change of pace and low centre of gravity. He’s also privy to leaving one in on his opponents and giving the ref a big mouthful after.
His personality on the pitch dwarfs his height. He plays with ferocity and is extremely exciting to watch. In a league as slow and robust as the Serie A, the Ivorian’s energy and directness can take Italy by storm. Fiorentina are going against the grain, signing young and talented players with relatively blank CVs in a country where experience is typically prioritised.
Oulai will be one of the main protagonists in this new chapter for Fiorentina and he’s got everything he needs to make the Serie A his own.
Jaydee Canvot - Crystal Palace
Age - 20
Position - Centre Back
Nation - France
Reminiscent of - Wesley Fofana
Height - 6ft 2
It took Oliver Glasner a while to trust the France u21 international, but as soon as Canvot got his chance... that was that.
The former Toulouse defender started 18 of Crystal Palace’s last 19 games and completed the full 90 in every single one of them.Although Glasner might be gone, Canvot showed himself to be a pivotal member of Palace’s starting eleven going forward.
His calmness on the ball defies his young age. He never looks rushed or in danger. Always seems to be in control of his situation and space. His USP is his ability to bring the ball out from the back, gliding past players as if he’s a winger
His footwork makes him fantastic on both ends of the ball. He’ll be getting linked with the biggest clubs in the world by the end of the season because being that tall, that mobile and that good on the ball merits a profile which is very hard to come by.
Christian Kofane - Bayer Leverkusen
Age - 19
Position - Striker
Nation - Cameroon
Reminiscent of - Victor Osimhen
Height - 6ft 2
There’s something about young strikers coming from obscure leagues to Europe and instantly tearing the place up.
Being battle-hardened in men’s football from a young age instead of playing in academies certainly has it’s perks and Christian Kofane is a prime example of this. Last season he arrived at Leverkusen with only half a season in Europe under his belt. Albacete, in the Spanish second division saw what everyone else didn’t and he rewarded them with 8 goals in 20 games. Leverkusen promptly snapped him up in July.
Arsenal fans will know who he is. They wouldn’t have seen a striker give as hard of a time to Gabriel and Saliba as Kofane did when Arsenal narrowly beat Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League round of 16.
He chases every ball and has the strength of an ox. Really hard to stop once he gets going and always makes himself a presence to receive it. Kofane is a hark back to the centre-forwards of yesterday because you can tell he likes the physical battle and takes pride in holding the ball up and bringing his teammates into play.
He starts his runs early and will constantly make a nuisance of himself. 7 goals last season, expect more this year.
Genesis Antwi - Strasbourg (on loan)
Age - 18
Position - Right Back
Nation - Sweden
Reminiscent of - Alphonso Davies
Height - 6ft 2
Cobham. The home of arguably the best football academy in the world. Every season there’s a number of graduates who prove to have learnt all they can in youth football and beckon a new challenge. Some get that chance, some don’t.
Thankfully Antwi is one of those who have. And it will come at Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg.
Forget academy football, which Antwi has been dominating for over a year now - you won’t find many faster footballers anywhere than the Swedish right back. He’s got that shift of gear, those powerful strides that are almost impossible to keep up with – that physical toolbox you either have or you don’t.
He’s capable of dominating the right-hand side all on his own with blistering carries and tantalising whipped crosses into the box.
Antwi comes alive in the final third but he’s also a more than capable 1v1 defender due to his speed and strength. The teenager has all the physical and technical skills to smash this Strasbourg loan and come back to Stamford Bridge and put his name in the hat for that right-back starting spot/
Too many times I’ve seen him virtually decide games on his own. Blink and you’ll miss him.
Zadok Yohanna - Brighton
Age - 19
Position - Right Winger
Nation - Nigeria
Reminiscent of - Sadio Mane
Probably the most obscure name on this list, but Brighton have already got their Yankuba Minteh replacement despite the fact Minteh is still at the club.
Clips of Yohanna whilst he was at AIK in Sweden (the same academy which bloomed Alexsander Isak) began circulating social media due to the winger’s breathtaking 1v1 ability and strange knack for winning and scoring headers
When he has the ball, you don’t know what he’s going to do and if you’re a full-back, that’s not what you want. He’s slippery and wiry. He’s already made it a habit of attacking the back post for crosses which is rare for someone so young. He can start, stop and the start again in rapid succession and bamboozle whoever’s facing him up
He can go on the outside or embarrass you on the inside. His acceleration and agility is tremendous. But the Premier League is a big step up from Sweden. Against more formidable opponents, Yohanna’s dribbling ability alone might not merit the same flowers because coaches and teams know how to shut it out. He’ll need more in his locker to make a consistent impact.
But more he has. Along with the Nigerian’s great knack of winning headers in the box, he’s a good passer on his left-foot and has shown he can combine with his teammates on the inside.
Perhaps it’s a season too early to expect fireworks given his lack of top-flight experience and the fact Minteh has still got that right wing spot nailed down, but there will certainly be flashes and moments of brilliance with the 19 year old – enough to make it clear that this is a player with a lot to give.
It’s a signing that’s another example of Brighton doing what they do best.