Among U-21 CMs & DMs in 13 leagues, no one handles a bigger share of his team's passing distance, and he completes 87.5% of his non-back passes. The pizza shows he wins the ball through interceptions more than duels. His best-fitting role is Holding Midfielder.

🇨🇮 Abdoulaye Doumbia (Häcken, 18) A #6 who mostly plays on the left of a double pivot. He has a high work rate and reads passes, stretching to cut them out. He also handles 14.2% of Häcken's passing distance and has passed far more, especially since summer. The model: Caicedo

Player cards: Nouck, Hegland, Yokoyama and Amoako.

Player cards: Kamara, Baidoo, Johannesen and Madjed.

📊 U-21 AM & WG prospects in the Frontier Leagues - 25/26 (calendar-year leagues: 2026; Nordic & South American seasons in progress) - AMs & WGs with 900+ mins. Scored against all ages from 22/23 to 25/26 (n = 2,217); the tables show the top 25 of this season's 109 U-21s These rankings score players on four role profiles. Roadrunner weighs carrying most, Inside Forward shooting and receiving, Touchline Winger crossing, and Wide Playmaker chance creation. Kerim Alajbegović, who joined Juventus this summer after Leverkusen bought him back, tops the Roadrunner table. Here are a few others the same tables pick out. 🇸🇱 Momoh Kamara (Elfsborg, on loan from Minnesota United 2) Among the U-21s he is 2nd for npxG and 3rd for xA, and he plays a lot of progressive passes. He shoots, creates and moves the ball forward; in shooting & creation he resembles Raphinha at Barcelona. Still a 1,257-min sample. 🇬🇭 Edmund Baidoo (Red Bull Salzburg) His npxG and npxG per shot are both the highest among the U-21s. He takes little part in the build-up and gets his shots in the box. His shooting, receiving & carrying resemble Luis Díaz. 🇩🇰 Sofus Johannesen (Fredericia, on loan from Midtjylland) He holds the ball under contact, and no Superliga AM or WG is fouled more. In a side with 44.5% possession he carries the ball and wins it back too. His mix of dribbling, carrying, press resistance & ball-winning is close to Betis's Ezzalzouli. 🇮🇶 Montader Madjed (Hammarby) No Allsvenskan AM or WG dribbles or makes progressive runs more, and 80.6% of his non-back passes arrive: a dribbler who does not give the ball away. His defensive numbers are the lowest among the U-21s. A left-footer on the right flank, he overlaps with Antony at Betis. 🇩🇰 Charly Nouck (Viborg) No U-21 has more touches in the box, and only one makes more progressive runs. He carries the ball into the box himself, and his pass accuracy is near the bottom. In build, shooting, creation & carrying he is close to Milan's Leão. 🇳🇴 Bo Hegland (Djurgården) His xA is the highest among the U-21s, and he has 15 assists in 22 games. He takes the corners, so set pieces are part of it. A #10 who creates by passing rather than carrying; his creation & pass progression resemble Palmer up to 24/25. 🇯🇵 Yumeki Yokoyama (Cerezo Osaka) In 923 mins in the J1 100 Year Vision League, no J1 AM or WG dribbled or made progressive runs more, and only one crossed more. His dribbling, carrying & receiving recall Madueke. 🇬🇭 Prince Amoako (Nordsjælland) He is 2nd among the U-21s for both dribble attempts and touches in the box, across 2,492 mins at 18–19. His success rates are still low. In carrying, receiving & shot volume he is close to Nico Williams.

🇺🇸 Cade Cowell (New York Red Bulls, 22) A winger who creates with right-footed crosses from the right flank. He ranks high for crosses, dribbles, carries & interceptions, and no MLS AM or WG crosses more. Closest in the 25/26 T5: Hoffenheim's Bazoumana Touré.

🇦🇷 Milton Delgado (Boca Juniors, 21) A diminutive MF who rarely loses the ball. Less often the lone #6 this season, he keeps it under pressure and carries more. He seldom passes forward, and has many defensive duels but a low win rate. Close in 25/26: Mateus Fernandes, Mainoo.

🇬🇭 Ronald Donkor (New York Red Bulls, 21) First senior Ghana call-up this international break. A #8 who carries and gets into the box. A second-team AM/WG in 2023. He makes few passes, but a high share are progressive. Playing high up the pitch, he loses the ball often.

By data. It's a similarity score on league-adjusted style stats, so it compares what a player does, not his level. I named Casemiro because his similarity is high in all four of his Man United seasons, but "Closest" was a slip in my English.

🇺🇸 Adri Mehmeti (New York Red Bulls, 17) He made his USMNT debut this international break. A DM who wins the ball & his duels. He passes forward often and his progressive passes arrive. The risk costs him accuracy, and he loses it when challenged. Closest: Man United's Casemiro.