Building our new Archetype ft. Florian Wirtz
...and a wild centre-forward watchlist appears on Monday Night SCOUTED.
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This week’s edition includes:
My favourite position right now…on the football pitch (sorry, what? - ed)
…and consolidating that position into a new SCOUTED Archetype
The most fascinating strikers in UEFA competition
Fermin López joins an exclusive club in SCOUTED Stats
How to define the new-age No.10
You’ve all seen the quotes. Pep Guardiola said football is changing.
“Today the modern football is the way Bournemouth play, the way Newcastle play, like Brighton play. You know, Liverpool have always been like that. Today, modern football is not positional and being there. You have to rise to the unbelievable rhythm.”
In an exclusive interview with Miguel Delaney for The Independent, Andoni Iraola provided insight into what this style looks like: “I sometimes value much more a player carrying the ball and forcing things to happen. I think when you play too positional – one, two touches to find a free man – you sometimes lose the initiative from the players to just take their man on and attack the spaces.”
Iraola also highlights the impact of the increasing physical demands: “Probably, technically and tactically we were as good as the players we see nowadays but there is a physical side we would struggle with.”
We can see this shift through this graphic from Opta Analyst.
Look at Eintracht Frankfurt there and consider what it means for City to have signed the best-performing player from a club that is successfully implementing this ‘modern’ playstyle. Arsenal’s long-standing interest in Benjamin Šeško shows Mikel Arteta’s awareness is aware of this tactical shift, too.
The best thing about the soon-to-be mainstream adoption of organised chaos is not the increased pace of the game, but the re-birth of the Front Two.
Front Twos had already returned via more defined out-of-possession shapes; the most popular variant is a 4-4-2. In possession, however, it splits into a centre-forward and an attacking midfielder.
I have written extensively about the Power Forward and I think this striker profile will dominate the new meta: lots of sprints, lots of shots, lots of really nice kicking of the ball.
But I have started to notice that sitting just behind the very best Power Forwards, to complete these new-fangled Front Twos, a new archetype is emerging. I call it the…well, I’m not sure yet. Let’s work through it.
We caught a glimpse of this relationship forming between Erling Haaland and the aforementioned Egyptian, Omar Marmoush, against Chelsea. Pep Guardiola’s praise for Marmoush helps further explain the key parts of this role:
“He made incredible runs, as a movement, but we could not see him. He is a calm guy and he has pace, he can shoot, he’s intelligent at defending. I am really pleased with what I have seen so far.”
The duality of threat on the ball and off the ball is key, as well as providing value in possession and out of possession. For now, the Egyptian will continue from his starting position on the left. However, I don’t think it will be long until he is deployed behind Haaland, allowing for a winger profile to be included in the starting XI as well. Haaland-Sávio-Marmoush-Foden sounds very good to me. Perhaps we need to wait until Rodri is back.
The reason I think this is a specialised position is due to how much more effective and comfortable Morgan Rogers looks when deployed centrally. As a winger, he operates at a decent level. In this currently undefined attacking midfield role, he becomes one of the most destructive players on the pitch.
Meanwhile, the loudest example of this new role in recent weeks has been Justin Kluivert. Although outside the SCOUTED age criteria, I couldn’t avoid a mention of his four G/A haul followed by another goal and assist against Nottingham Forest. The interchange and link play with Dango Ouattara - who can play absolutely anywhere and look good - was a prime example of this new duo at work.
Kluivert still play-makes as would be expected, but not in a traditional, stand-and-deliver style. He is poetry in perpetual motion with a sprinkle of chaos: lots of fouls, lots of pressing, lots of running at the opposition. However, after silencing the noise of my Premier League bias and considering another rich vein of form, I was able to pinpoint the best exemplary of my new role; he plays in Germany, and is 21 years old.
Everything Florian Wirtz does oozes technique. In addition to the silkiness forever synonymous with the No.10 he wears on his back, he adds intense runs ahead of the ball, relentless pressing and an equal, plentiful helping of shots for himself and for others.
That is why I’ve found it so difficult to name my new role. Shadow Striker does not quite work. False Nine cannot work because this role works best in tandem with a Nine. 9.5, then? No-one likes descriptions by halves.
Petar Petrov suggested Second Striker when I asked for help on BlueSky and I liked that most; especially when I looked at the Average Positions from Leverkusen’s most recent match.
But I couldn’t shake the feeling that moniker didn’t communicate everything I’ve detailed, either. So I went further and started dipping into animated series for inspiration again (we had Teenage Mutant Centre Backs last week).
I landed on Omni-Man: Florian Wirtz is a Viltrumite. For those who’ve not watched Invincible, the Viltrumites are an highly advanced alien race of extremely powerful humanoids. Omni-Man is Earth’s Viltrumite ‘hero’ and as the Omni suggests, he can do it all: he has superhuman strength, speed, senses and stamina, he can fly and has rapid healing. Everything you would want from a player in the final third, Wirtz has it all. I am of course searching for a better term that is more natural fit for football rhetoric but that is where I am right now.
I then realised I wrote about Do-It-All dynamos last week, without positional prejudice. So in order to demonstrate the differences, I distilled the Omni-10 into a Stathead search.
2+ passes into final third
2+ carries into final third
2+ passes into penalty area
2+ carries into penalty area
2+ shots
2+ key passes
2+ take-ons completed
Rather than averaging at least one of a broad spectrum of metrics - from shots to tackles, take-ons to aerial duels - this search focusses on key actions that either get the ball into the final third or make a difference inside it. It only returned five players.
Wirtz is there. Good. The other name I want to highlight specifically is Désiré Doué. The arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will either push Doué down the winger pecking order - surely Barcola x Kvara will be first-choice? - or it will see him adopt this Omni-10 role. He may even become a False Nine understudy for Ousmane Dembélé, who also appears in this list.
Re-reading Steve’s SCOUTED50 profile, written on Doué before the move to PSG, through the lens of this tactical shift makes him sound perfect for the new role I have discussed:
"Firstly, he is a damaging player and he takes risks. Sometimes, I think he probably leans towards being over-aggressive in some of those risks, especially as a passer. But he has insane confidence in his technical ability, and for good reason.
“He can ping ridiculous passes to spark transitions, and is constantly looking for the direct ball between the lines whenever he can face forward and run at the midfield line. At 19, that is why you put Doué in your team: because he is an über-talented wildcard who will attempt things nobody else can."
If that is not an Omni-10, I don’t know what is.
Now we’ve taken a look at one half of the new-age Front Two, let’s use the upcoming MD8 madness to look at the other.
The most fascinating strikers in UEFA competition
There is absolutely no point in suggesting a single game to watch for the final round of the inaugural UEFA League Phase.
On Wednesday, all 18 UEFA Champions League matches will kick off at the exact same time. It is going to be carnage. The joy will come from tracking every goal that goes in and working out which team is getting knocked out. On Thursday, the same thing happens for the UEFA Europa League. There is no way you will be able to focus on one match. I won’t be able to.
So, I thought the best profile to highlight was one that is most likely to bombard your timeline. The hope is that when you see the notifications or latest posts, the names you read will sound familiar.
To achieve that, I have picked out the X most fascinating strikers from across the UCL and UEL League Phase. Not all of them will be the Power Forward archetype; I started writing this section before my mind wandered towards the Omni-10s. I should make it clear that the Omni-Power duo is not the only way to make this front two work. It’s just my favourite variation.
This time, I exported stats for all Forwards of any age to play at least 90 minutes across the UCL and UEL this season. This increases the sample of players and allows us to make easy-to-understand contemporary comparisons using high-profile players. It produced a dataset of 483 players, with 190 born in the year 2001 or later.
The hope for this section is that I pick out a handful of players what will score in midweek and get to do loads of ‘told you so’ screenshots.
Hugo Ekitiké
🇮🇹 AS Roma vs Eintracht Frankfurt 🇩🇪
UEFA Europa League — 20:00 BST
Hugo Ekitiké (2002) has scored in four consecutive games for Eintracht Frankfurt, the last three without Omar Marmoush. This duo is another example of the dynamic explained in the Omni-10 section.
In our dataset, Ekitiké is the only player to attempt 10+ shots, play 10+ key passes, complete 10+ take-ons and win 10+ aerial duels this season. The Frenchman is emerging as one of the most complete centre-forwards in Europe, combining an ability to isolate defenders in wide areas with solid link-up and hold-up play with his back to goal.
I made a passing comparison to Alexander Isak in the SCOUTED Stats section of last week’s newsletter. Watching Ekitiké again this weekend has only substantiated it. It’s hard to ignore the similarities between the slim, ectomorph body type, the silky touches and the ice-cool finishing. If Newcastle United are forced to sell Isak, Ekitiké must be the replacement. Of course, when the Magpies missed out in 2022, the striker stated “when PSG wants you and you’re French, you can’t refuse.” But even if Eddie Howe’s side secure UEFA Champions League football and keep Isak, they should register serious interest in the Frenchman.
For those looking for even more detailed analysis, check out this thread by a long-time SCOUTED supporter, Nicolas Achabal.
Prince Kwabena Adu
🇪🇸 Athletic Club vs FC Viktoria Plzeň 🇨🇿
UEFA Conference League — 17:45 BST
The only other player with 10+ successful take-ons and 10+ aerial duels won is Prince Adu Kwabena (2003). Despite the statistical similarity to Ekitiké, they have contrasting physical profiles. The Ghanaian is a pocket rocket powerhouse. This compact frame enables explosive bursts and ankle-breaking changes of direction across the frontline.
He dovetails nicely with Matěj Vydra. You can map their roles in your mind instantly after looking at their heat maps from the 2-0 win against Anderlecht. In that game, Vydra provided two assists, including one for his strike partner. Their dynamic was also encapsulated in the first goal of the night: Prince took control of a launch forward by strong-arming one defender before protecting the ball against another; after securing possession, he drifted into the penalty area before passing to Vydra who teed up a supporting midfielder. His hold-up play, even when facing a 1v2, is a staple of his game from what I have seen. Throw in the 3.6 successful take-ons per 90 (95th percentile in our group) and my excitement should not come as a surprise.
Prince’s career is progressing at a staggering rate. After spending three years at boyhood club Bechem United, he spent a six months in Belarus with Isloch Minsk Raion before signing for Ukrainian side Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih. After a year, he signed for Plzeň. If he continues this form for the rest of the season, I do not see him staying in Czechia much longer.
Franjo Ivanović
🏴 Rangers vs Union Saint-Gilloise 🇧🇪
UEFA Europa League — 20:00 BST
This is the final name that should be familiar for paid SCOUTED subscribers. Franjo Ivanović (2003) appeared in numerous watchlists after his inclusion in the SCOUTED Squad for the Next Three Leagues. For good reason. The Croatian combines all of my favourite things:
operates as one half of a front two
completes a bucket-load of take-ons
takes lots of shots with both feet
Ivanović has attempted more shots with his preferred right foot in the league this season (R-27 vs. L-22) but has rattled off more with his left in the UEL (R-7 vs. L-10). His ball-striking with both feet is really clean, reflected by the fact his Expected Goals On Target value is greater than his Expected Goals value in both competitions. Put simply, Ivanović is increasing his chance of scoring due to the placement of his shots.
To put his dribbling into perspective, he is completed as many take-ons per 90 minutes in the UEL (3.0) as Vini Jr is in the UCL. I keep expecting his output to drop; he continues to sustain it.
Ivanović followed up a brace in MD7 with two more goals in the league on Sunday - in both games, he probably should have had a hat-trick. Maybe that will come against Rangers on Thursday.
For more Franjo Ivanović insight, check out this thread by RDF Tactics.
Brian Brobbey
🇳🇱 Ajax vs Galatasaray 🇹🇷
UEFA Europa League — 20:00 BST
Two of the custom metrics I use when looking at strikers are: Touches per Shot and Penalty Box Proximity. The first is self-explanatory: the players with the fewest touches per shot are usually single-minded strikers. Penalty Box Proximity is the percentage of a players touches that occur in the opposition box. These two metrics combine to help discover the most formidable penalty box presence.
To put some weight behind these metrics, the top two strikers for Touches per Shot are Erling Haaland (3.9) and Victor Osimhen (4.2). The top three strikers for Penalty Box Proximity (the percentage of a player’s touches that occur in the opposition box) are Haaland, Randal Kolo Muani and Osimhen. Any metric that pairs Haaland and Osimhen together is a good one in my book.
So, I queried our dataset, looking for players born in 2001 or later that fit this mould. 15 ranked in the top 20% for both metrics, including Jhon Durán and the aforementioned Prince Adu. When also applying a top 20% threshold Average Shot Distance, only these seven names remained:
Gonçalo Ramos
Rasmus Højlund
Roberto Fernández
Karim Konaté
Will Lankshear
Brian Brobbey
Samu Omorodion
Karim Konaté has torn his ACL and Roberto Fernández has joined Espanyol on loan. But I would have likely picked Brian Brobbey (2002) anyway. He is fascinating for a different reason: he has only scored one goal.
Despite averaging 2.6 shots per 90, he has only scored one goal. Despite averaging 0.57 npxG per shot, he has only scored one goal. Despite taking 23.7% of his total touches inside the opposition box, he has only scored one goal. And he only has one in the Eredivisie as well.
Brobbey is either going to bag five goals against Galatasaray or he will never score again. I have no idea which way this is going to go.
Ricardo Pepi
🇳🇱 PSV Eindhoven vs. Liverpool 🏴
UEFA Champions League — 20:00 BST
The first and only UEFA Champions League pick is based on an extremely small sample of data. However, the fact that Ricardo Pepi (2003) has racked up nine shots in just under 90 minutes of UCL football across five sub appearances is nuts. He is shooting every 4.4 touches, the fewest of any 2001+ player in our dataset and only behind the top two of Haaland and Osimhen I highlighted earlier.
I checked his Eredivisie output to see if he was able to keep this up across more minutes, it turns out he’s doing pretty well.
Pepi averages 8.9 touches per shot, firing off 4.5 attempts per 90 minutes. Liverpool will be the ultimate test of his ability to get shots off but with Arne Slot’s side guaranteed a place in the Top 8, Pepi is likely to find space for at least one effort, no matter how few minutes he plays.
Charles De Ketelaere
🇪🇸 FC Barcelona vs. Atalanta BC 🇮🇹
UEFA Champions League — 20:00 BST
In truth, I was left frustrated when searching for UCL options. I did not want to include another picks that may not play - Jhon Durán and Gonçalo Ramos both have interesting numbers - while the most interesting 01+ profiles were all wide forwards. Fortunately, Charles De Ketelaere (2001) just about counts.
Raphinha, CDK’s opponent on Wednesday, is the only player with more Goals + Assists in the UCL this season. The Brazilian has scored eight and provided two assists compared to the Belgian’s four goals and UCL-leading five assists. That stat alone warrants an inclusion. As does his Triple-Double of 10+ Shots, 10+ Key Passes and 10+ Successful Take-ons.
But De Ketelaere is fascinating beyond his stat sheet. Rather than fumble around for another description, I will defer to another article written by :
Charles De Ketelaere is a fascinating footballer. He’s big and moves nicely, but he’s not really a nine. He’s quite fast and skilful, but he’s not really a winger, either. He’s a 6’4” combo-forward.
Not a ten, a nine, or even what the Italians would call a trequartista, who traditionally played a creative role off the main forward - De Ketelaere is something different and more modern.
His role in Atalanta’s front three is fluid. Whether he operates as one of the front two or in the pocket behind another pair, the Belgian floats around the frontline causing havoc with his creativity.
Given the free-scoring nature of both clubs, this match could be the best of the night. Do not be surprised if CDK is the star of that show.
SCOUTED Stats
All records refer to players under the age of 23 within a single match in a Big Five European League in 2024/25 unless stated otherwise. Stats correct as of 27/01/25.

🎩 Another week, another hat-trick hero. Dango Ouattara joins the list alongside Cole Palmer, Arnaud Kalimuendo, Noni Madueke, Thierno Barry and Amad Diallo. Ouattara, Palmer, Madueke and Amad all scored 3+ non-penalty goals as part of their haul.
4️⃣ At 21 years and 260 days old, Fermín López became the youngest player to be directly involved in 4+ goals in a Big Five League game this season. Michael Olise, Cole Palmer (twice) and Florian Wirtz are the only other U23 players to have done it. But it gets better.
Only Fermín and Olise have scored multiple goals and provided multiple assists in a Big Five European League game this season. Only 12 different U23 players have done so on the Stathead database. Erling Haaland is the only one to do it twice.
⚖️ Hugo Ekitiké became the fifth player to accumulate 2+ Expected Goals. He racked up 2.2 xG against Hoffenheim, just short of the joint record held by Cole Palmer and Enzo Millot (2.4). For further context, Millot and Jude Bellingham are the only U23 players to record 2+ Non-penalty xG in a single match this season. Ekitiké also registered five Shots On Target. Although one short of Jamal Musiala’s record, I thought his performance was worth mentioning as a way to re-emphasise the points made earlier. He’s very good.
☄️ Nico Paz rattled off 8 shots against Atalanta, a single-game U23 record in Serie A this season and just two away from Jamal Musiala’s B5L U23 record. The only other player on the Stathead database to record 8+ shots against Atalanta is Paulo Dybala. Also a left-footed Argentinian, La Joya attempted NINE in a 2-0 win in 2015; he scored one goal and assisted the other. Also, it’s worth a reminder that Paz holds the 2024/25 record for Key Passes (8) alongside with Joško Gvardiol. Watch this space.
👨🍳 Jude Bellingham logged 11 Shot-Creating Actions against Real Valladolid, just two shy of Lamine Yamal’s record set in August. The reason why I wanted to mention this is because I am guilty of something we all do: forget how young Bellingham is. The standards he has set himself are ridiculous and I have not done a good job of reminding Monday Night SCOUTED readers that his output and performance levels are completely abnormal for his age. In terms of the new-age No.10, he may also fit the mould. But I feel like he is one of the select few players that could excel in any midfield role, not just this position.
🦵 Omar El Hilali made nine successful tackles against Sevilla, three short of Tom Bischof’s record. When combined with his three interceptions, El Hilali is just one short of the Bischof-Iroegbunam record for Tackles + Interceptions. However, this is the third time that the Espanyol full-back has made 8+ tackles in a single game this season, Bischof is the only other U23 player to have done so multiple times (2). I’ll say it again: Morocco are developing a super squad for the 2030 World Cup.
That’s all, folks.
Enjoy the UEFA club competition madness in midweek. Thank you for reading.
Jake.
This was so lovely to read
Thank you
Really good. These are better every week and are exactly what I subscribe for.