Six Under-The-Radar Stars to Follow in the 2024 Copa América
Some of the biggest stars in world football will be showcasing their talents during the tournament this summer but it could also prove to be a springboard for a few players not quite yet household names.
Valentín Carboni
21 of Argentina’s 26-man squad this summer were World Cup winners in Qatar so there was little room for surprise inclusions. Those who were denied a spot in 2022 through injury and the irrepressible Alejandro Garnacho were hardly a shock but the promotion of 19-year-old Valentín Carboni signified a rapid rise.
A fleet-footed left footer, Carboni skips around challenges and in what was effectively a debut campaign in Italy’s top flight, he demonstrated the confidence and ability to do this at that level. 4.68 dribbles per 90 demonstrates a player willing to commit defenders and make things happen, Carboni’s success rate of 68.1% ranking in the top five across Serie A.
Able to play centrally as a number 10 or out wide where he can cut inside, Carboni is physically more robust than the archetypal Argentinian playmaker but shares that eye for a pass and individuality.
Two goals and one assist across 31 Serie A appearances (only 10 starts) show there is plenty of room for improvement in terms of Carboni’s end product and while game time might be hard to come by for Argentina this summer, it won’t halt interest in the teenager - the conundrum for Inter will be whether or not they cash in.
Sávio
One player already set to get his ‘big’ move will be Brazil’s Sávio. After a sensational season in Spain with Girona, culminating in the club’s historic qualification to the Champions League, the 20-year-old winger looks likely to make the convenient move to Manchester City.
Snapped up by Troyes in 2022 from Atlético Mineiro, Sávio would never even pull on the shirt of the now third-tier French club and would instead spend the next two years out on loan. Firstly, and somewhat forgettably, with PSV and last season in far more spectacular fashion with Girona.
Teenage star Endrick is the one everyone waits to further explode this summer but perhaps Sávio could push his way into Dorival Júnior’s side. After all, he and Brazil teammate Vinicius Junior were among the top dribblers in LaLiga.
With eight assists, he and Raphinha sit side by side, third in the rankings and so there is a very favorable comparison with the other top-end wing options available to Brazil. An outstanding league season, a major international competition and a potential transfer to one of Europe’s most successful clubs, Sávio’s career trajectory is skyrocketing.
Ismaël Koné
Success on the field has not necessarily followed but Watford’s talent identification under the ownership of the Pozzo family has been shrewd. The chaotic backdrop at the club and the perpetual changing of coaches has perhaps not provided the ideal environment for young players to flourish but the quality has been there.
Fellow Hornet Yaser Asprilla could be one to watch for Colombia and it may also be a big summer for Canadian international midfielder Ismaël Koné.
A livewire off either wing but particularly when able to come inside off the right, Osorio has the ability to beat his man one-v-one and is now showing an improved end product in front of goal. Eight goals and two assists from 23 appearances in a new side, for a 20-year-old a long way from home is not to be underestimated.
Time will tell whether this scoring streak is sustainable with Osorio outperforming his xG considerably (3.37 xG) but the other wing metrics look good. 6.07 dribbles per 90, 3.26 progressive runs and 2.94 crosses all have the youngster in the top five across the Superliga for 2023/24.
Born in Nuremberg, Tillman arrived at Bayern in 2015 and debuted in 2021 but rather than push on for regular first-team minutes was sent on loan to Rangers, where he would be named PFA Young Player of the Year. Another loan to PSV followed and en route to the club’s record points haul, Tillman would score nine goals in addition to ten assists (second only to Eredivisie's leading scorer and teammate Luuk de Jong).
Out of possession too, Tillman proves his worth by demonstrating the kind of intensity that will impress scouts. 2.98 recoveries in the final third and 5.01 counter-pressing recoveries, Tillman was among the top performers in the Netherlands and now looks to take the next step.
Willian Pacho
The boom in Ecuadorian talent should no longer come as a surprise and while natural goalscorers and forward options might hold El Tri back this summer, the country continues to produce outstanding defensive prospects.
Piero Hincapié is already well and truly on the radar after helping Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in historic fashion but Eintracht Frankfurt’s Willian Pacho is another worthy of attention.
