Welcome back to Football Latest. Today, I’ve put together a list of 3 incredible players this season that I have noticed seem to have gone massively under the radar. One of these picks is from the Premier League, and the other two are from the Serie A, and I feel that “underrated” is the perfect description of these incredible players, despite their performances this season. Let’s begin in England with a left-back who has shone for Bournemouth this season.
Milos Kerkez
Is he an attacking left-back? Is he a defensive left-back? I don’t know, because he seems brilliant as both. Milos Kerkez arrived at Bournemouth in 2023, and I feel that this season, his incredible abilities have really come to light for the Cherries. First of all, he’s extremely strong in the tackle when he needs to be, especially impressive with his clinical slide tackles that I’m sure take attackers by surprise. And at 21 years of age, he has impressive physicality that allows him to bully some of the league’s best wingers. For me, his third outstanding attribute is his brilliant pace, evidenced by a goal he scored this season against Wolves, where he burst into the box and powered a shot into the roof of the net in the blink of an eye. I think that when Liverpool decide to sell Robertson in the next few years, or potentially even this summer, Kerkez will be one of the top players on their list of potential replacements. Let’s travel to the Serie A for our next player.
Mateo Retegui
For me, Mateo Retegui is probably the best player of the three on this list, and right now, he is having the season of his life in the Serie A for Atalanta. As a striker, he has certainly done his primary job of putting the ball into the net, having done so 20 times in 23 appearances in the Serie A this season, along with 3 assists. Yes, that’s a goal contribution a game this season in a league with incredible defensive quality. One of his defining features is certainly his physicality and impressive build, and this feature is what I would consider the main reason that I think he would be a good fit for a number of Premier League teams in need of a striker, most notably, Arsenal. If they could secure this physical, clinical beast of a striker, it would certainly help their title hopes, and at 25 years of age, he will most likely remain relable for them into the future.
Nico Paz
Leaving Real Madrid is a bold move for any player, but for Nico Paz, it seemed understandable. As an attacking midfielder, it is hard to find first-team action at Real Madrid, and Paz certainly learned that, only making 4 first team league appearances for Madrid’s first team after 6 years in the academy. In August 2024, he left Madrid for newly promoted Serie A side Como, led by Cesc Fabregas, and the Serie A quickly realised his incredible ability. By October, he had already debuted for Argentina, and was the first Serie A midfielder this season to reach ten goal contributions. Again, this is his first season in the Serie A, he is achieving this at a newly-promoted side, and he is already competing with massively experienced professionals. I’ve suggested a potential move for the players that I have mentioned so far, and for the 20 year old, his path may already be decided. This is because when Real Madrid sold him, they inserted a buy-back clause in his contract for €8 million that becomes active next summer, meaning a return may be likely if his form continues. I have to say that this is sad for Paz, as if minutes for Arda Guler and Endrick come few and far between at Madrid, Paz is likely to suffer the same fate if Madrid buy him back.
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