Scout Report: The Premier League prospects looking to make a splash in pre-season
The enthralling 2022-23 Premier League campaign may still be fresh in the memory – but teams have already returned from their summer holidays to begin pre-season preparations.
Managers put the squad through their paces to bring them back up to match fitness and cast an eye over young hopefuls on the fringes of the first team.
Using the Twenty3 Toolbox, we picked out four prospects that are looking to make a positive impression in pre-season ahead of what they hope will be a breakthrough 2023-24 campaign.
Amad Diallo (Manchester United)
Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, 21, enjoyed a stellar season on loan at Sunderland last year.
The Ivory Coast international made a big impact as the Black Cats reached the playoffs, but their Premier League promotion dreams were ended by Luton Town.
His performances will have caught the eye of United boss Erik ten Hag – who could be forgiven for being underwhelmed by Antony and Jadon Sancho last term, given their respective price tags.
In 29 Championship starts for Sunderland, Diallo netted 14 times, showcasing the threat he poses as a wide forward.
His shot map reveals the success he found cutting onto his left foot from the right wing, as well as his ability to score both from inside and outside the box.
The Ivorian hit the target with 26 of his non-penalty shots, registered 110 touches in the opposition area and succeeded with 86 of his 192 attempted dribbles.
His directness is supplemented by a healthy capacity for creation, assisting 28 shots and recording three assists.
Diallo must now prove that he can replicate that level of production at an even higher standard.
Andrey Santos (Chelsea)
After a dismal Premier League campaign, Chelsea will be hoping to bounce back under new manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Andrey Santos, who broke through at Vasco da Gama and starred at the Under-20 World Cup, will aim to stand out in pre-season and earn himself a prominent role in the squad.
And with Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz departing the club, there is certainly space in midfield.
In six Brazilian Serie A games for the Rio de Janeiro-based side, Santos demonstrated his defensive qualities, registering 44 ball recoveries – 19 in the opposition half – and 29 interceptions.
On the ball, he completed 16 of his 19 final third passes and completed more forward passes (31) than backwards (20), evidence of his desire to progress the ball.
However, a tally of nine dangerous ball losses in his own half last season suggests the 19-year-old’s decision-making could still do with some refinement.
Still, Santos will be looking to convince Pochettino that he has what it takes to play a part next term as Chelsea look to banish the memories of last season.
Cameron Archer (Aston Villa)
Cameron Archer made an impact as England won the Under-21 European Championships and is already back at Aston Villa, with the aim of impressing in pre-season.
The striker spent last term plying his trade in the Championship with Middlesborough, who narrowly missed out on promotion after losing to Coventry City in the playoffs.
Displacing star centre-forward Ollie Watkins, who ended the season in fine form, may prove a bridge too far in 2023-24 – but Archer has shown plenty of potential and earning a healthy share of first-team minutes would be valuable for his development.
His tally of 11 goals in 1,644 league minutes for Michael Carrick’s side works out to a strike rate of 0.6 per 90 – which can only be bettered by Manuel Benson, Chuba Akpom and Ross Stewart among Championship players.
The 21-year-old led the league for touches in the opposition box per 90 (5.47) demonstrating his ability to get into dangerous positions.
However, he still ranked fifth for successful link-up plays (86) among Championship strikers and also showed a willingness to press, recording 25 ball recoveries in the opposition half as well as 22 interceptions – a trait Villa manager Unai Emery will value.
Archer will hope to do enough in pre-season to prove that he can play an important part in the Villans’ evolution next term.
Ilya Zabarnyi (Bournemouth)
Ilya Zabarnyi joined Bournemouth from Dynamo Kyiv in the January transfer window last season and made a strong first impression.
The 20-year-old centre-back played five matches before an ankle injury curtailed his progress, but he is now back and ready to pick up where he left off.
His limited Premier League numbers paint a picture of a combative defender – he won 15 of his 24 attempted defensive duels and six of his 10 loose ball duels, while also making 39 ball recoveries.
Under Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth are expected to press aggressively and Zabarnyi will need to be dominant in his duels if he is to convince the Spanish tactician that he is worthy of inclusion.
The Ukrainian is also accomplished in possession, illustrated by his team-high 93.91% passing accuracy, connecting with 185 of his 197 passes.
That reliability extends to longer passes as well – he completed 17 of his 23 such passes and is capable of punishing high lines by picking out team-mates in advanced areas.
Zabarnyi will be hoping he can nail down a starting spot for the Cherries in the Premier League next season.
All visualisations and Smart Reports in this article were produced with the Twenty3 Toolbox. For more information, please get in touch below.