5 players to watch in the Euro U-21 final

The Euro U-21 final is on Saturday, with England and Germany contesting a rematch of their group stage game. The Germans won that game 2-1 in a close affair, in which England out-shot their opponents 18-5, but couldn’t recover after a slow start. Both teams have looked improved in the games since, and the final should be excellent.

I’d have highlighted the same number of players from both teams, but we already talked about one of the England players I’d have picked out in yesterday’s newsletter. Check that out to see why Everton are interested in Omari Hutchinson, England’s likely starting left winger.

Nick Woltemade — Striker

The Big Lad is likely not going anywhere this summer, with Stuttgart having quoted inquiring teams an asking price of €60m. I would not advise that anyone pay that, since he’s only had one good season in the Bundesliga and overperformed his xG by 3.

But just because I don’t think he’s worth the risk for anyone at that price doesn’t mean I think he’s a bad player. Woltemade has a lot more to his game than just shooting. His work rate in the press is excellent, and he sets up his teammates for good chances as much as he gets shots himself. This is in addition to being 6’6” and a talented jumper. Stuttgart could stand to figure out how to get more out of him from set pieces.

Charlie Cresswell — Center back

The former Leeds player had a solid first season in Ligue 1 for Toulouse, racking up huge aerial numbers. He’s not been great with the ball at his feet, but his performances for England in a high possession-oriented system might convince teams that he’s able to play for a club that wants to build out from the back.

Cresswell has been linked to Sunderland and Como in recent days, but I wonder if another season at Toulouse might do him good now that he’s settled in and they’ve established themselves back in Ligue 1.

Nnamdi Collins — Right back/center back

Collins is a versatile defender, having played both right back and center back in a back 4, and most commonly, right center back in a back 3. That last one is probably his best role, letting him make the most of his ball-playing ability.

For Germany, Collins has been a traditional right back. He wouldn’t fit into that role for a team that wanted him to get forward and cross, but he’s certainly competent at the defensive and build-up aspects of that role.

Eintracht Frankfurt certainly don’t need the money, with Omar Marmoush having been sold in January and vultures circling Hugo Ekitike, but Collins is likely to garner a lot of interest due to his versatility.

Harvey Elliott — Right wing?

Perhaps the Mohamed Salah replacement was lying under our noses the whole time. Harvey Elliott has spent most of his Liverpool and youth national team career playing in a central role, but the left-footed playmaker has made the shift to right wing for this tournament, and it’s worked wonders. He’s England’s leading scorer with 4 goals.

Elliott played limited minutes in the Premier League last season, but his shot volume was excellent in those. Liverpool also has a lot of other central attacking players. It’ll be interesting to see if Elliott gets any run on the right for Liverpool in this coming season.

Rocco Reitz — Central midfield

While everyone’s complaining about the lack of good defensive midfielders and the exorbitant prices, I’ve rarely seen anyone linked to Reitz. That’s a bit strange, given that Borussia Mönchengladbach are facing some financial issues, and he could be available for just €20m.

Reitz isn’t the best progressor of the ball, but he’s excellent defensively and a solid ball retainer. If I may offer a suggestion: Tottenham Hotspur could use a player like this.

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