Barcelona are continuing to push forward with their long-term recruitment strategy, and another young name has now emerged as a priority. According to SPORT, the Catalan club is moving closer to finalising a deal for highly rated Dutch defender Ruud Nijstad. The pursuit of Nijstad, who currently plays for FC Twente, fits perfectly into Barcelona's recent approach in the market. Rather than focusing solely on immediate first-team reinforcements, the club has prioritised strengthening their youth structure with players who can grow into senior roles over time.
You would not expect to find coaches from the Celtic FC Foundation in Brixton. But even the torrential rain in south London has not stopped them and four local teams from turning out to help launch a programme that will provide girls and young women from underprivileged backgrounds in the local area with a chance to play football. It is one of several initiatives established since the foundation began working in London to mark Celtic's 125th anniversary in 2013.
Breaking through at Bayern Munich as a youth player is exceedingly difficult. Lennart Karl may have made it look easy, but usually one has to compete with an array of stars as an academy player to get game time. Felipe Chavez is in a fairly similar boat. He caught the eye with a bright display in the big 5-0 friendly against RB Salzburg before making his Bundesliga debut against VfL Wolfsburg.
Michael Carrick may have won it all with Manchester United as a player, but he came from humble beginnings. The classy former midfielder, who played 464 times for the Red Devils in an illustrious career, was appointed as the club's interim manager until the end of the season earlier this week. But a video showing a teenaged Carrick making his way as a youth footballer in the North East highlights the remarkable journey he has been on.
The FC Bayern World Squad has established itself as a cornerstone of our international youth development programme. Every talented player has the opportunity to surpass themselves at the highest level and thus take decisive steps towards a career in professional football. We not only nurture sporting abilities, but also character and mentality. This is how the professional players of tomorrow can develop.
According to a report from Bolavip, Manchester United are interested in the player and have been closely following his progress. They will face competition from Real Madrid and Barcelona. The 17-year-old Ecuadorian is a promising young player with a bright future, and it will be interesting to see if Manchester United can win the race for his signature. The report claims that the player is considered the new Moises Caicedo.
Cardiff City began 2026 well placed for a promotion push, after head coach Brian Barry-Murphy was handed the job of leading the Bluebirds back to the Championship following last season's relegation. This marked the 47-year-old's second senior management job following a two-year stint at Rochdale between 2019 and 2021, but it was his spell in charge of Manchester City's Elite Development Squad during which he really cut his teeth.
Ethan Nwaneri had a breakout season last term when the Arsenal forward deputised so impressively for the injured Bukayo Saka. He played mostly on the right wing and scored nine goals in 37 appearances in all competitions to mark himself out as one of England's most talented young players. Nwaneri, now 18, also became the second-youngest goalscorer in Champions League history when he netted against Girona last January at 17 years and 314 days old - only Jude Bellingham did so at a younger age.
When he was very young, I didn't really think my boy would go on and be such a good player, to be honest. You know, he used to play a lot with me at home, because he loved football. I'm very proud of him for getting to where he is today. I always pray for him, and I hope he achieves his dream.
Germany's Das Reboot roadmap that took a hard look at the grassroots youth academies throughout the country throughout the mid 2000's ultimately reached a crescendo into their 2014 World Cup triumph in Brazil. Reanalyzing the way they looked at investing in their youth throughout German football and changing tactics in an ever-changing footballing landscape, especially in international competition, Die Mannschaft were able to get back on their perch in Brazil,
Chelsea and Manchester City are both weighing up potential moves for Leicester City's highly rated teenage winger Jeremy Monga, with interest in the 16-year-old continuing to intensify ahead of the January transfer window. According to TEAMtalk, the Premier League giants are closely monitoring Monga's development as he establishes himself as one of the most exciting young talents currently playing senior football in England.
The Greek midfielder has the potential to develop into a top-class player with the right guidance. Karetsas has been hailed as a pretty special' talent in the past. He can operate as a central attacking midfielder as well as on the wings. He will add technical ability and creativity to the side. Chelsea could certainly use someone with his skill set in the final third.
Arsenal are among a host of top European clubs interested in one of the brightest emerging talents from Norway this week. The north London side have become renowned in recent years for bringing through starlets from their youth ranks, Bukayo Saka being the obvious poster boy. The winger paved the way for the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly to follow, with 15-year-old Max Dowman the latest to step up into the first-team equation.
