Top 30 Most Underrated Footballers Playing in Europe
Here are the top 30 most underrated footballers playing in Europe.
Criteria
- Footballer needs to be playing for a European club.
- He needs to be under-the-radar and his ability must be undervalued by the footballing public.
The 30 footballers will be subjectively ranked via a combination of:
- Hype (the less, the better).
- Performance this season.
- Potential transfer value increase down the line.
Long List Cuts
- Oswaldo Vizcarrondo, 30, Nantes' Venezuelan CB.
- Roberto Trashorras, 33, Rayo Vallecano's Spanish DLP.
- Kamohelo Mokotjo, 23, Twente's South African CM.
- Felix Wiedwald, 24, Eintracht Frankfurt's German GK.
- Ahmed Elmohamady, 27, Hull City's Egyptian RWB/RB.
- Marco Sau, 27, Cagliari's Italian CF.
30. Luke Wilkshire
1 of 30
Feyenoord's Australian right-backย Luke Wilkshire, 33, is letting his football do the talking.ย
His unceremonious axing from theย Socceroos was linked to his attitude, perย Andrew Webster atย The Sydney Morning Herald.
Since joiningย Feyenoord,ย Wilkshire hasย exhausted himself on the field.
He is heavily involved in build-up play, averaging 52.8 passes per gameย in the Eredivisie, and is a tireless worker in defence (averages 3.0 tackles per game).
29. Kristoffer Nordfeldt
2 of 30
Heerenveen's Swedish goalkeeperย Kristoffer Nordfeldt, 25, has been pelted with shots.
He has accumulated the most total saves (52) and has saved more shots in the penalty area (30) than any otherย Eredivisie goalkeeper.
In 2012,ย Liverpool almost signedย Nordfeldt, per Sky Sports.
He is in better form than Liverpool'sย struggling No. 1ย Simon Mignolet.
28. Abdoul Karim Yoda
3 of 30
Getafe's French right attacking midfielder Abdoul Karim Yoda, 26, is caught in an awkward situation.ย
Star playerย Pedro Leon isย persona non grata in the eyes ofย Getafe presidentย Angel Torres, as per Guillem Balague's article for Sky Sports.
This was whyย Yoda was signed viaย a free transfer from Romanian club Astra Giurgiu.
Yoda is a brave, fleet-footed and quick take-onย specialist, who also works hard in pressing opposing players.
So far, he has taken his chance and is producing more per game than whatย Leon did forย Getafe last season.
| League Only | Pedro Leon 13-14 | Yoda 14-15 |
| Goals Per Game | 0.19 | 0.50 |
| Shots Per Goal | 10.6 | 6.3 |
| Key Passes Per Game | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| Pass Success % | 64.1 | 69.8 |
| Dribbles Per Game | 1.5 | 2.8 |
| Dribble Success % | 49.1 | 53.1 |
27. Hiroki Sakai
4 of 30
Hannover 96's Japanese right-back Hiroki Sakai, 24, is a worthy successor to Steve Cherundolo.
Sakai is athletic, built solidly, pacey, defensively secure and can run all day.
Whatย Sakai needs to improve is his pass accuracy, because giving away the ball 30.8 percent of the time he attempts a pass is not top-flight standard.
26. Joaquin Larrivey
5 of 30
Celta Vigo's Argentine centre-forward Joaquin Larrivey, 30, has improved exponentially since hisย Cagliari days.ย
During the 2011-12 season, he scored seven goals in Serie A forย Cagliari in 1,242 minutes.
This season for Celta, he has already scored seven times, including the winner againstย Barcelonaโhe has only played 782 minutes.
25. Daniel Didavi
6 of 30
Stuttgart's German central attacking midfielderย Daniel Didavi, 24, finds happiness and torture from football.ย
He is generally one of the most gifted players on the field. He can dictate play, he can create, he can take on opposing players and he is a confident shooter.ย
Yet, his fragile body cannot cope with the day in, day out grind ofย professional football.ย
If he can play out three seasons without injury, he would be one of the best players in theย Bundesliga.
24. Nemanja Radoja
7 of 30
Celta Vigo's Serbian central midfielderย Nemanja Radoja, 21, has been a quiet achiever in La Liga.ย
He leads by example, always retaining correct positioning and intervening when necessary toย stymie opposition attacks.ย
His presence inย Celta's midfield is a factor why the club are in sixth place.ย
23. Mario Vrancic
8 of 30
Paderborn's German-born-Bosnia and Herzegovina [1] central midfielder Mario Vrancic, 25, is class when he is on the ball.ย
He possesses range encompassing short, intermediate and long passes.ย
He is not just a conservative passer, because he has created 25 goal-scoring chances for his teammates in eightย Bundesliga games.
[1] Pledged his allegiance toย Bosnia despite being a German youth international.
22. Franco Vazquez
9 of 30
Palermo's Argentine deep-lying forwardย Franco Vazquez, 25, is a unique footballer.
He is 6'2" and 179 pounds but is predominantly a finesse player. He is one of the most technically skilled footballers in Serie A.ย
He finds inventive ways of eluding tackles and is just a joy to watch.
He averages more dribbles per game (3.8) thanย Real Madrid left-forwardย Cristiano Ronaldo (1.8).ย
However, the ability ofย Vazquez and his compatriotย Paulo Dybalaย is not aligned to their productivity.ย They need to produce more goals and assists as both have world-class upside.ย
21. Tarik Elyounoussi
10 of 30
Hoffenheim's Norwegian left attacking midfielderย Tarik Elyounoussi, 26, has the scoring instincts of a centre-forward, but is marooned on the left wing.ย
His best moments have been central.
He is tied withย Anthony Modeste for most league goals atย Hoffenheim this season (four).
Likeย Roberto Firmino andย Kevin Volland,ย Elyounoussi is a direct andย skilful footballer, who can create his own shot.ย ย
20. Neil Taylor
11 of 30
Swansea City left-backย Neil Taylor, 25, continues his remarkable return after "breaking his ankle in three places," per Wales Online.
His long-term injury enabledย Ben Davies full access to the starting left-back position atย Swansea, which led to a transfer toย Tottenham Hotspur.
Whileย Davies spends Spurs' Premier League matchdays watching the game as anย observer,ย Taylor has featured in 863 minutes forย Swansea.
19. Alexander Meier
12 of 30
Eintracht Frankfurt's German centre-forwardย Alexander Meier, 31, is a colossal figure when rampaging into the box.ย
He has scored six goals in nineย Bundesliga games, which is a goal more thanย Bayern Munich'sย Robert Lewandowski.
Eintracht Frankfurt should persist withย Marc Stendera as the No. 10 andย Meier as the No. 9.ย
Stendera is aย wunderkind who needs more playing time, and his incisive passing will benefitย Meier.
18. Papy Djilobodji
13 of 30
Nantes' Senegalese centre-backย Papy Djilobodji, 25, is an impressive defender.
He is a safe tackler (0.8 fouls per game) and reads play excellently to intercept 2.9 passes per game.ย
His partnership withย Oswaldo Vizcarrondo is a major reason whyย Nantes are tied withย Paris Saint-Germain for the best defence in Ligue 1 (eight goals conceded from 12 games).
17. Kevin Vogt
14 of 30
Koln's German central midfielderย Kevin Vogt, 23, canย bulldoze his way through opposing defences, often winning free-kicks after being impeded.ย
In his thirdย Bundesliga season as a starter,ย Vogt is looking to take his game to the next level.ย
16. Marco Sportiello
15 of 30
Atalanta's Italian goalkeeperย Marco Sportiello, 22, can pull off saves you would see fromย Gianluigi Buffon during his prime.ย
Sportiello is immense in one-on-one situations.
He has already saved two penalties, denying Inter Milan centre-forwardย Rodrigo Palacio andย Napoli centre-forwardย Gonzalo Higuain from the spot.ย
15. Diafra Sakho
16 of 30
West Ham United'sย Senegalese centre-forwardย Diafra Sakho, 24, is a pure poacher.ย
He only averagesย 15.7 passes and creates 0.7 scoring chances per game, so he is not a facilitator. Nor does he possess the inventive touch ofย Mauro Zarate.
Whatย Sakho does excellently is finish chances: he has scored six goals in seven Premier League games.
Talk about a rapid rise. Two years ago, he was playing in theย Championnat National (French third division).
14. Roman Burki
17 of 30
Freiburg's Swiss goalkeeperย Roman Burki, 23, was signed as the successor toย Oliver Baumann,ย who left for Hoffenheim.
"Freiburg has a very good name in Switzerland due to Gelson Fernandes and Admir Mehmedi,"ย Burki said, per theย Bundesliga's official website. "It is another important step in my career and I am really looking forward to my time in Freiburg."
Aย โฌ1.8/ยฃ1.4 millionย signing fromย Grasshopper Club Zurich,ย Burki has been a bargain-basement signing, who has been exceptional.ย
He is currently the best ranked goalkeeper in theย Bundesliga, per Kicker.
13. Mirko Valdifiori
18 of 30
Empoli's Italian deep-lying playmakerย Mirko Valdifiori, 28, has stood out against the likes of AC Milan, Roma and Juventus.
He launches long diagonal passes and heย stockpiles possession, averaging 88 passes per game. He is always looking to be involved in play.ย
12. Ralf Fahrmann
19 of 30
Schalke's German goalkeeperย Ralf Fahrmann, 26, seemingly had consigned himself to being a backup until last season.
He made 22ย Bundesliga starts in the last campaign and has since becomeย Schalke'sย undisputed No. 1.
He has accumulated 39 saves in 10 league games this season, 18 of which have come in the penalty area.
11. Kalidou Koulibaly
20 of 30
Napoli's French centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, 23, has bolted out of obscurity.
Likeย Eliaquim Mangala,ย Koulibaly's stepping stone was in the Belgian Pro LeagueโMangala atย Standard Liege andย Koulibaly atย Genk.ย
Mangala later signed with Porto and was sold to Manchester City forย โฌ40.9/ยฃ32 million.
Ifย Koulibaly can replicate his dominant performance inย Napoli's 2-0 win over Roma week in, week out, then he will become a world-class centre-back.
10. Tommy Oar
21 of 30
Utrecht's Australian left-forwardย Tommy Oar, 22, is in career-best form.ย
He already has more assists after eight Eredivisie games (six) than his last season (five assists from 31 games).ย
Oar has always been a precocious talent, but his end product was lacking, whether it was playing for the Brisbane Roar or the Australian national team.
Whenย Oar adds goals to his game, he should consider moving to one of Europe's elite leagues, like theย Bundesliga or the Premier League.
9. Andrew Robertson
22 of 30
Hull City's Scottish left wing-back/left-backย Andrew Robertson, 20, is either a future world-class footballer, orย Manchester United'sย โฌ38.4/ยฃ30 million-valuedย Luke Shaw is vastly overvalued.ย
When you watchย Robertson and then compare him toย Shaw, there is hardly any difference.
Both are terrific going forward and are resolute in winning back possession.
8. Robin Knoche
23 of 30
Wolfsburg's German centre-backย Robin Knoche, 22, may accomplish something his teammateย Naldo has yet to do: play for one of Europe's biggest clubs.ย
Granted,ย Wolfsburg have the resources (owned byย Volkswagen) to keepย Knoche.
But he has all the attributes: height (6'3"), passing ability (85.3 pass completion percentage), aerial prowess (4.5 headers per game) and calmness (0.5 fouls per game) to transition into a world-class centre-back.ย
If big European clubs want a transfer alternative toย Mats Hummels, then take a look atย Knoche.
7. Karim Bellarabi
24 of 30
Bayer Leverkusen's German right attacking midfielderย Karim Bellarabi, 24, has salvaged his career.
Prior to this season, he had never started six games or more in theย Bundesliga forย Leverkusen.ย Loaned out toย Eintracht Braunschweig, he regained his confidence and is now a budding star.
He is technically brilliant, he is anย entertainerย and is a natural match-winner.
Playing as a deep-lying forward behindย Leverkusen centre-forwardย Stefan Kiessling in a 3-3 draw against Stuttgart suggests there is potential for Bellarabi to make a permanent switch centrally.ย
6. Jose Fonte
25 of 30
Southampton's Portuguese centre-backย Jose Fonte, 30, has remained solid, despite the club selling Dejan Lovren to Liverpool for โฌ25.6/ยฃ20 million.ย ย
Fonte andย Lovren were a strong partnership, but givenย Lovren's struggles atย Liverpool,ย Southampton are winning out in the transfer.
Especially withย Fonte stepping up and helpingย Southampton solidify their defence, whether it is partnering Toby Alderweireld orย Maya Yoshida.
Fonte has heavily contributed toย Southampton conceding the least amount of goals in the Premier League (five in 10 games).
5. Abdul Rahman Baba
26 of 30
Augsburg'sย Ghanaian left-backย Abdul Rahman Baba, 20, has such high upside. A strong ball-winner,ย Baba is also a threat charging forward.
In 10ย Bundesliga games, he has made 49 tackles, intercepted 30 passes and created three goals.
Having improved drastically since playing forย Greuther Furth,ย he could go on to become one of the best left-backs of his generation.ย
4. Tony Jantschke
27 of 30
Borussia Monchengladbach's German centre-back/right-backย Tony Jantschke, 24, is a dependable defender.
He may not be the tallest or fastest footballer, but he is seemingly always in the right position.
He averages 6.4 clearances per game and his leadership at the back has factored into Gladbach having the second best defence in theย Bundesliga (five goals conceded from 10 games).
3. Allan Marques
28 of 30
Udinese's Brazilian central midfielderย Allan Marques, 23, is a tackling machine, but receives little recognition outside of Serie A.
In 10 league games this season, he has already accumulated 51 tackles.ย
There is a significant gap in quality when you compare him to his teammatesย Guilherme andย Emmanuel Badu.
Both are top-flight standard footballers, which is a testament to how great of a midfielder Allan is.ย
2. Loris Karius
29 of 30
Mainz's German goalkeeperย Loris Karius, 21, is one of the premier shot-savers in Europe.ย
At 6'3" and 165 pounds, he is a big presence in theย Mainz backline. This season, heย leads theย Bundesliga in shots saved (47) and his 3.9 saves per goal conceded is first-rate.ย
If he keeps up his form, he could emulateย compatriotย Marc-Andre ter Stegen by signing for a major European club.
1. Rubio Rubin
30 of 30
Utrecht's United States deep-lying forwardย Rubio Rubin, 18, could be USA's most talented footballer sinceย Landon Donovan.ย
Unlikeย Freddy Adu, who was burdened with outlandish expectations,ย Rubin has slipped under the radar.
He made a brave life-changing decision to bypass the safety net of college and embark on a European adventure.ย
He could have easily been lost in the wilderness like compatriotย Gale Agbossoumonde.ย
Butย Rubin not only has outstanding intangibles to survive in a newย environment, he is a technician and his style of play suits the attack-mindedย Eredivisie.ย
Rubinย regularlyย createsย separation from his marker and finds his teammates with piercing passes. He has already accumulated four assists in eight league games.ย
What he needs to work on is his finishing because he is 0-17 in goals-shots taken.
Statistics viaย WhoScoredย
