U21 European Championship: Focus on De Cuyper, Maatsen, Mamardashvili & Vitinha in Group A

Part 1/4

At the U21 European Championships in Georgia and Romania starting this Wednesday, some of the greatest young talents in European football will compete. 16 teams divided into four groups are playing for the title among themselves, and Germany around national coach Antonio Di Salvo is also involved. Transfermarkt is presenting one player per nation in more detail these days. Group A starts with Belgium, the Netherlands, Georgia and Portugal.

In the Belgian squad, names like Charles De Ketelaere (22; Milan) or Loïs Openda (23; Lens), who was courted by RB Leipzig, stand out. Maxim De Cuyper, on the other hand, will tend to stay under the radar, although the 22-year-old left-back doesn’t need to hide. De Cuyper was loaned out by FC Brugge to KVC Westerlo last season and knew how to impress on the defensive side.

In the Jupiler Pro League, he made 39 appearances (including playoffs), scoring nine goals and seven assists – unmatched by any other defender. Although there are a few penalties in these statistics, De Cuyper still shone with a direct corner against Royal Antwerpen FC on matchday 18. As a logical consequence, the most recent market value update went further up for him – to now 5 million euros. For comparison: just a year ago it was appraised at 900,000 euros.

“De Cuyper is physically very strong, he can run down the line for 90 minutes and then throw in a decent cross. He is motivated and ambitious, but that is also his greatest weakness, because sometimes he is too eager. He could often make better decisions in one-on-ones, both defensively and offensively,” says Bart Tamsyn, Area Manager Belgium at Transfermarkt.

Ian Maatsen: Chelsea loan move up to Premier League with Burnley

Dutchman Ian Maatsen also took off during his loan. The 21-year-old left-back is under contract with Chelsea FC and spent last season with Burnley FC in the Championship. Maatsen was a starter in Vincent Kompany’s side, making 39 out of a possible 46 league appearances and contributing four goals and six assists. Its market value recently went up to EUR 13 million, which means it has more than doubled within a year. Four players are rated higher in the Dutch squad.

According to “The Athletic”, Burnley wants to keep Maatsen after promotion to the Premier League – either on a permanent basis or on loan again. Accordingly, a compromise seems possible, although Chelsea does not rule out staying. Burnley are reportedly unsuccessful with a €17.5m (£15m) offer including bonuses. Chelsea are said to value the player, who was traded at BVB last year, at more than €23m (£20m).

Daniel Busch, Area Manager UK at Transfermarkt, says of the youngster: “Maatsen was one of the most important players in Vincent Kompany’s possession-oriented system and had a lot of freedom up front to play to his speed and his strengths in passing. He has also improved a lot defensively and mentally and now looks like a full-back. Should the Dutchman play in the Premier League next season, his market value will continue to rise.”

At 22: Mamardashvili among most valuable goalkeepers in the world

In the squad of hosts Georgia, Giorgi Mamardashvili is by far the most valuable – his market value is 25 million euros, which means 14th place in the world goalkeeper ranking. In this select circle, no one is as young as the 22-year-old keeper of FC Valencia, who has eight appearances for the senior national team in his résumé.

In the summer of 2021, Mamardashvili first went on loan and six months later permanently to the “Fledermaus”, who paid a fee of 200,000 euros and a transfer fee of 850,000 euros. A bargain, as it quickly turned out. Mamardashvili became number one in the second half of the 2021/22 season and has been an integral part of the goal ever since. As a look at his performance data shows, he didn’t miss any of the 42 games in all competitions last season. Valencia was in the relegation battle for a long time and ended up in 14th place. Nevertheless, the defensive with 45 goals conceded in the league comparison is in the midfield, which is mainly due to Mamardashvili.

The goalkeeper is considered one of the few bright spots in the club’s turbulent times. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that Mamardashvili saved Valencia from relegation,” said Iván Fuente, Content Manager Spain at Transfermarkt. Accordingly, Mamardashvili is characterized in particular by his reflexes and handling high balls. The TM rumor mill has linked him to Inter Milan and Chelsea, among others, and Fuente expects a move should Valencia receive a good offer.

Vitinha: Record transfer at SC Braga and Olympique Marseille

Portugal is one of the title contenders again this year. The “Seleção” have been in the final three times, but it wasn’t enough for a triumph. In 2021, the team lost the final against the young Germans (0:1). Now the team around coach Rui Jorge, who has been in office since 2010, dares a new attempt. Vitinha, who scored four goals in eight U21 games, should help with goals.

The 23-year-old made headlines last winter when he moved from his training club SC Braga to Olympique Marseille – at a cost of €32m. This fee is a record for both sides. However, the transfer has not paid off so far, because Vitinha was mostly used as a wild card in 16 games and contributed two goals and one assist. It is impossible for him to continue to rise in the Ligue 1 market value update next Tuesday. Rather the opposite. Vitinha is currently valued at €22m, making him the third most valuable player in Portugal’s U21 squad.

“Vitinha is not a striker who just waits in the penalty area. Instead, he likes to have space in front of him and pulls away from opposing defenders on a long ball. When working against the ball, he makes a good contribution to the team, but commits fouls here and there,” says Portugal expert Gonçalo Bernardo Tristão Santos.

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