Football talents are everywhere, but it takes a unique eye to identify who can be the next Nolberto Solano.
Juan Gafas, our shadow scout, is sharing with BabaGol readers, talents that caught his eye during his endless travels in the football world.
Yuriel Celi
Age: 18
Club: Academia Cantolao (Peru)
Position: Attacking midfielder, Winger.
Nationality: Peruvian
Market Value: 300.000 € (Transfermarkt)
Why follow him? Earlier this year, Peru's U23 team failed miserably in the Pre-Olympic tournament, but for Celi, it was a great opportunity. This quality product of Cantolao's excellent academy got to show his skills against opponents who are much older than him, doing so very well.
He has excellent ball control in tight spaces, along with a seemingly innate ability to break lines with through passes. Celi can also break forward with the ball using his good balance and bursts of speed. He is a threat on goal from a distance, does not shy of trying and managed to score a couple of goals from outside the box. This goal, scored against Pirata last year, shows some of his skills and style.
Usually, he plays in the middle of the field, where he can win the ball back and work without it to some degree. But it is his attacking contribution that he is best at, and up the field is where I’d like to see him play more often. Depending on his development, I can see him doing well playing wide as an attacking winger too.
He plays low-intensity football in Peru where he looks good physically - well-built for his age, and able to keep a fast enough pace. While it might not be enough for higher levels right now, he has the physical potential to improve, and undoubtedly the technical ability to play in higher levels soon. There are still question marks around Celi, but regardless - he is one of Peru’s rising stars worth following.
Photo via Yuriel Celi Instagram account.
