Quincy Promes: Scout Report | The next pacy Dutch winger?By Ryan Lim on December 18, 2013@https://twitter.com/TapInMerchant

The emergence of exciting young talent in the Eredivisie has been but a normality in recent years,with the likes of Christian Eriksen and Kevin Strootman rising to prominence, both of whom are now plying their trades at top European clubs, two very big clubs in their own right. Even despite the departure of two such promising, talented young individuals, the Eredivisie still boasts of a vast, vast pool of exceptional talent, consisting of gems such as Ajaxs Viktor Fischer and PSVs Zakaria Bakkali already catching the eye of some of the biggest clubs in the continent. One player, however, who perhaps hasnt received attention of such magnitude is Twente winger Quincy Promes.ProfilePromes was born in Amsterdam in 1992. Naturally, as a young Mokummer with aspirations of becoming a professional footballer, he was enrolled in the world-renowned Ajax youth academy from a young age. Slowly but surely, he progressed up the ranks of the famed institute; that is until he was promoted to the B-junior team. His long stay at Ajax had ended when he was released in 2008, aged 16. Shortly after, he joined the youth ranks of Harlem-based football club HFC Haarlem. Determined to make a name for himself and silence his critics, he steadily improved and progressed, making a deep impression, putting in some very solid shifts for the clubs youth team. It was all going well for young him, until just over a year later when HFC Haarlem were declared bankrupt in late 2009.Albeit under vastly different circumstances, again, he was released and left without a club. This time, however, his efforts bore fruit, with his stellar displays for Haarlem at youth level attracting the attention of Eredivisie heavyweights FC Twente. He signed for the Tukkers, residing in their youth ranks, parading his raw talent and ability with several superb displays for the Jong team his performances earning him a call-up to the Dutch U19 squad in March 2011 for a friendly against the Italy U19s, a game which he started and played the full 90 minutes. The same year, Promes signed his first professional contract with the club.A year on, in February 2012, he was handed a place on the bench by newly-appointed manager Steve McLaren, in a 3-2 home loss to Heracles. He would go on to make his debut in April, coming on as a late substitute replacing Nils Roseler, in a 2-2 draw away to rivals AZ Alkmaar. He would make two more appearances in 2012, both coming as late cameos in both legs of a play-off tie with RKC Waalwijk. The following season, Promes was sent out on-loan to Dutch second division dwellers Go Ahead Eagles. It didnt take long for the young winger to make an impression, scoring a goal and assisting two in his first start for the club in a 4-1 win away to FC Oss. He would finish the season with 13 goals in 32 games, in the process winning him the Eerst Divisie Player of the Year award.Quincy Promes has since become a valuable, almost indispensible part of Michel Jansens plans, making 15 consecutive starts so far this season, before being ruled out with a knee injury. Promes has also established himself as a regular starter for the Dutch U21s, so far chalking up 7 caps for Albert Stuivenbergs men and scoring on two occasions.Styles, Strengths and WeaknessesPromes is generally deployed on the right wing, though also well capable of operating on the left. He is also adept at carrying out his duties sufficiently through the middle, in the number 10 role. He boasts of an exceptionally direct style of play, constantly looking to run at the opposition and creating opportunities, coming inside and engineering space for a shot, drawing players to himself, distorting the oppositions shape and opening up pockets of space for his teammates to run into. The image below pretty much sums up what he brings to the floor.

It shows Promes (circled in black) running at the opposition, in the process drawing the opposing full-back, winger and centre-half to himself, creating space for his full-back (out of picture) to make an overlapping run in. Three players hes dragged away from goal, all of which whom he subsequently bamboozles with some fancy footwork and leaves for dead, before releasing the the full-back with a perfectly weighted through ball and allowing him all the time in the world to pick out the now freed up centre-forward (circled in blue) to slot home.His uncanny ability to engineer space and drag opponents out of position make him a vital aspect of Twentes game, which is highly dependent on flooding the final-third and utilizing the vision and crossing ability of players like Duan Tadi and Roberto Rosales.Even whilst off the ball, Promes still brings a great deal to the table, making clever runs and getting into some very dangerous positions.

The images above show Tadi (nearside) shaping up for a cross. A 3 vs 4 situation comes into play. Instead of tussling with the opposing defenders for space and moving in to attack the ball, Promes (circled) removes himself from play and makes a run away from goal, in the process dragging his marker along, thereby allowing space for Castaignos (furthest forward) to run into and get his head onto the ball. As shown in the second picture, Promes is well out of picture and has his marker ball-watching. He anticipates the knockdown from Castaignos and bursts into the box, running into the pocket of space circled above, beating the opposing centre-half to the ball and unerringly belts it into the bottom left corner. His explosive pace, quickness of feet as well as his capability from distance are some of his other more significant assets.As one would expect from a 21 year-old playing in his first full season in one of Europes top 5 leagues, Promes is still a fairly unrefined player in that he lacks several vital aspects to his game, aspects that only come with experience at this level. One such aspect being his naivety and poor decision making at times, opting for the intricate over the glaringly simple option. He also lacks composure and awareness, often getting caught in two minds and giving the ball away cheaply when put or making an aimless cross or pull-back after beating his man. Pressing issues indeed, but certainly ones that are easily rectifiable given time.Promes has notched up 8 goals and 4 assists after 15 games this season (at the time of writing) an exceptional return by anyones standards. This coupled with some superb performances for the Tukkers, has well and truly shot him into prominence. Quick, powerful, astute and direct Quincy Promes is fast proving himself to be of the hottest young prospects in European football at the moment.Expert OpinionVastly improved winger who has used his spell on loan at Go Ahead Eagles last season as a springboard into the Twente starting eleven.His performances are one of the reasons why Twente are title challengers this year.If he continues to improve then a move to a big club and a chance in Netherlands national team wont be far off. Michael Bell, Editor, Football-Oranje.com[@football_oranje]Quincy Promes is an electrifying young winger with great pace and skill. He has arguably been Twentes best player so far this season through his consistently excellent performances as well as his goalscoring ability and link-up with those around him.Promes is a hard working young player who puts in a defensive shift and is also very versatile as he can play on either wing or, if required, in a deeper role. He is a good passer of the ball and is good at staying wide and sending dangerous crosses in towards Luc Castaignos, but can also cut in and really threaten defences with his skill and dangerous shots.As Twente remain one of the candidates to win the Eredivisie this season, Promes is an integral part of the team. At 21-years-old he has great potential and it wont be long before he makes his mark on the national team.Peter McVitie (@PeterMcVitie), Dutch Football Editor, Benefoot.netJrgen Locadia Scouting ReportPosted on January 12, 2014 by Dheeraj Khandelwal The Dutch national team always have had superb firepower upfront. Great strikers such as Marco van Basten, Patrick Kluivert, Dennis Bergkamp and Ruud van Nistelrooy have pulled on the famous Oranje jersey and this tradition has been continued by other prolific strikers in Klaas Jan-Huntelaar and Robin van Persie in more recent times.Another player hoping to make his name as a prolific Dutch striker is a youth product from the famed PSV Academy, a 20 year old by the name of Jrgen Locadia.

Youth Career:Locadia initially started football at the age of 5 with the club VV Bargeres, an amateur club located in the city of his birth. At the age of 8, he moved to Dutch 2nd division club FC Emmen. It is here that he developed his football for the next 7 to 8 years. In 2009, he moved to the then-Eredivisie side Willem II, moving to Tilburg with his family, but he stayed there for only one season, joining PSV in 2010.He turned professional at the age of 18 in the year 2011.Coming into the spotlight: Locadia first came into the spotlight when he scored on his debut after coming off the bench in the 72nd minute in a KNVB Cup match against VVSB. It took him only 8 minutes into his debut to score his 1st professional goal and the sixth for PSV in the game that ended 8-0. In the next round in the cup, Locadia was rewarded with a starting place in the line-up in a game that PSV won. This was his final appearance of the season.If his Cup debut for the club was good, his league debut was definitely better. He made his league debut against VVV Venlo coming into the game in the 68th minute, he scored a hat-trick helping his team to a 6-0 win. In doing so, he became the first player in the last 40 years to score a hat-trick on his Eredivisie debut, the last player to do so being Harald Berg who did it for Den Haag in 1969.With this, his involvement in the first team gradually increased. Later on in February 2013, he scored all three goals in a 30 win overPEC Zwollein the KNVB Cup semi-final. He continued to live up to the trust the manager placed in him, although the opportunities in the 2012/13 season were mainly from the bench. He had 16 appearances in the season, out of which he had only 3 starts. He bagged 7 goals in the season though, impressive figures considering that he was just a 19-year old breaking into the senior team. In the current season, he has been given more chances. Making a total of 23 appearances so far this season, 14 of which were starts, and he contributed a total of 9 goals and 2 assists. Again, superb figures as a 19 year old (He only recently turned 20).

Playing Style:Due to his stature and his ability to hold up play well, he has been likened to another prolific Dutch striker, Patrick Kluivert. Locadia is a pacey customer for the defenders to deal with and is equally adept playing a role holding up the ball or just playing on the shoulder of the last defender. He has great heading ability and that coupled with his pace and his ability to use both feet, makes him a superb all round striker.Apart from his finishing traits, he is very good at linking up play and likes to play quick short passes and intricate through balls.Possible weakness:Although he does have a great build with his height at 62, he still rushes into aerial duels, sometimes complicating matters for himself. He has been handy in finishing off the attacks with a fine header at times, but at other times he lacks the composure to be competing on an equal footing for the aerial 50-50s. None-the-less, considering he has the height to do it, and he is still only 19, we can be sure that he will develop in this regard as well.Experience and composure comes naturally to players as they age, so no problems in that aspect.Possible Transfer:Only a week after his three goal Eredivisie debut, PSV signed him down to a long term contract running until 2017. Moreover, neither the club, nor the player has expressed any inclination to part ways. PSV know they have a potential star on their hands, while Locadia acknowledges the fact that he still has a lot to learn. Its safe to say that a move in the nearby future is not on the cards.Overall:Overall, he has excellent potential to be one of the top strikers in the near future. The talent certainly is there. All he needs to do is keep his head down, carry on with the training and not take things lightly. If he keeps his commitment and attitude right, he certainly will have all the tools to make it at the highest level.100 Best Young Players to Watch-Out for in 2014 | Defenders ( 30 21 )By Outside of the Boot on January 9, 2014@OOTB_football For all the information and queries regarding this feature, we recommendreading this document. Feel free to contact us if you have any issues regarding the list.Remember that this list contains only those players who are 20 and under, thus born on or after 1st January 1993.We have taken into consideration factors such as their performance in 2013 and expected performance in 2014.Only those players who have made a fairly regular run of senior football appearances in the top division on any country have been included.100 Best Young Players to Watch-Out for in 2014 | Defenders (30 21)30 ) DeAndre YedlinWho is he?Yedlin is a 20 year old right back playing for the Seattle Sounders in the MLS. He is yet to be capped for USA.Back in 2013:Yedlin is a regular for the Sounders having featured 30 times in the MLS for the Sounders in what was his first season with the senior side. He scored once in 2013 in the league against the Colorado Rapids and also managed an assist against Real Salt Lake. He started 30 times for his club and country. He also started in 3 out of the 4 games in the CONCACAF Champions League.Yedlin was a part of the unsuccessful U-20 World Cup team for the USA. Hes never made a senior appearance for the national side but hes one of the 26 whove recently been called up for a USMNT training camp by Jurgen Klinsmann.Looking ahead to 2014:After having finished 3rd in the MLS Rookie of the Year voting, 2014 will be a big year for DeAndre Yedlin. His immediate goal will of course be to impress boss Klinsmann in the training camp. Whether he can book a place in the 23 man squad only time will tell but hell want to take the chance to impress. After that, its all about kicking on in 2014 and building on his first season with the Sounders.29)Bjorn EngelsWho is he?Bjorn Engels is a 19 year old defender who plays for Club Brugge in the Jupiler Pro League. The Belgian centre-back has the quirky distinction of having scored an own goal on his club debut in the Europa League and a goal on his league debut for Brugge.Back in 2013:Engels made his league debut for his club in the 2nd game of the season and marked his debut with a goal as Brugge overcame KV Oostende by a 2-1 margin. Engels has since started 13 other games for the Belgian club and added to his goal tally in a 4-1 loss to KV Kortijk. He has managed to garner 5 yellow cards and a sending off in his short league career thus far.The tall centre-back hasnt managed to make his mark at the International stage yet with a solitary appearance in an U-19 friendly in 2012 being his only appearance in International football so far.Looking ahead to 2014:Engels has enjoyed plenty of first team football for his club this season and he would definitely be looking forward to the restart of the League after the winter break. Engels would be best served furthering his development at Brugge in 2014.28) Nicola MurruWho is he?Murru is a 19 year old defender plying his trade for Cagliari in the Serie A. Hes a left-back whos featured heavily for Italian teams at various age groups.Back in 2013:Having made sporadic appearances for Cagliari previously it was towards the end of the 2012-13 season when Murru started enjoying a regular run in the first team. In fact starting from March, he featured in 9 out of last 11 fixtures of the season missing one due to suspension and the other due to an injury. He has continued in much the same manner in the present season starting 12 times thus far including the first 3 games in which he registered an assist in every outing.The left back was a regular fixture in the U-19 side last season in his regular left back role and also a couple of appearances as right back.Looking ahead to 2014:Murru has established himself as first choice left back in Italy and is reveling as first choice for his club. After featuring heavily for the U-19s, hell be looking to break into the U-21 set up and eventually the senior side.27) Chancel Mbemba ManguluWho is he?Chancel Mbemba Mangulu is a 19 year old (we think) defender who plays for Anderlecht. He has already featured at senior level for the Democratic Replublic of Congo.Back in 2013:After moving from ES La Grace, a club in Congo to Anderlecht at the start of the season, Mangulu has enjoyed his spell in Belgium and has already made his presence felt in Belgium, certainly enough to make this list. He started the first 2 games of the season before being briefly left out of the starting XI. He won back his spot soon and has thrived at Anderlecht. Hes made 16 starts in the league including featuring at right-back on a couple of occasions and started 5 out of 6 games in Anderlechts ultimately disappointing campaign. Hes shown that he carries a goal threat chalking up 3 goals in the league and 1 against Benfica in the Champions League.Mangulu has already made a handful of appearances for Congo and should continue to be a regular fixture for them in the years to come.Looking at 2014:Anderlecht capped off 2013 with a good win against Zulte-Waregem and find themselves in 2nd spot heading into the new year. Mangulu will be keen to continue impressing and help his club catch up with Liege atop the league. On a personal note, Mangulu has placed himself on the map and interest from some of the bigger leagues wouldnt surprise us.26) Sead KolasinacWho is he?:Sead Kolasinac is a 20 year old left-back who plays for Schalke in the Bundesliga. The German-born defender has played for Germany at various age levels before accepting the offer to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina at the senior level.Back in 2013:The year 2013, at least the first half, will be one that will be fondly remembered by the young left-back. After a couple of appearances in the 1st half of the 2012-13 season, it was in 2013 that Kolasinac was given a run in the starting XI. He played in central midfield in Schalkes first game of the calendar year in a memorable 5-4 win against Hannover. He was a consistent fixture in the side from then on, featuring at his more customary left-back position. The 2013-14 season though has been a frustrating one for the youngster with an injury plagued start to the season. He had to wait till the end of October for his first start of the season and has been eased back into the starting XI.Kolasinac was a regular fixture for the German youth teams but as mentioned before, hes decided to take up the opportunity to play for Bosnia-Herzegovina and played the entire 90 minutes in a friendly against Argentina in November.Looking to 2014:The Bundesliga has become the hotbed of young footballing talent and has created an environment in which young prospects can thrive in. Kolasinac is no different and hell be looking to put his stop-start end to the season behind him for the 2nd half of the season.25) John Anthony BrooksWho is he?Our 2nd consecutive entry from the Bundesliga, John Anthony Brooks plays for Hertha Berlin. A centre-back by trade, Brooks was eligible for both Germany and USA and appeared at junior levels for both sides before playing for USA at senior level.Back in 2013:Hertha were in the second division of Germany the previous season before securing promotion to the Bundesliga in the current one. An important component of the promotion campaign was centre back Brooks. He was first choice defender for the club and featured heavily throughout the 2012-13 season. The 2013-14 season hasnt been as smooth for him. It started off on a bright note with a goal in Herthas thumping 6-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. However since then injuries have affected the youngsters season with him featuring only twice in the last 3 months of the calendar year.Having decided to represent USA in Internationals, Brooks made his debut in August and has to his caps by playing another 90 minutes against Austria.Looking at 2014:After a frustrating end to the year, Brooks would have enjoyed the timing of the winter break. A return to regular football would be welcome for the USA International as Hertha make the push towards European football next season.24) Dimitri FoulquierWho is he?The wonderfully named Dimitri Foulquier is a full-back who plays for Rennes and is currently on loan to Spanish side Granada. The youngster is a part of the French U-21 set up.Back in 2013: Foulquier spent the first part of the year at parent club Rennes. He oftenplayed in strings of games at a time and not a sustained run. However, he did play 5 games in a row towards the end of the season. The youngster was loaned to Granada for the season but understandably didnt feature in the clubs line up at the start of the season given his exploits at the U-20 World Cup but his services were called upon on a fairly regular basis thereafter. His ability to play on both sides of the pitch has served both him and Granada well in the 11 appearances hes made so far.He played every minute of Frances U-20 World Cup winning campaign chalking up an impressive 3 assists. He has also played every minute of the qualifiers for the U-21 team so far.Looking at 2014:The more football a young player can play, the better his chance of making it at a senior level. Thus, in terms of playing time Foulquier can be more than happy to see out his loan move at Granada. Well be very interested to see what role he plays at Rennes next season.23) Uros SpajicWho is he?Uros Spajic is a Serbian U-21 International. The 20 year-old centre-back plays for Toulouse in France.Back in 2013:The first half of 2013 was the last season in which Spajic represented Red Star Belgrade. He was a constant fixture after the winter break and impressed Toulouse enough for them to bring him to France in the summer. His debut for his new side was ended in bizarre circumstances as he was asked to leave the field as he was mistaken to be the teammate sent off by the referee. However, he has kicked on and started all but 1 of the league games thus far this season proving to be well worth the money spent on him in the summer. He scored his first goal for the club in the Coupe de la Ligue against Marseille.Hes a regular starter for the Serbian U-21 side featuring in all 5 of their qualification games in the year.Looking at 2014:The Serbian has settled in well to life in France and will look to kick on in the second half of the season. In terms of the national side, having featured regularly for the U-21s, the next step up is obviously the senior team- a feat much easier said than done given the wealth of options at their disposal.22) Eric DierWho is he?Eric Dier is somewhat of a rare commodity in present day football; an England youth International playing football outside England. The 19 year old centre-back plays for Sporting Lisbon.Back in 2013:Having come through the ranks at Sporting, Dier has progressed to the senior side in Portugal. Diers versatility has come of good use as hes capable at right-back, centre-back and central midfield, the last of which he portrayed in a run of games near the end of the 2012-13 campaign. Opportunities havent been that free flowing this season, with Dier starting 5 times this season and making a further 2 appearances off the bench despite being in the squad for all 14 of the games thus far.He was a part of the England squad for the U-20 World Cup in the summer and played every minute of the admittedly short campaign. Hes part of the U-21 set up and started the qualifier against San Marino in a 4-0 win.Looking at 2014:The Primeira Liga is wonderfully poised heading into the new year and Dier will be hoping to play a role in the second half of the campaign. As for his international career, he has to first and foremost force his way into Southgates first team before aiming for anything higher.21) Ben DaviesWho is he?Ben Davies is a 20 year old left back who plays for Swansea City. Hes already a full Welsh International.Back in 2013:2012-13 turned out to be the breakthrough season for Davies as he more than ably filled in at both club and country level for the injured Neil Taylor. Davies established himself as first choice left back and even scored his first goal for the club against Stoke. Taylor hasnt managed to displace Davies from the starting line-up as hes started 17 of the 18 league games thus far in the campaign scoring twice to add to his credentials as a developing full back.Click here to read a detailed Scout Report on Ben DaviesHe made his senior debut against Scotland in 2012 and continued to start at left back for Wales in 2013.Looking at 2014:Hes done well to keep Neil Taylor out of the starting line-up thus far and theres no reason he cannot continue to do so in 2014, both for club and country. Theres bound to be speculation linking him to bigger teams.Juan Fernando Quintero Scouting ReportPosted on July 7, 2013 by Dheeraj Khandelwal Quintero is the latest of the golden generation to come out of the South American nation of Columbia. This generation including Portos Jackson Martinez, Inters Fredy Guarin and Monaco duo Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez will soon have another star in their ranks one who is yet to make a mark at the highest level in Europe. The player in question here is a youngster, 20 year old Juan Fernando Quintero.

Name: Juan Fernando QuinteroAge: 20Position: Playmaker, Second StrikerYouth Career:Quintero joined the Columbian club Envigado as an 11 year old in 2004 after he impressed in a youth tournament held in his hometown of Medellin. He turned professional with the club in 2009 at the age of 16 and spent the next two seasons playing in Columbias top divison amassing 43 appearances as he turned 18. He then moved to Columbian giants and his hometown club, Atltico Nacional where he played for another season (making 15 apps. with 2 goals and an assist to his name) before making the switch to Europe.A number of clubs were reportedly vying to get him on loan. He ultimately ended up on loan at Italian club Pescara. Coming into the spotlight:As would be expected from any player, he took some time to get used to the step up from the Columbian 1st divison to the Italian 1st division, the Serie A. His performances at Pescara were inconsistent although he did show signs of promise. He had a total of 12 starts for the Italian club in the league where he managed 2 assists and a single goal against Bologna.But in this inconsistent season he showed great affinity for playmaking which was demonstrated by the stats he put on. He averaged 1.1 Key Passes/Game and 2.8 Shots/Game, both the maximum for the Pescara squad. He also averaged 2.1 Successful dribbles/game, the 2nd best in the squad. On the passing front, he had a passing accuracy of 87.3% with an average of 42.3 Completed passes/Game and 4.2 Completed Long Balls/Game. All this in his 1st season in Europe as an 19 year old.Although this was enough for a reported interest from Italian giants Inter and Juventus, what truly brought him into the spotlight, was the 2013SouthAmericanYouthChampionship. He ended up as the MVP for the tournament, contributing 5 goals and 4 assists in 9 matches. His goals included a stunning 40 yard free kick against Argentina. Backed by his impressive displays, Colombia won the tournament and this brought Quintero to the notice of the world.FIFA U20 World Cup 13Next, he went to the FIFA U20 World Cup held in Turkey with his name firmly in place as Colombias man-to-watch and as the captain of the side. In the 1st match against Australia, he was lively and constantly troubled the opposition defence managing to have 9 shots (4 on target). He did not manage to find the back of the net though, in a game that Colombia were chasing having gone 1-nil down but was the focal point of the Colombian attack. Colombia managed to draw 1-1. In his sides next game against Turkey, he scored a fantastic 18-yard goal to help his side overcome the hosts by a 1-nil margin. In the next game, he had an assist and another ferocious long range goal to help his side beat El Salvador by a 3-0 margin. The team progressed into the knockout stages and the next test was against South Korea. Colombia went behind by a single goal and into injury time when they were saved by another Quintero golazo. A magnificent 25 yard free kick saved Colombia and into extra time they went. This effort was in vain as Colombia lost 7-8 in the penalty shoot outs. But put his position firmly in place as one of the best prospects in world football.Juan Fernando Quinterov/s South Korea (FIFA WC U20)Juan Fernando Quinterov/s El Salvador (FIFA WC U20)Juan Fernando Quinterov/s Turkey (FIFA WC U20)STYLE OF PLAY:Having both a fierce strike and the ability to thread a through ball for a team mate, he thrives in the classic trequartista role. With dribbling and ball control way too good for someone his age, he is also quite composed on the ball. Blessed with a low centre of gravity, quite like Lionel Messi, he has excellent balance and agility and along with his ball control, he is a terrifying opponent for the defenders he faces.His play involves playing in the hole and using his excellent dribbling and ball control to create spaces for himself or his team mates. With his fierce shots, he is a threat to the opposition goal from range and also has exceptional-for-his-age set piece ability.He also showed his ability to handle pressure well with the free kick against South Korea. He had faith in his ability and under utmost pressure, in the last minute of the game, he managed to equalise for Colombia and keep their hope for the trophy alive.POSSIBLE WEAKNESS:He isnt afraid to shoot from distance and opts to test the opposition goalkeeper with his long rangers sometimes when he could play a simple pass to a team mate. But, considering his age, his composure will improve as he gains experience and with the ability he has shown, it is safe to say that he will be able to improve on his decision making as well.Another possible fault in his gameplay, is his extensive use of his stronger foot. On occasion, when he could keep it simple with his right foot, he over-complicates matters by taking the ball onto his left. The defenders will eventually know how to deal with his play and as a player who plays in the middle; he needs to improve his weaker foot. But, if initial indications and other examples (Messi, David Silva, Mata) are anything to go by, he could turn into a very successful player in his position as he is.POSSIBLE TRANSFERS: Currently contracted to the Colombian club Atltico Nacional, there are a number of European clubs vying for his signature with Juventus, Inter & Genoa all interested. But comments from the Pescara president state that he is close to securing a 10m move to Portuguese club FC Porto who are looking to replace outgoing countrymen James Rodriguez (who joined AS Monaco).What role does he play in Portos 4-3-3 system, remains to be seen. He may be pushed out wide to replace Rodriguez & this will require him to track back to defend more often than he currently does, but will none-the-less represent an important learning curve for the player. Porto have an excellent system in place to bring in youngsters and develop them to help fulfil their potential. They will no doubt help Quintero if he decides to move there.OVERALL:He has the potential to be a very good player. But, for now it would suit him to join Porto or Genoa instead of Juventus or Inter. He needs regular game time to help improve his game and get near to his full potential. He, is definitely a player to watch out for in the near future.

That gives him an overall current ability score of 68/100.Juan Fernando Quinterov/s Argentina (South American youth Championship)- ByDheeraj Khandelwal.Scout - Eder Alvarez Balanta By Sky Sports Scout - Tweet me: @skysportscout | Last Updated: 11/12/13 9:53am

Sky Bet Football Betting Up To 30 Free Matched Bet Sky Sports Scout is our exciting feature where we scour the globe looking out for the best talent and bring you a report on what we find.Our scout will report back and you can comment on what you think of their appraisal.You can only nominate a player by emailing here, including the word 'Scout' in your subject line, and please check to make sure we have not already covered the player.You can also now interact with the scout via his Twitter feed! You can get in touch with him and interact here or just search for @skysportsscout.Scout factsNAME: Eder Alvarez BalantaAGE: 20 (28th February, 1993)BORN: Bogota, ColombiaPOSITION: DefenderCLUB: River PlateFACTS: Is yet to play any international footballSky Sports Scout Ratings:0-10 - No hoper11-20 - Should look elsewhere21-30 - Might not make it31-40 - Has work to do41-50 - Keep an eye on him51-60 - Great prospect61-70 - On his way to the top71-80 - Already World-classThe latest player to be spotlighted is River Plate's Eder Alvarez Balanta.The scout reports...Eder Alvarez Balanta made his senior debut less than 12 months ago, but he is already being spoken of as a winter target for European giants Barcelona.We check on the Colombian making a name for himself in Argentina.Balanta was born and raised in the Colombian capital Bogota, and he began his footballing journey with Academia - now Llaneros - helping them to a series of youth titles.His progress caught the eye of a number of scouts, and River Plate invited him for trials in early 2011 when he had just turned 18.He did well and was snapped up by River and played a big part in their Under-20 Copa Libertadores success in 2012, and his performances saw him promoted to the senior squad.In March 2013, he made his debut - starting against Racing Club and he helped River keep a clean-sheet as they won 2-0. From that day he has been an ever-present in Ramon Diaz's side.After just a handful of games for River, he was reported to have been the subject of a bid from Inter Milan - but River rejected this, instead offering him a professional deal.Balanta signed a three-year deal in July this year, but because he was still on a youth deal River did stop him participating in the Under-20 World Cup with his native Colombia.Indeed despite his rise to prominence, Balanta is yet to represent Colombia at any level - although he has confirmed he would not think about representing Argentina, after it was claimed they were looking into naturalising him.One thing that is clear, is that it is very easy to see why Argentina, Barcelona and the like would all love to have Balanta playing for them - River have unearthed a real gem.Almost un-South American like, Balanta is a ball playing centre-half who oozes class.Left-footed, Balanta's reading of the game is first-class - and the fact he stands just below 6ft does not interfere in his game, as he does have a tremendous leap if needed.Balanta is also hugely powerful, and you would expect him to be robust with it. But that is not the case - he rarely dives into a tackle, instead allowing his outstanding pace to get him out of trouble.His passing is very good, as he loves to bring the ball out of defence and find a team-mate - although perhaps too often he looks for the long cross-field ball.But finding a fault with Balanta is not easy and many think he could very well push himself into Colombia's World Cup team, let alone squad, before next summer's finals in Brazil.In light of Barca's reported interest, River have placed a 12million price-tag on his head and many in Argentina think he could be bound for Europe as early as January - astonishingly less than 12 months after his River debut.The scout says...Balanta really does look like the real deal, and one who would really settle well into European football - therefore it is no surprise that Europe's biggest clubs are looking at him.Balanta has come from nowhere but by the World Cup next summer, he could be one of the players to watch in Brazil.The Scout rating...Shooting: 5 out of 10Passing: 7 out of 10Tackling: 8 out of 10Heading: 7 out of 10Pace: 8 out of 10Vision: 7 out of 10Current ability: 7 out of 10Potential ability: 10 out of 10OVERALL SCOUT RATING:59/80Current value: 10millionPotential value: 30million