All eyes on two young wingers as Netherlands face England

The second UEFA Nations League semi-final kicks off on Thursday night less than a week after the Champions League final. The two managers could be without new fewer than nine players between them as a result of Tottenham and Liverpool’s progression to the Champions League final. Admittedly, Ronald Koeman is sweating on the state of Reds duo Georginio Wijnaldum and Virgil van Dijk following Champions League success in Madrid. 

For Gareth Southgate, seven of the 23 players called up for the meeting with Netherlands and one of Portugal or Switzerland were part of the Tottenham or Liverpool contingent at the Wanda Metropolitano and while not every player in Southgate’s squad featured, it has impacted preparations ahead of Thursday’s clash with the Netherlands. 

That being said, at the time of writing, Southgate has an exciting talent pool to select from. The U21 Euros may kick off later this month, but a handful of up and coming superstars have made the senior squad, with Jadon Sancho aiming to follow up his full debut for the Three Lions with another fine outing on the international stage. 

The winger is arguably the most exciting English talent to break the mould in the recent years, and he’s not alone either. Callum Hudson-Odoi, who would likely have been in Southgate’s squad had it not been for a season ending Achilles injury, impressed on his first start for England, while the U21 side boasts the likes of James Maddison, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham, to name three, who have been included in previous squads in the past. 

For Sancho, though, he has benefitted from a move away from England and has gone on to become a key player for Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund. Indeed, he was one of only two players to register double figures for both goals (12) and assists (14) in Germany’s top tier last term, the latter more than any other player. The teenager was top for WhoScored man of the match awards won (7) in the Bundesliga and a WhoScored rating of 7.52 was enough to make the team of the season. 

With the acquisitions of Julian Brandt and Thorgan Hazard to ease the departure of Christian Pulisic, competition for starting spots with Borussia Dortmund has become that much more heated for the Bundesliga's second placed side. His flying form, meanwhile, has seen Sancho linked with a return to England and while Dortmund are adamant that the winger is going nowhere this summer, never say never in football. 

Manchester United have been courting the former Manchester City trainee with a possible summer switch on the cards, even if Dortmund are routinely quick to refute talk of a move away. It remains to be seen whether Sancho would favour a return to England, particularly after such a stunning season in Germany, but it’s unlikely to quieten speculation over his future. 

And so, it brings us to England’s UEFA Nations League semi-final meeting with the Netherlands on Thursday, and yet Sancho won’t be the only young winger aiming to catch the eye in Portugal. On the other side of the coin, Steven Bergwijn is hoping to continue his fine season form with PSV. Like Sancho, Bergwijn is being linked with move to England this summer, with Tottenham keeping tabs on the Dutchman. 

And like Sancho, Bergwijn registered for double figures for both goals (14) and assists (12) as PSV finished the campaign second behind Ajax. After making his breakthrough in 2017/18, the 21-year-old followed that up with a fine season and it has seen those from Europe’s top five leagues cast watchful glances across to Eindhoven. 

It wasn’t just his goal contribution that caught the eye, with Bergwijn routinely maximising a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘dribbling’ having completed more dribbles (105) than any other player in the Eredivisie last season. Combined with his goals and assists return, the youngster’s WhoScored rating of 7.81 ranked among the top 10 players in the Eredivisie and it’s this ability to not only breeze past opponents, but have a fine end product to match, that has attracted interest from fellow European sides. 

There is likely to be a number of top teams sending scouts to the UEFA Nations League this week, particularly with the talent on offer from the four sides. Joao Felix and Denis Zakaria are two from Portugal and Switzerland, respectively, that have been courted by Premier League sides in recent months. However, it’s the Netherlands’ meeting with England that may attract more interest. 

Ahead of the summer, teams are desperate to improve and with the likes of United and Tottenham, among others, in the market for a new winger, Sancho and Bergwijn will likely be the focus of their scouting efforts this week with the pair having another platform upon which to showcase their blossoming talent to the watching world.