The 20 greatest Scandinavian superstars your membership ought to signal
- Join Mail+ for more exclusive scoops, in-depth reporting and analysis from across European football’s top leagues
While Norse God Erling Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm since his arrival at Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund, the Norway international is only the standard-bearer for a host of Scandinavian superstars on playing on these shores.
Arsenal star – and Haaland’s captain with Norway – Martin Odegaard, Newcastle and Sweden striker Alexander Isak and Manchester United‘s Danish frontman Rasmus Hojlund have all commanded big fees and are primed to dominate the world’s richest league for years to come… but who’s might the next Nordic superstar be?
Despite Scandinavia’s freezing climes, the region has become a hotspot for talent in recent years.
As such, there are a number of wonderkids currently starring around Europe now ready to make the step to the Premier League.
Here, Mail Sport’s European football expert TOM COLLOMOSSE runs through 20 of the best – and which starlet your club should sign.
Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm since 2022
Haaland’s captain with Norway Martin Odegaard is another who has commanded a big fee
But which of Haaland and Odegaard’s regional compatriots could be next to join them in the English top flight?
SEBASTIAN NANASI
Age: 22
Club: Strasbourg
Country: Sweden
Position: Attacking midfielder
Granted, he has played only six games in France’s Ligue 1 – but it has been a mightily impressive start.
Nanasi joined Strasbourg from Malmo for £9.2million this summer and already has three goals and two assists in six games for his new club. The forward has continued his good form for his country with three goals in his first five Sweden caps.
He compares favourably to Mykhailo Mudryk under virtually every attacking metric produced by data gurus Stathead – and Chelsea paid £89m for the Ukrainian. Like Chelsea, Strasbourg are owned by BlueCo. Don’t be surprised to see Nanasi in west London in the not-too-distant future.
Possible landing spots: Chelsea, Brighton, Tottenham
Goalscoring Sebastian Nanasi joined Strasbourg from Malmo for £9.2million this summer
SVERRE NYPAN
Age: 17
Club: Rosenborg
Country: Norway
Position: Midfielder
Norway’s two finest football exports, Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, represent England’s two strongest clubs – but their heir apparent has eyes only for another Premier League giant.
‘It would be a dream come true to play for Manchester United,’ the 6ft midfielder told the United Norway podcast. ‘But I am quite adamant I don’t want to open that door yet.’
An experienced Norwegian scout told Mail Sport: ‘Nypan is a truly generational talent. If he continues to play like this, it’s very likely he’ll move within a year.’
Possible landing spots: Manchester United, Arsenal
Sverre Nypan has previously shared that it would be a dream of his play for Manchester United
CONRAD HARDER
Age: 19
Club: Sporting Lisbon
Country: Denmark
Position: Forward
When scouting strikers, analysts will always look at shot volume – how many times a player strikes for goal per 90 minutes.
For context, Lionel Messi has taken aim 4.77 times per match on average across his career, Cristiano Ronaldo 5.47 and Erling Haaland 3.41.
After 39 senior games, Harder’s ratio is an astonishing 5.42. It is a small sample size, and he has only been playing for Sporting this season so the number will inevitably drop.
But he is certainly worth following – especially as market wizards Brighton were also interested in him.
Possible landing spots: Manchester City, Newcastle, Liverpool, Brighton
After 39 senior games, Conrad Harder has an astonishing 5.42 strikes for goal per 90 minutes
HAKON ARNAR HARALDSSON
Age: 21
Club: Lille
Country: Iceland
Position: Attacking midfielder
Man of the match when Iceland won 1-0 at Wembley in June, Haraldsson had a hugely promising first season in French football and is now getting a shot in the Champions League with Lille.
He currently plays as a No10 but may eventually operate as a more deep-lying midfielder, just as Andrea Pirlo and Luka Modric did.
His slight build could count against him at the highest level of the Premier League – but they said that about Modric and Denmark’s Christian Eriksen, too.
Possible landing spots: Brentford, Fulham, Brighton
Hakon Arnar Haraldsson (right) was man of the match when Iceland won 1-0 at Wembley
ORRI OSKARSSON
Age: 20
Club: Real Sociedad
Country: Iceland
Position: Forward
Another jewel of the FC Copenhagen system, Oskarsson was rated more highly than Rasmus Hojlund in the club’s youth setup and joined Real Sociedad for £17m last summer.
He scored twice on his senior debut aged just 13 for Grotta in his native Iceland, with his dad as manager.
Though it has been a slow start in Spain, there is no doubting the potential of Oskarsson, a classic No9 with the athleticism to stretch defences and intelligence to link the play.
‘Orri has already improved by playing in Spain,’ said Iceland coach Age Hareide. ‘It’s a great place for a forward to develop.’
Possible landing spots: Newcastle, Arsenal, Manchester City
During their mutual time in the FC Copenhagen youth system, Orri Oskarsson (pictured) was rated more highly than Rasmus Hojlund
ALBERT GRONBAEK
Age: 23
Club: Rennes
Country: Denmark
Position: Attacking midfielder
Many players who leave reigning Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt struggle when they leave the Arctic Circle, but Gronbaek looks likely to break the trend.
In the exhaustive metrics provided by Stathead, Gronbaek compares well with players like Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi – an international regular – and his fellow compatriot Eriksen, though their styles are a little different.
A regular set-piece taker, Gronbaek has also made a good start with Rennes and is settling in at international level too, winning the man of the match award against Switzerland on debut in September and then scoring against Serbia three days later.
All promising signs for the future.
Possible landing spots: Brighton, West Ham, Nottingham Forest
Bodo/Glimt’s Albert Gronbaek compares well to midfielders such as United’s Christian Eriksen
SINDRE WALLE EGELI
Age: 18
Club: FC Nordsjaelland
Country: Norway
Position: Forward
Mail Sport revealed earlier this year that Egeli has been scouted by Newcastle, while he has already broken into the senior Norway squad.
Most comfortable operating on the right of a front three, Egeli is another example of the excellent youth recruitment system at Danish club Nordsjaelland, which has produced the likes of Brighton winger Simon Adingra and Brentford’s Mikkel Damsgaard.
Talented players do not hang around at Nordsjaelland for long, and Egeli will likely be waving goodbye after one more season. He may even go straight to the Premier League.
Possible landing spots: Newcastle, Crystal Palace, West Ham
Mail Sport revealed earlier this year that Sindre Walle Egeli has been scouted by Newcastle
COLE CAMPBELL
Age: 18
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Country: Iceland/USA
Position: Midfielder
Born in Houston to an American father and former Iceland international mother, Campbell has played for both countries at youth level – scoring twice on his USA Under 19s debut against England in March – and will surely be the subject of similar duels between top clubs as his career develops.
Dortmund are considered a finishing school for top young talent, as Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham would attest.
Campbell has yet to make a senior appearance for the Germans but was on the bench for the recent defeat by Union Berlin and his chance will come soon.
Possible landing spots: Aston Villa, Brentford, Chelsea
Cole Campbell was born in Houston to an American father and ex-Iceland international mother
ADAM DAGHIM
Age: 19
Club: Red Bull Salzburg
Country: Denmark
Position: Forward
From Sadio Mane to Erling Haaland, not forgetting Karim Adeyemi or Benjamin Sesko, Red Bull Salzburg have a flair for spotting a talented forward, and Daghim could be the latest from that impressive production line.
Also eligible to represent Palestine, 6ft 2in winger Daghim has three goals in his first nine games for Denmark’s Under 19s.
After signing a contract extension at the start of 2024, he said: ‘I really like Neymar, and Erling Haaland is my big idol. He scores loads of goals, and you can’t do the job any better than he does.’
Possible landing spots: Leeds United, Leicester, Brentford
Red Bull Salzburg have a flair for spotting a talented forward, with Adam Daghim the latest
MAURITS KJAERGAARD
Age: 21
Club: Red Bull Salzburg
Country: Denmark
Position: Midfielder
Daghim’s Salzburg team-mate Kjaergaard has pedigree and exposure on his side. He has been in the prodigious Red Bull system for his entire senior career and plays regularly in the Champions League, becoming the youngest Dane to score in the competition three years ago in a harrowing 7-1 defeat at Bayern Munich.
In 2022, top Serie A clubs began following him closely – thanks also to the Italian-leaning agency he belongs to.
Consistency has been a problem, though. It may be that Kjaergaard needs to move up the Red Bull ladder to Leipzig first. But his talent and versatility mean he is worth following.
Possible landing spots: Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Wolves
Daghim’s Salzburg team-mate Maurits Kjaergaard has pedigree and exposure on his side
ANTONIO NUSA
Age: 19
Club: Red Bull Leipzig
Country: Norway
Position: Winger
Another jewel in the Red Bull system, Nusa nearly joined Brentford last January only for the deal to collapse at the 11th hour and he is surely now out of their price range.
Since joining Leipzig from Club Bruges this summer, Nusa has a goal and a couple of assists to his name. At Norwegian club Stabaek Nusa worked with coach Gaute Larsen, who helped to develop Haaland at Bryne.
He too holds Champions League pedigree at a young age, as the fourth-youngest scorer in the competition having hit the fourth in a 4-0 thumping away at Porto on his European debut in September 2022.
On the Stathead charts, Nusa tracks well against Jarrod Bowen – a fine Premier League operator. He may soon replace or even overtake him.
Possible landing spots: West Ham, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Liverpool
Another jewel in the Red Bull system, Antonio Nusa nearly joined Brentford last January
MIKA BIERETH
Age: 21
Club: Sturm Graz
Country: Denmark/England
Position: Striker
England’s next No9? It’s a stretch all right, but Biereth qualifies. He was born in London to a Danish father and has so far chosen to represent Denmark at junior levels.
Having come through the Fulham youth ranks, he was sold by Arsenal this summer without making a senior appearance and joined Sturm Graz for £4m – and when Sturm sign forwards, we should take notice.
They have already sold Hojlund and Strasbourg’s Dutch striker Emanuel Emegha at significant profit.
Biereth recently hit a hat-trick against Red Bull Salzburg and last season helped to end the Austrian drinks company’s hold on the local Bundesliga while on loan at Sturm, winning their first title in 13 years. He will not be in Austria for long.
Possible landing spots: Bournemouth, Leicester, Crystal Palace
England’s next No9? It’s a stretch but possible England senior star Mika Biereth qualifies
ELIAS JELERT
Age: 21
Club: Galatasaray
Country: Denmark
Position: Right back/left back
Jelert impressed in FC Copenhagen’s run to the Champions League knockout rounds last season, when they beat Manchester United in the Danish capital, and earned himself a £7.5m move to Galatasaray last summer.
Gala are a giant of the world game and it is a brave transfer for any young player coming from abroad.
Jelert has made a relatively slow start in Turkey but even if it does not work for him there, he should certainly not be written off.
Possible landing spots: Everton, West Ham, Ipswich
Elias Jelert impressed in FC Copenhagen’s run to the Champions League knockout rounds last season
PATRICK DORGU
Age: 19
Club: Lecce
Country: Denmark
Position: Left-back/winger
Serie A side Lecce paid just £200,000 to bring Dorgu into their academy two years ago and are virtually guaranteed to make an enormous profit on him.
Tall, athletic and adventurous, Dorgu looks made to measure for the Premier League and has already broken into the Denmark senior squad.
Having played most of last season at left back, Dorgu is now effectively a winger who likes to take his man on.
His profile has long caught the eye, being linked to Manchester United earlier this year, and he will move on from Lecce soon.
Possible landing spots: Aston Villa, Manchester United, Brentford
Serie A side Lecce paid just £200,000 to bring Patrick Dorgu into their academy two years ago
HUGO LARSSON
Age: 20
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
Country: Sweden
Position: Midfielder
Larsson’s numbers are not all that spectacular, but the eye test tells a different story. He can operate comfortably as a deep playmaker or as a progressive midfield runner and slotted into life in the Bundesliga superbly in his first season.
Eintracht Frankfurt are brilliant judges of players and have made large profits on Randal Kolo Muani, Willian Pacho and Sebastien Haller.
Larsson may move again before reaching the top of the Premier League tree but he can certainly get there.
Possible landing spots: Fulham, Bournemouth, Everton
Hugo Larsson’s numbers are not all that spectacular, but the eye test tells a different story
JACOB ONDREJKA
Age: 22
Club: Royal Antwerp
Country: Sweden
Position: Attacking midfielder/winger
A relatively late developer, Ondrejka has taken a step forward this season, with four goals and two assists in nine starts for his Belgian club.
Premier League scouts watch Belgium’s top flight closely as its speed and physicality translates well to English football, and Ondrejka also takes a mean set-piece.
Harvey Barnes, in his early days at Leicester, is perhaps a reasonable point of comparison.
Barnes eventually joined Newcastle for £38m. Keep an eye Ondrejka, then.
Possible landing spots: Brentford, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth
A relatively late developer, Jacob Ondrejka has taken a step forward at Antwerp this season
ROONY BARDGHJI
Age: 18
Club: FC Copenhagen
Country: Sweden
Position: Forward
The man with the memorable name scored a memorable 87th-minute winning goal against Manchester United in the Champions League last year but his progress has been halted by a serious knee injury that is likely to keep him out until next spring.
Kuwait-born Bardghji’s contract expires next December and he is on the books of one of the world’s leading agencies.
There is no doubting the talent, but it all depends now on how Bardghji plays when he returns.
Possible landing spots: Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool
Kuwait-born Roony Bardghji’s contract expires next December
TOBIAS SLOTSAGER
Age: 18
Club: Odense
Country: Denmark
Position: Right back/centre back
Already valued at around £2m, Slotsager’s contract expires next summer and cannot stick around in the Danish second division for long, after Odense were relegated last season.
Whoever secures his signing is likely to have an excellent bargain on their hands.
Slotsager can play as a full back or in the centre of defence and can even fill in as a defensive midfielder.
He is unlikely to move straight to England from Odense but make no mistake, the top-flight scouts are well aware of him.
Possible landing spots: Brentford, Brighton, Tottenham
Already valued at around £2m, Tobias Slotsager’s contract expires next summer
ANTON GAAEI
Age: 21
Club: Ajax
Country: Denmark
Position: Right back
Though this is not a great time in Ajax’s history, the Dutch giants are still respected across the continent for their judgment of young players, and they have found another gem in Gaaei.
Signed from Danish club Viborg last summer, Gaaei has made a solid start to his career in the Eredivisie.
Scandinavia to the Netherlands to England is a well-trodden path for players and Gaaei may well be the next to walk it.
Possible landing spots: Brentford, Brighton, Crystal Palace
Signed from Danish club Viborg last summer, Anton Gaaei has made a solid start to his career
Amin Chiakha (right) only turned 18 in March but has already been snapped up by a top agency
AMIN CHIAKHA
Age: 18
Club: FC Copenhagen
Country: Denmark/Algeria
Position: Forward
It is hard to judge a player who has only just broken into the senior football but Copenhagen’s record of identifying and developing forwards is excellent.
Hojlund, Oskarsson and Bardghji have all made great strides in Denmark.
Chiakha only turned 18 in March but he has already been snapped up by a top agency and such companies do not waste any time in moving on their best assets.
The versatile 6ft 3in forward is destined for Europe’s top five leagues.
Possible landing spots: Bournemouth, Wolves, Ipswich
