Manchester United have hope again on the pitch after their comeback victory vs Man City which adds to the already encouraging work done off the pitch.
Ineos have gone about strengthening the youth setup at the club, be it through promoting from within the ranks or bringing in outside reinforcements.
In less than a year since being confirmed as part-owners, the likes of Chido Obi, Samuel Lusale, Sekou Kone, and Emmanuel Ziro have been signed, just to name a few.
Diego Leon’s signing was secured recently to beef up the ranks further but Ineos are not stopping anytime soon.
It seems like they have zeroed in on their next target, Olympiacos’ 17-year-old history-making wonderkid Charalampos Kostoulas firmly in their sights.
Who is Charalampos Kostoulas?
Charalampos Kostoulas is a 17-year-old striker prospect who plays for Olympiacos’ senior team after a recent promotion this season.
Standing at 6’1″ already at 17, Kostoulas cuts an imposing figure and after bossing the youth ranks last season, has received his proper taste of senior football this year.
Kostoulas made his debut for the B team in the second tier as just a 15-year-old, becoming the youngest player in the history of the club.
He followed that up by winning the Young Player of the Season award in the second tier for his exploits with the B team, which earned him a promotion to the senior team this season.
This year, he has played for both, the senior team and in the UEFA Youth League, where he made history again by leading his team as the first-ever Greek team to win that title last season.
He has already scored five goals in two games in the Youth League this season and also managed two goals and an assist in 10 league appearances for the senior side.
The Sun reports that United sent scouts to watch him in Olympiacos’ recent Europa League game against FC Twente, where he impressed everyone with a man-of-the-match display.
Kostoulas style of play
As a mobile striker for whom his frame is a bonus instead of a necessity, Kostoulas combined grit with guile, especially in possession.
He can play out wide too because of his pace and his ability to be at the right place at the right time in the box leads to chances falling for him which looks easy but takes years to teach.
He can hold up the ball well and likes to play small passes to keep the ball circulating with layoffs and one-twos, keeping the defence guessing. His two-footedness helps him in that case too.
Kostoulas hasn’t transferred his youth football scoring numbers to the senior setup as yet but the signs are clearly there of an elite striker in the making who will only get better with match experience.
Charalampos Kostoulas potential/ Man Utd transfer
At his best, Kostoulas has shown the potential to become a striker like Edinson Cavani, but with added pace, which sounds like a frightening prospect.
His work rate for someone so young is already elite and his versatility positionally as well in terms of tactical roles can help the manager set his team up differently with the same personnel, an invaluable gift.
Currently, he looks like a raw version of Rasmus Hojlund, which, considering how raw Hojlund himself is, shows that Kostoulas is not yet ready for a first-team berth at an elite club.
His decision-making needs polishing plus he will get better at using his frame to his advantage instead of getting into needless physical duels, something which Hojlund still struggles with at times.
If Kostoulas comes to Old Trafford, expect Chido Obi to be fast-tracked to the U21s setup immediately and Kostoulas to join him as they both foat between the U18s and the U21s while training with the first team.
With question marks surrounding Joshua Zirkzee’s future, further promotion could come sooner than expected if Amorim promotes from within but that is way into the future.
For now, United should follow him closely, as they are reportedly doing, and lay the groundwork for his signature in the future because the competition will be tough.
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