The world is full of young football talents.
They grow up in the streets of São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Abuja or Belgrade, and the world is literally at their feet, so to speak. In our work and research in BabaGol, we discover many players that don’t get the focus or the chance to showcase their true potential.
Juan Gafas, our ‘shadow’ scout, with his weekly talent.
Mamadou Lamine Gueye
Age: 21
Club: Pau (France 3rd tier)
Position: Wide Forward
Nationality: Senegal
Market Value: €200,000 (Transfermarkt)
Why follow him? In his second season in France, Gueye keeps getting better, scoring 14 so far, and working his way towards his dream of representing the Senegalese national team.
Lamine Gueye is a player I haven’t heard about up until a few weeks ago, when he scored late in extra time to give Pau a sensational win against the mighty Bordeaux.
After watching many of his games earlier this season, I noticed something I really like to see in young prospects - a constant improvement. Gueye is an excellent athlete, with good ability to attack the space behind the backline and to take advantage of unorganized or high lines of defense. But it's not just his speed, as his touch on the ball is getting more and more consistent and I believe that if he has the desire to learn and improve he can develop into a real complete attacking player.
Growing up in Senegalese Generation Foot, he dreamed of becoming a professional player and playing for the national team. He starts in the lower levels, but next season he will definitely play in a higher level, whether with Pau that is fighting for promotion, or with a new club as his contract expires in July. His journey is just beginning.