17 best Scandinavian wonderkids Premier League clubs should sign this week, from an Arsenal-bound superstar who dreamed of playing for Man United to the next Borussia Dortmund jewel
- The transfer window shuts next Monday - here are 17 stars who can follow Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard and the clubs that should sign them
- READ MORE: 20 best Serie A wonderkids for your club including the next Kevin De Bruyne and a £100million-rated winger
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Erling Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm since his arrival at Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund, and the Norway international is only the top end of 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 might the next Nordic superstar be?
Despite Scandinavia's freezing climes, the region has become a hotspot for talent in recent years, and 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 17 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 join them in England?
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 last summer and has been one of the star performers for Liam Rosenior's side as they defy expectations to sit midtable halfway through the campaign. The long-haired forward has continued his good form for his country with three goals in his first six Sweden caps.
He compares favourably to players such as Morgan Rogers and Facundo Buonanotte under the metrics of stats gurus FBRef, and Strasbourg are owned by BlueCo, who run Chelsea. Don't be surprised to see Nanasi in west London in the not-too-distant future.
Possible landing spots: Chelsea, Brighton, Tottenham
Sebastian Nanasi joined Strasbourg from Malmo for £9.2million last summer
SVERRE NYPAN
Age: 18
Club: Rosenborg
Country: Norway
Position: Central midfielder
Norway's two finest football exports, Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, represent two of England's strongest clubs – but until recently their heir apparent seemed to have 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.'
As it turns out, three other Premier League-owned doors opened for him this month, with Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa all pushing to sign the man who made his Rosenborg debut at just 15. There are parallels there to Odegaard, and it is Arsenal in pole position as they can offer a route into the first team straight away as they need an injection of creativity into their midfield.
Nypan scored eight goals in 28 league games for Rosenborg in the 2024 season and 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: Arsenal, Manchester City, Aston Villa
Sverre Nypan (right) has previously shared that it would be a dream of his play for Man 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 66 senior games, Harder's ratio is an astonishing 5.19. 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 No 10 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.
As my colleague Craig Hope revealed last week, Newcastle have been tracking Haraldsson closely and he impressed in Lille's 2-1 defeat at Anfield this month. He already has 19 caps for Iceland and is destined for the top.
Possible landing spots: Newcastle, Brentford, 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, 2024 Icelandic Footballer of the Year Oskarsson was rated more highly than Manchester United's £72m man 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, and now has five goals in 14 caps for the national team.
Though it has been a slow start in Spain, there is no doubting the potential of Oskarsson, a classic No 9 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 time together in the FC Copenhagen youth system, Orri Oskarsson (pictured) was rated more highly than Rasmus Hojlund
SINDRE WALLE EGELI
Age: 18
Club: 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, making his senior debut in Kazakhstan in September.
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 last 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 made six appearances already for BVB and is primed to break out.
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: Winger
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, as so many have previously. But his talent and versatility mean he is worth getting early eyes on.
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 12 months ago 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 in August, Nusa already has four goals 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, and he has four goals in 13 Norway caps.
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: Monaco
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, but who knows what Thomas Tuchel may make of him.
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 sold Hojlund and Strasbourg's Dutch striker Emanuel Emegha at significant profit, and he has already joined Monaco for around £11m, having scored 11 goals in 16 league games for Sturm this season.
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.
Possible landing spots: Bournemouth, Leicester, Crystal Palace
England's next No9? It's a stretch but former Fulham and Arsenal man Mika Biereth qualifies
ELIAS JELERT
Age: 21
Club: Galatasaray
Country: Denmark
Position: Right 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 last summer to Galatasaray, who Copenhagen also finished above in that group.
Gala are a giant of the world game and it is a brave transfer for any young player coming from abroad.
Jelert, who has two caps for Denmark, 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 is now at Galatasaray after impressing for Copenhagen last season
PATRICK DORGU
Age: 20
Club: Lecce
Country: Denmark
Position: Left back/winger
Aston Villa liked him but Manchester United have come calling to finally fix the hole on the left side of their defence. Lecce paid just £200,000 to bring Dorgu into their academy two years ago, and now he is a £30million player - a masterstroke from the Italian side's recruitment team.
Tall, athletic and adventurous, Dorgu looks made to measure for the Premier League and has already broken into the Denmark senior squad, scoring 42 seconds into his debut with his very first touch against Switzerland.
He has already played 56 times for Lecce and has an eye for goal, finding the net on five occasions. His one-v-one ability may be a concern but there is no doubt United are crying out for a left wing-back to compete with, and overcome, the likes of Diogo Dalot and Tyrell Malacia in Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3 system.
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, Sebastien Haller and new Man City striker Omar Marmoush.
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: Parma
Country: Sweden
Position: Attacking midfielder/winger
The third member of this list to have moved since we first ranked the top 20, late developer Ondrejka has taken a step forward this season, scoring seven goals in 22 league games for Royal Antwerp and earning a move to Serie A.
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. He now has an even bigger platform to showcase his talents.
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 took a step forward for Antwerp this season
ROONY BARDGHJI
Age: 19
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 the spring.
Kuwait-born Bardghji's contract expires in 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 in December
ANTON GAAEI
Age: 22
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 18 months ago, 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
