Yasin Özcan included in prestigious list of best U20 players
TUESDAY, 30 DECEMBER 2025, 14:30 - lajoya
YOUTH A few days ago, the CIES Football Observatory published a list of the 100 best players under the age of 20 who don't play in one of Europe's five major leagues. This includes one Anderlecht player. And no, it's not Nathan De Cat or Mihajlo Cvetkovic, but rather Yasin Özcan, who has been on the bench since his arrival in Belgium.
The Turkish defender is ranked 30th in the list by the Centre International d'Etude du Sport (CIES), a renowned Swiss research firm, with a score of 77. CIES considers six criteria for this ranking: heading ability, ball recovery, distribution, dribbling ability, chance creation, and finishing. According to the report, his market value could reach €25 million.
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Continue reading Despite his reputation, the Aston Villa loanee has so far only played 90 minutes for the first team, split between one start at AEK and three substitute appearances. Since the withdrawals of Kana, Augustinsson, and Camara, he has received slightly more playing opportunities, with two substitute appearances in the last three matches. He has already earned four starts for the Futures. He is also a regular in the Turkish U21 squad, even receiving playing time for the first team at the end of last season while playing for Kasimpasa.
Anderlecht has a purchase option on the young defender, but Özcan will have to demonstrate more than just his qualities on paper. At 19, he naturally has a bright future ahead of him. Will Özcan be one of the players who finally breaks through in 2026?
Another familiar face, Kos Karetsas, is in 13th place on the list, with a market value that, according to the report, could reach €50 million. Karetsas played for the purple-white youth team for two and a half years, but broke through into Racing Genk's first team. He has since opted to play for the Greek national team, despite having played for Belgian youth teams. There are no other Belgians or players from Belgian teams on the list. The top three consists of Givairo Read (Feyenoord), Geovany Quad (Sporting Club), and Caleb Yirenkyi (FC Nordsjaelland).
