South America has long been a hotspot for football talent.

The passion for the game combined with the climate and economic environment contribute to creating almost the perfect melting pot for the development of exciting young football players.

With Argentina now fresh off winning the 2022 World Cup the eyes of football scouts from around Europe will again start to fall on South America.

Two of the younger members of that victorious Argentinean side, Enzo Fernández and Julián Álvarez, have already made the move to Europe with Benfica and Manchester City respectively, but we have already seen significant moves for younger Argentinian talent with Maximo Perrone moving to Manchester City, Facundo Buonanotte moving to Brighton and Carlos Alcaraz moving to Southampton.

The truth is, however, that this represents just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the talent on this continent.

In this article, we will look to provide some insight into the next wave of South American youngsters.

We have deliberately locked out the traditional powerhouse nations of Argentina and Brazil, though, with the players we have identified coming from Peru, Chile, Venezuela and Uruguay.

We have deliberately stayed away from some of the better-known young players currently in South America in order to spotlight some interesting young talent that is somewhat less well-known.

With one exception, as the player recently moved to Europe, all of the players that we will identify are still playing in South America.

In order to identify the players for our list we will use a system to surface emerging talent in the region.

Using Wyscout data we then run it through code to create a spreadsheet with all players in the region who are 21 or under and who have played more than 500 minutes across the 2022 season in South America.

This process, combined with conditional formatting, allows us to quickly scan the data to find and identify interesting patterns of colour.

The players that are identified through this process are then looked at in more depth to drill down into their data and skill sets.

This is of course a process that is followed up in our analysis through tactical analysis as we watch each player on video to corroborate what the data tells us.

1. Alan Matturro, 18 years old, Central defender, Genoa and Uruguay

The first player that we will discuss in this article is the 18-year-old Uruguayan central defender Alan Matturro.

Until relatively recently, Matturro was still with his boyhood club Defensor Sporting in Uruguay.

This winter, though, has seen him make the move to Europe as he has signed for the Italian second-tier side Genoa.

As you will see from the scout report below Genoa has identified a potential star.

Matturro is an interesting central defender who blends the typical characteristics of Uruguayan central defenders, aggressive and strong in the challenge, with the ball-playing abilities that are prized in the modern game.

He is also naturally left-footed which adds a premium to his skill set that likely led to him being recruited from Uruguay so early.

He is also imposing from a physical perspective standing at 189cm | 6’4”.

As you can see from his pizza chart, which is a tool we can use for analysis, Matturro is a very capable and balanced defensive player, this is especially striking for such a young player.

Defensively, he was in the 80th percentile for defensive duels per 90 and the 56th percentile for the % of defensive duels won.

He was also in the 51st percentile for positioning.

In possession, he was very strong on the ball with the ability to step out into the midfield in possession of the ball and a passing range that allowed him to switch the play or to break lines with aggressive forward passes.

He was in the 76th percentile for passes per 90 and the 94th percentile for progressive passes per 90.

Interestingly, for a centre-back, he was also in the 76th percentile for dangerous passes which track passes to the final third and to the penalty area.

Given that Matturro has only just moved to Italy, it is likely that we will see him exposed to first-team football over the course of the next six months as Genoa chase promotion back to the top flight.

If they achieve this goal and gain promotion then I would expect Matturro to gain some attention from ‘bigger’ sides if he takes well to Serie A.

2. Jesús Castillo, 21 years old, Central midfielder, Sporting Cristal and Peru

The next player that we have identified is the 21-year-old Peruvian international midfielder Jesús Castillo of Sporting Cristal in Peru.

Castillo is an interesting midfield player who is capable of playing several different roles in the midfield.

He is capable of playing in a deeper role as a ‘6’ from where his physicality and ability on the ball allow him to dictate the play from in front of the defence or as an ‘8’ where his technical ability in tight spaces allows him to receive and play effectively under pressure.

Castillo is also a great size for the position as he is listed at 185cm | 6’2”.

Castillo is a very modern type of midfield player who is capable of contributing at a high level in a variety of situations for his team.

As you can see from his pizza chart he stands out in terms of his passing and ball progression.

He was in the 93rd percentile for passes per 90 but he uses the ball well with aggression and the ability to move the ball forward.

He was in the 90th percentile for progressive passes per 90 and the 91st percentile for dangerous passes.

Castillo should be a candidate for a move to Europe this coming summer and he would thrive on a move in the first instance to the likes of the Netherlands or Belgium although his skill set would likely be a good fit for a club in Serie A.

3. Andrés Romero, 19 years old, Central midfielder, Monagas and Venezuela

Next up we have the 19-year-old Venezuelan central midfielder Andrés Romero of Monagas.

Romero is a central midfielder who is far more comfortable in the ‘8’ role.

He is a very effective player in terms of supporting the attacking phase for his team with the capacity to either sit outside the opposition penalty area to dictate the play and probe for openings to break down the defensive block or to take responsibility as the midfielder to make runs into the area.

Last season saw Romero play 2587 minutes in the Venezuelan top flight and as you can see from his pizza chart, he was incredibly effective for his team in the attacking phase.

Romero ended up in the 82nd percentile for goal contributions and the 87th percentile for expected goal contributions.

He was a creative force for his team but his ability to make late runs into the area also impressed.

He was also in the 91st percentile amongst central midfielders in Venezuela for shots per 90 and the 98th percentile for touches in the opposition penalty area.

In possession, he was not a volume passer, only in the 53rd percentile for passes per 90, but when he was on the ball he was aggressive and positive with his passing as he was in the 90th percentile for dangerous passes, which captures passes to the final third and passes to the penalty area.

Romero is a player who is ready now for a move to Europe although a move to a smaller Spanish side in La Liga or to Portugal in the first instance would likely make sense.

4. Darío Osorio, 18 years old, winger, Universidad de Chile and Chile

Next on our list is an 18-year-old winger who has already been capped by Chile at full international level.

Darío Osorio is a product of the youth academy at Universidad de Chile and his performances in 1683 first-team minutes have hugely impressed.

He is tall for a winger, listed at 184cm | 6’1” and he is naturally left-footed although he prefers to play from the right side.

Osorio is a quick and powerful ball carrier who possesses quick feet and the ability to manipulate the ball in tight areas as well as a powerful shot from range.

As you can see from his pizza chart above, he has impressed hugely in the attacking phase of the game and he was in the 49th percentile for goal contributions and the 86th percentile for expected goal contributions.

He was also in the 83rd percentile for shots per 90 and the 83rd percentile for touches in the opposition area.

He is also a dynamic and aggressive ball carrier and was in the 95th percentile for dribbles per 90.

There have been tenuous links so far for Osorio to the likes of Tottenham and Aston Villa although a step to the Premier League may be too far for a player of his experience so far.

A move to Belgium or the Netherlands would potentially make more sense at this point although there is no doubt at all that Osorio has real potential.

5. Kervin Andrade, 17 years old, Attacking midfielder, Deportivo La Guaira and Venezuela

The final player on our list for this article is the youngest of all in the 17-year-old Venezuelan attacking midfielder Kervin Andrade.

Despite being just 17 years old Andrade has impressed hugely at first-team level.

Last season saw him play 1606 minutes of first-team football, and he has quickly established himself as an important first-team player.

Andrade is capable of playing several roles for his side.

He has played in the centre of the midfield but also in more advanced areas either as a central attacking player or as a wide attacking midfielder.

He also possesses real ability from direct free kicks with power and accuracy when he shoots at goal.

As you can see, he impressed in the attacking phase as he was in the 64th percentile for goal contributions and expected goal contributions.

He was also in the 86th percentile for shots per 90 and the 93rd percentile for dribbles per 90.

He is a multi-faceted attacking player who is capable of providing threat in the attacking phase from plenty of different situations.

As a 17-year-old, Andrade is already ready for a move to Europe although time is on his side in terms of continuing his development in the Venezuelan leagues although a move to Ligue 1 would also make sense in the short term.

Conclusion

South America is full of talented young players and not just in the usual areas of Argentina and Brazil.

If you take the time to look deeper at the players who are gaining first-team minutes and impressing then you can very quickly start to find value and talent that can improve your team.