Top 5 AFCON Talents That Premier League Teams Should Consider Signing

David Tully

4 months ago

Categories: Galleries, Manchester City News

Tags: Arsenal, aston villa, Brentford, Brighton, Chelsea, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Southampton, spurs, West Ham, wolves

Premier League teams will undoubtedly have plenty of scouts in the Ivory Coast to watch players at this year’s AFCON.

The continent has always been an underrated market for talent and clubs could well pick up a few bargains after scouting the tournament.

In this list, we have picked out a few names who could well go on to bigger things in the future.

Press the next page as we name 5 top talents from the 2023 African Cup of Nations.

Aguibou Camara

The 22-year-old has played every match during Guinea’s run to the quarter-final, being deployed as an attacking midfielder, winger and forward.

Camara was given the Player of the Match award after scoring the winner in the group stage game against The Gambia last month.

At club level, he is currently on loan at Atromitos from Olympiakos, which suggests he is still a work in progress.

However, Camara’s ability has been on display in the Ivory Coast and he may yet get a move away from Greece in the summer as a result.

Kamory Doumbia

The attacking midfielder is just 20 years of age and he is undoubtedly one of the most promising young players at the tournament.

Doumbia has not scored for Mali in the Ivory Coast despite his country making it to the quarter-finals, but he has provided 2 assists and created 5 chances in his 4 appearances so far.

The midfielder is generally quite prolific in front of goal. He had scored 5 goals in 9 caps for Mali before AFCON.

For his club side Stade Brestois, Doumbia has hit the back of the net 5 times in 12 appearances, which is an impressive return in Ligue One.

Jesus Owono

The goalkeeper has now impressed in two successive African Cup of Nation tournaments for Equatorial Guinea.

At the 2021 finals, Owono kept three clean sheets in four matches, and he has turned heads with his performances at this year’s event as well.

The 22-year-old was Player of the Match in two group games against Nigeria and hosts Ivory Coast, but he couldn’t stop his team from crashing out at the last 16 stage to Guinea.

Owono is currently Alaves’s reserve keeper so it’s likely someone will offer him the opportunity to be their No.1

Ademola Lookman

A player that most fans of the Premier League will be aware of, after his spells with Everton, Fulham and Leicester, the Nigerian has been a revelation during his time at Atalanta.

Lookman has scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 56 appearances for the Serie A side since moving from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2022.

The 26-year-old did get off to a slow start at AFCON, but he scored both goals for Nigeria against Cameroon in the last 16.

Considering his form for both club and country over the past eighteen months, a return to England can’t be ruled out.

Lamine Camara

The 20-year-old is not exactly an unknown, having been named Africa’s Young Player of the Year for 2023.

However, Camara has burnished his reputation in Ivory Coast, having scored a brace in Senegal’s group stage opener against The Gambia.

At club level, the midfielder has established himself as a regular starter for Metz, getting his first senior goal back in October.

Considering Metz are in freefall and could get relegated this campaign, there is a distinct possibility that Camara will be on the move this summer.