The Ballon d'Or, and all the narrative and argument and hysteria that surrounds it, is the biggest load of shite going.

Stade Rennais' Mohamed Kader Meïté is maybe the most exciting centre-forward prospect in football right now. A jumbo-sized, 17-year-old striker that can do almost everything at the point of attack, his match-winning impact on Sunday night proved it. It went viral; I analysed it play by play.

Mohamed Kader Meïté went viral for one clip in a 21-minute cameo last weekend. Watch it in full and you'll be even more excited about the 17-year-old Stade Rennais centre-forward, one of the most exciting in Europe and symbol of the jumbo-sized striker. Llew Davies has analysed it, play by play.

Already enjoying this season’s Arsenal x UEFA Youth League team because the roles and combinations across the pitch are much more natural for the collective and much more suitable for the individual. More round pegs in round holes.

The summer transfer window has closed. It was crammed with excitement and nonsense. From Roefs to Rômulo, Llew Davies has delved into his massive spreadsheet of Interesting Transfers to pick out five of his favourite moves across the Big Five Leagues with an eye on the season ahead.

The biggest worry for Manchester United is that Benjamin Šeško took their 10th penalty. That says plenty.

Newcastle when they’re properly at it, like they are here, are my favourite team to watch by a mile. Proper footy.

Why are Wrexham using freestanding goal posts instead of the standard sunken goal posts? Noticed it before the situation where a ball that went in bounced straight out off the base post; Hull fans only realised it went in about 15 seconds later and even some of the players were confused.

Rubin Colwill is getting 20+ goal and assists in League One this season, if he stays healthy. He is an almost-complete package at that level. The Ystalyfera Yaya Touré.

I am overly-invested in the (lack of) transfer activity of Lennon Miller.

FC Nordsjælland keep producing top-level talent from their academies. One of the latest is Lucas Høgsberg, a dynamic, 19-year-old defender that platforms possession and zips through pressure. Get him while you can, because I think he suits the elite teams already.

Is your club looking for a dynamic, progressive defender with the qualities and credentials to play at the elite level? If so, they should have Lucas Høgsberg near the top of their shortlists. Llew Davies introduces the 19-year-old as he enters his breakout season at FC Nordsjælland.

🇩🇪 Two Bundesliga clubs after him 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Manchester City have him listed 🇫🇷 RC Lens have had a bid rejected After just six months and 18 games in Sweden, 18-year-old Finnish midfielder Matias Siltanen is a transfer target for a number of big clubs across the Big Five Leagues. Here's why: bit.ly/4nZpVH9

Clubs should put their pre-season friendlies on YouTube for free. It's an easy win for them: builds a bit of hype (if the team/players are any good) and establishes a bit of good will with their fanbase. Some clubs are charging over £5/match for a poor, one-camera stream. That's taking the piss.

I am absolutely buzzing for the football season to start now. Give me Luton against Wimbledon, give me Southampton against Wrexham, give me Leeds against Everton. I have waited long enough.

Lucas Bergvall first, then Matias Siltanen: the future of Scandinavian football is passing through Djurgården. Here's a forensic look at the 18-year-old Finnish midfielder who is following a very similar path to that of Spurs' Swede.

Introducing Matias Siltanen, the 18-year-old Finnish midfielder making his name in Sweden. He has hit the ground at Djurgården this year, helping fill the void left by Lucas Bergvall – here, Llew Davies highlights why he could follow a similar route to the Swede as Scandinavia's next big thing.

Crystal Palace missing out on European football would be an absolute farce, by the way. One of the biggest farces in the history of farces.

Watching a 2017/18 Championship Review is mental. How on earth did Dai Brooks have his Sheffield United breakthrough almost 10 years ago?!

Lucas Bergvall, Luka Vušković, now Kota Takai: I really like these types of transfers (as long as they don't impinge too much on opportunities for academy players) and Tottenham have been nailing them recently. The risk is miniscule and the rewards are massive.

◉ One of the J.LEAGUE's best ◉ Playing more minutes than peers ◉ Adaptable and composed skillset ◉ What's best for his immediate future ◉ Could he do a Lucas Bergvall? Tottenham Hotspur have signed 20-year-old centre-back Kota Takai, a SCOUTED favourite. Here's what you need to know.

Twitter’s going very well, isn’t it.

Ayyoub Bouaddi has a big future. Here's my profile on his athletic potential, clean passing, elusive dirbbling, stretchy tackling and the ways he can improve, all to explain why he would be a good fit for Arsenal—and every other club with the means to sign him.

Arsenal are in the midst of a defining summer. The focus is on the elusive striker, but their midfield is undergoing a much-needed revamp. Zubimendi raises levels, Nørgaard adds depth, and they could do with future-proofing the unit. That's why they should sign Ayyoub Bouaddi, Llew Davies suggests.

I am writing an Ayyoub Bouaddi profile.

A couple of pieces still to come, but our 4,000-word #U21EURO Team of the Tournament write-up draws an end to our coverage of a bumper summer of youth international football. A pleasure to put in the countless hours with Jake, Tom and Ashwin. Nobody does it like SCOUTED.

Omari Hutchinson as Arsenal's wide attacker signing. Who says no?

Kees Smit's big breakout tournament. The 19-year-old was named #U19EURO Player of the Tournament by UEFA and was also joint-top scorer with four goals. He did everything at a relentless intensity, leading by example, clearly a cut above the rest. Has all the hallmarks of an elite-level talent.

There is a lot of nonsensical chatter about Arsenal signing a dependable, league-proven player at inexpensive cost on a shorter-term deal to replace a dependable, league-proven back-up.

Noah Nartey is a smooth and elusive midfielder. He takes the ball in tight areas, pivots, and zips through lines as a dribbler and passer. He turns pressure into positives for his team. I used the #U21EURO as an excuse to analyse him and soft-launch our brand-new Archetype: the Defuser.

Brøndby's Noah Nartey is a good example of a Defuser, our brand-new Archetype. The 19-year-old turns pressure into positives with smooth dribbling (and passing) abilities that evade defenders and zip through lines. Llew Davies has analysed him in more detail with his #U21EURO performances.

The #U21EURO is always a good opportunity to watch players you need to watch: Jorrel Hato is one of mine. I thought he was good yesterday as an out-and-out defender, much of it in his own box. Really like how grounded and intense he is in small spaces but still carries that big space power.

Lennon Miller made his senior Scotland debut the other week. He only got 25 minutes on the pitch in a drab 3-1 loss, but he still showcased the skillset that makes him one of the most sought-after prospects this summer. Llew Davies has analysed it, play-by-play. More on SCOUTED: bit.ly/40i6Tl7

Real Oviedo fans are singing Sweet Caroline. Send them back down.

Few things more ridiculous in sport than bullpens charging their way in when a scuffle breaks out and only arriving when everything has calmed down.

Lennon Miller is a senior Scotland international. In his 25 minutes on the pitch in a drab 3-1 loss against Iceland, he showcased the skillset that has made him a Motherwell captain at 18 years old and one of Europe's most sought-after prospects. Llew Davies broke down his debut in detail.

DAZN have got James Richardson - the James Richardson - doing the graveyard shift on their Club World Cup coverage.

Since we went professional in 2019, our small team has toiled endlessly to turn SCOUTED into a sustainable, totally independent outlet. We’re closer than we’ve ever been - but we’re still not quite there. Join us on our journey to 1,000 paid subscribers. The Summer of SCOUTED has arrived.

People genuinely decide whether a player has played well or not based on the colour (not even the number, which is bad enough) of a Sofascore rating.

Can I just shock you? I love the UEFA Nations League. Thank you to Mister Čeferin for your all-mighty wisdom and unquestionable vision.

Arsenal should /redacted/ Thomas Partey and sign Caleb Yirenkyi.

Bukayo Saka has just made himself a terible enemy, perhaps the most terrible enemy anyone could have: the online F1 community.

Just watched all of Moussa Diaby’s goals and assists in the Saudi Pro League and my main takeaway is the general level is rubbish. Having him, Benzema and Aouar in the same attacking unit makes it even more obvious. Their commentators are fantastic, though. Fair fucks to them on that.

After getting the stat signal from Jake in our Slack channel, I felt compelled to watch Yan Diomandé at Leganés. Guess what? I liked what I saw, and the clubs that are desperate to get ahead of the curve will have too. His profile is eye-catching, skillset exciting, and backstory interesting.

Iago Aspas is a legend. Just finished his 12th top-flight season at Celta Vigo by scoring the winner to qualify them for Europe again, doing it with a team of home-grown youngsters. The consistency of these numbers is mental. What a player.

TNT Sports' post-match coverage of the Women's Champions League final has been excellent. Karen Carney has been amazing.

Year after year, Belgian clubs find uncut gems from unusual places, often at undervalued prices, polish them up then sell them for significant profits. Their recruitment model is perhaps the most diverse in football, and certainly among the most successful. Llew Davies reveals how they do it.

@alexcollings.bsky.social Have you seen anything of Rémi Himbert?

Scott McTominay and Leonardo Spinazzola have done two of the most obvious foul throws you'll ever see in this Parma-Napoli game and everyone just accepted it.

This Newcastle team would win in every era of football that I can remember, and it's won something in this era of football already too. I love them.