goal-machine

When fit—and granted, injuries have plagued him since arriving in London in 2023—Lavia looks every bit the heir to Kovačić’s throne and is arguably an upgrade. Think part-Kovačić, part-Mousa Dembélé (yes, that Spurs and Belgium icon). He’s the ideal midfield conduit: threading sharp passes through the lines, gliding past players with slaloming runs and breaking pressure with intelligent, progressive dribbles.

Throw in ball-winning ability, serious physical strength and near-impossible dispossession stats and what you’ve got is a midfielder built for the modern game.

After honing his craft at Admira Wacker and then Lecce, Morten Hjulmand earned his big break with a move to Portuguese giants Sporting CP in the summer of 2023.

Since then, the Dane has quietly become one of the most important pieces in Sporting’s setup, playing a central role in their historic back-to-back Liga Portugal titles. While goal-machine Viktor Gyökeres grabbed the headlines each week, Hjulmand has been one of the squad’s unsung heroes.