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Todd Cantwell

5 under-the-radar wingers who deserve big moves this summer 

#4 Todd Cantwell (Norwich City)

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Todd Cantwell
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Like Torres and McNeil, Todd Cantwell is another player who has spent his senior career at his hometown club save for one season on loan in the Netherlands, with Fortuna Sittard.

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Still just 21 years old, and in his first season in the Premier League with Norwich City, Cantwell has been one of the few bright spots for a side currently battling relegation.

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Cantwell has played on 4 occasions for the England U-18s, and once for the U-21s, and there is a slight chance he could make it to Euro 2020 if national team coach Gareth Southgate is willing to take a gamble.

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Playing off the left-wing cutting inside, or even as a number ten at times, the player is almost a pseudo-second striker, as he is often the secondary goal threat behind the centre-forward, Teemu Pukki. His numbers back this up, as he averages 1.7 shots to 1.4 key passes a game and 5.42 expected goals to 2.05 expected assists.

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As he drifts in off the wing or from a deeper position, Cantwell can regularly take up positions in pockets of space, making him extremely difficult to mark. It would no doubt be interesting to see if he can replicate this form in a team that does not emphasise possession of the ball as much as Norwich do, and whether he would have the same impact.

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#5 Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna)

Riccardo Orsolini
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Rounding off this list is Italy and Bologna winger Riccardo Orsolini. A product of the Ascoli youth academy, the winger made 50 appearances for the club before making a surprise move to Juventus in 2017. However, he failed to make a single appearance for the Bianconeri, instead spending the 2017-18 season on loan at Atalanta.

In 2018, the 23-year-old was shipped out on loan again, this time to Bologna where he made 43 appearances last season, scoring 8 goals for the club before making the move permanent in July 2019. This season, he has been in excellent form for the mid-table side and has made waves across Italy with his performances.

Primarily a left-footed player (although he is fairly adept with either), Orsolini prefers to play on the right wing, from where he can cut inside and run at defenders before shooting or laying off passes to his teammates. Indeed, a quick look at the location of his shots leading to goals confirms this; he has scored just once in a position on the left side of the penalty area.

Despite his right-sided bias, however, Orsolini is still one of the most threatening wingers in Europe. He averages an expected goal plus assist value of 0.66 per 90 minutes, which puts him behind only Serge Gnabry, Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho for wingers under the age of 23. He has already scored 7 goals and provided 4 assists this season, and would be a fantastic pick-up for any team that needs a right winger.

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Edited by
Rachel Syiemlieh
 
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