Nigerian midfielder Christantus Uche is the best under-21 player in Europe's top five leagues in total duels won this season, Soccernet.ng reports.
Uche has been making a big noise since his big move from Ceuta to Getafe last summer. The Nigerian midfielder has registered three goals and four assists in 32 appearances for Geta Azulones and has even attracted interest from other clubs in Europe like Chelsea and West Ham.
His combination of grit, stamina, and great ball usage is just brilliant, and he has become an important part of Getafe's setup.
In a new development, per Squawka, a platform that uses data to analyze players' performances, Uche has won more duels than any other Under-21 player this season. He has won 191 duels this season, 12 more than Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, who has 179.
Andy Santos, Patrick Dorgu, Mateus Fernandes, Diego Coppola, Omar El Hilali, Carlos Baleba, Nico Paz, and Tom Bischof make up the rest of the top ten, while there is no space for other top youngsters like Alejandro Garnacho, Gavi, and Jude Bellingham.
Soccernet’s Verdict: Is Christantus Uche better than Lamine Yamal?
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has established himself as one of the best football talents currently. At just 17 years of age, he has taken the world by storm, giving fans a semblance of the legendary Lionel Messi.
Yamal is a very important player for Barcelona, supplying 13 goals and 17 assists in 38 appearances for the Blaugrana. It's no surprise that he is currently valued at €180 million on Transfermarkt. He is currently a contender for the Ballon d'Or. And even if he does not win it this year, with the talent he has exhibited, he could win it in the coming years.
Meanwhile, Uche has been brilliant for Getafe, but he is just short of Yamal's level. The Nigerian midfielder just burst onto the scene this season, and he might need a season or two to establish himself as a top player.
In fact, what should be paramount on his mind right now is getting a transfer to a bigger club where he will rub shoulders with better players and better coaches. Within a few years, he could become a top midfielder.
Who is Christantus Uche?
Christantus Uche was born in May 2003 in Owerri, Nigeria. He was born to a poor family and he often speaks about how tough it was growing up.
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He was in the books of Nigerian academy club Campos FA before getting his big break when he joined lower-tier Spanish club Moralo in 2022.
Then he joined third-tier Spanish club AC Ceuta in 2023 before sealing a €500k transfer to Getafe last year. His value has now soared to €8 million in the last eight months.
He never featured for Nigeria at youth level, but he was named in Nigeria's provisional list for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers earlier this month. Unfortunately for him, he did not make the final cut.
