Scout Insight - Hirakawa, Morris, Cordoba, Bocat, Hountondji

European Football recruitment analyst Oli O'Connell shares expert insight into five Championship signings from overseas for Bristol City, Middlesbrough, Norwich, Stoke and Burnley.

Ali Maxwell

Please welcome Oli O’Connell to NTT20.COM. I’ve followed Oli for many years, as he went from sharp, conscientious ‘fanalyst’ to professional Recruitment Analyst working in the Belgian Pro League for the past few seasons.

This summer, a third of Championship signings have come from outside the UK. Some of these players will be among the stars of 2024/25, spoken and written about on NTT20. I asked Oli to share his scouting expertise with us, so that we can all be ahead of the game.

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Oli O’Connell

EFL clubs are becoming more outward-looking and more forward-thinking with regards to their sporting infrastructure – and, by extension, their recruitment.

Looking across the UK’s football landscape, it’s becoming commonplace to see roles such as Head of European Scouting, Technical Scout or even Regional Scouting Co-ordinator across all levels. The presence of such roles, once unheard of and then met with scepticism only a few years ago, demonstrates the increased emphasis that clubs are placing on specialised scouting and recruitment departments.

Having worked on the continent in the Jupiler Pro League for the past 3 seasons, I’ve witnessed first-hand how adventurous Belgian clubs are in terms of recruitment strategies, and it’s refreshing to see EFL clubs starting to follow suit. So far this summer, the Football League has seen imports from the J-League, K-League, Ligue 2, MLS, Brazil and even Bulgaria.

Due to increased access to video and data, as well as a growing diversity of people and ideas within clubs, foreign transfers are becoming less risky, with the Championship becoming a multicultural melting pot of talent and ideas. I believe this leads to better football, and I think this trend will continue.

Below I will focus on five of the most exciting imports from abroad. These players have the potential to light up the Championship in 2024/25.

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Yu Hirakawa, Bristol City (23, LW/RW)

Hirakawa is someone I scouted extensively while working in Belgium, and he’s arguably the most exciting import of the window so far.

Due to the drawn-out integration of young players into senior teams in Japan, Hirakawa has only 5,000 senior league minutes to his name, even though he’ll turn 24 this season. For comparison, Anis Mehmeti – six days younger than his new team-mate – has played around 9,000 senior minutes.

Hirakawa is fresh and he’s certainly very exciting. There has been some research to suggest that high-volume dribblers peak at an earlier age, and in footballing terms Yu is very young, so there’s a strong chance Bristol City will see him at his peak.

His attacking data at J2 level was at clear standout levels, in the top 10 percentiles for dribbling quality, carrying, expected assists, key passes, and GDA (goal difference added) as he played a key role in Machida Zelvia’s promotion. His step up to J1 – now widely accepted as a very strong level – was as seamless as his team’s, whom he left as league leaders halfway through their first ever top-flight campaign, and he continued to excite and create at very high levels.

Hirakawa’s speed, balance and agility allows him to perform take-ons in advanced areas, as he’s comfortable jinking either side of his opponent and performing a final action on either foot. He has the ability to carry from deeper areas, too, possessing the spatial awareness and low centre of gravity to ride contact and wriggle through traffic, meaning he can progress attacks.

The most impressive aspect to his game, in my opinion, is how composed he is at key moments despite how unpredictable he appears. The 23-year-old regularly attempts the correct pass or shot at the end of his action, even if his execution could improve.

Credit: Analytics FC

Some would describe Bristol City’s decision to sign Hirakawa as a risk, and there’s an element of truth in that regarding cultural adaptation and his lack of size. However, data suggests he is already operating to a strong Championship standard, and video adds confidence to that belief.

Moreover, the J-League offers insane value and minimal risk to the buying club.

At KV Oostende, we highlighted Tatsuhiro Sakamoto as a clear standout using data and video in a similar way, and we were able to sign him on a loan + option of less than £1 million, way below his true market value. After 18 months in Belgium, he moved to Coventry City. It appears Bristol City have struck a similarly cost-effective deal for Hirakawa, who has arrived on loan but with a view to a permanent deal.

The path from Japan to Europe is a well-trodden one and the translatability is generally very positive. Hirakawa will be working under Liam Manning, a coach who is keen to develop young talent, and I am confident that he can become more secure with his execution and more physically robust. I’m even more confident that he will bring excitement to Ashton Gate.

This has the potential to be the signing of the summer.

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Andreas Hountondji, Burnley (22, CF)