Players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, Neymar and Mohamed Salah have dominated the headlines for years, but there will inevitably come a time when they will have to hand over their throne to the next generation. In the section Toppers of Tomorrow move Football zone each time a potential successor to these greats in the spotlight. Who are in the spotlight at the biggest clubs and should therefore not be missing from your own watchlist? This time, the focus is on Jens Petter Hauge, who has been followed by sc Heerenveen for a long time and can now also look forward to the express interest of Leeds United and AC Milan.

By Thijs Verhaar

‘Please don’t score against AC Milan’. Gerry Hamstra will undoubtedly have thought that last Thursday, but his early prayers have not helped. The technical manager of sc Heerenveen has been targeting Hauge as the dream successor to Chidera Ejuke for months and he knows better than anyone that the price is only getting higher now that the twenty-year-old attacker also shows his great talent outside the Norwegian competition. Unfortunately for Hamstra, the left winger of Bodö / Glimt was the big star in the third heat of the Europa League against the Milanese, who won 3-2 in San Siro despite a goal and an assist from Hauge. In fact, the attacker made such an impression i Rossoneri according to Sky Italia immediately made an offer for the twenty-year-old goalgetter, who also has an offer from Leeds United in his pocket.

Hauge, born in Bodö, is considered the next Norwegian goal scorer in his own country. He has been scoring regularly for the representative youth teams for years and in the future he may compete with the national team with Erling Haaland, Alexander Sörloth and FC Groningen acquisition Jörgen Strand Larsen. At the end of last season, he captured a starting place at Glimt, which was promoted to the highest division three years ago and is now heading unthreatened to the first league title in 104-year club history. The stunt team won no less than 17 of the 19 games and is already eighteen points ahead of Rosenborg with eleven matches to go. Twenty-year-old Hauge is one of the great pacers with fourteen league hits and ten assists. It therefore seems that he will soon break the club record for the most expensive outgoing transfer, which is now in the name of Hakon Evjen (2.5 million euros) attracted by AZ.

Despite his young age, twenty-year-old Hauge never falls below the lower limit in the Eliteserien and shows with his bizarre return that he has outgrown the Norwegian competition.

In three European preliminary matches, Hauge also scored three goals and especially his glorious performance against AC Milan will affect his transfer value. Despite his good performances, the left winger will probably not have to cost an astronomical amount, as he only has a contract until the winter of 2021. In Norway, the season will run until December and the youngster is not looking to leave the team with the first national title is a fact within a few months. “It is great fun to be a Glimt player now. We have a lot of confidence in what we do and that is why I want to stay ”, Hauge told the Norwegian at the end of July TV2. “Heerenveen is a beautiful and exciting club, because there would certainly be opportunities to play immediately and to take steps forward. Only now is the same for them as for Cercle Brugge: I’m not going there now. ”

It is possible that his position will change now that the great AC Milan seems to be really working on his arrival. “I am very impressed with their way of playing. Especially from Hauge ”, coach Stefano Pioli agreed after the match VG. “He is a player who will undoubtedly show great things at international and European level.” The flirtation was then answered by Hauge who in turn said it was ‘fun’ to be recognized. “That’s why I became a footballer. This means that I am on the right track. AC Milan is a very big club and it should be clear that you should seriously consider that if it becomes an opportunity to play there. ” Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen has also indicated that he will not stand in the way of a transfer if an offer is made that is attractive for club and player. “I think Milan with their playing style could be a very good option for Jens Petter.”

Physically, there is still a lot to gain for Hauge, who can score points in terms of creativity if he more often plays his man himself and then looks for a play option with his stronger right leg.

Anyone who zooms in on Hauge’s qualities, however, comes to the conclusion that he could use one more stopover before he actually leaves for a top competition. Statistics from FootballCritic show that the left winger is very goal-oriented and has a good pass, but physically there is still a lot of progress possible, which means that there is a risk that he will be snowed under in a better league. At the age of twenty, he still has plenty of time to get ready for the big work and Heerenveen gratefully hopes to benefit from that. The Frisians have been scouting in Scandinavia with great success for years and with Hauge they take little risk, according to FootballCritic. The football statistics website rates all his ten last appearances with a very good pass and indicates that he can currently present equivalent performances as, for example, Franck Ribéry and Antoine Griezmann.

The website gives all players a rating between zero and one hundred and is based on the last 1,800 minutes of play in which someone took action. By measuring over such a long period, it is crystal clear how constant players are performing. Since consistency is very difficult for young players, Hauge’s score (78) is excellent. It should be noted again, however, that he is not yet facing much resistance in the Norwegian competition. This season, he was named man of the match seven times in seventeen appearances. The left winger likes to move in to create danger with his stronger right foot. Glimt plays in a very attacking 4-3-3 formation, in which Hauge sometimes acts as number ten or right winger. However, he shows his best performances from the left, where he constantly creates danger with inward shots.

In the last 1,800 minutes of play, Hauge showed the same level as Franck Ribéry, according to FootballCritic.

Hauge is involved in a goal every 63 minutes on average in the competition and especially his shot in the short corner is deadly. The attacker likes to look for the space behind the defense in order to use his speed. Glimt can switch very quickly and if the left winger comes one-on-one, it is almost always dangerous. Hauge does a lot on speed, but is also quite useful in the small space. He likes to keep the field wide and often has an eye for the continuously rising left back Fredrik André Björkan. A combination with him or a midfielder often leads to a shooting chance, but he really creates the most danger himself. In the Eliteserien, Hauge completes an average of 2.7 dribbles per game this season, all of which are in the opponent’s half.

At the same time he does not shy away from his defensive work, which is important in Glimt’s success. Trainer Kjetil Knutsen is constantly hammering on the positioning without a ball and Hauge is making big steps in this. This season, on average, he has managed to gain possession of the opponent’s half twice per game, showing that his pressure is paying off. Twenty-five percent of those ball conquests also result in a shot from Hauge or a teammate within twenty seconds. In the event of a loss of possession, he is the first to put pressure together with the right winger and the striker and is well able to play in a tactical discipline, which is of course seen as a big plus by interested clubs.

Football Critic points as the biggest point for improvement to his choices under high tension. It still happens too often that he goes for his own success when a teammate is in better shape. And if he then chooses a cross, this is often a high, curving ball with his weaker left leg. Then he can better choose to use his dribbling skills and look closer to a teammate to play on the ground. However, it is fair to say that these types of examples are becoming less and less common, because the 20-year-old is becoming more and more decisive. In his last three official games, he has been consistently good for an assist and the motivation of the impending title will propel him to ever greater heights. Hauge calls Chelsea his dream club and with his current progression that seems far from impossible in the long run. For now, the question is whether AC Milan will be able to seduce him directly or whether he will stick to his plan to stay with Glimt until December and then choose a next step. As long as there is no agreement, Heerenveen and the entire Eredivisie can continue to hope.