Iran's youth players have become increasingly prolific in the past few years. A strong showing in the u17 World Cup has combined well with youth breakout stars across Iranian and European leagues. Here are the teenagers who are ready to take the next step and what they can offer to potential suitors:
Forwards:
Younes Delfi - (b. October 2, 2000) - Right Winger - Esteghlal Khuzestan(Iran 1st div)
The pacy and technical winger has been a regular for his club since his debut at sixteen years of age. Delfi plies his trade on the right side of the pitch where he is known to dribble by opponents before cutting into shoot or passing the ball to his teammates. At just 18, Delfi has played in 43 senior level club games, having scored 7 and assisted 3 in that time. He has been at the forefront of a struggling Esteghlal Khuzestan side this season and has already had a trial with PSV Eindhoven, with another one approaching shortly. Delfi is bound for a European move whether that be earning a contract at PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie or going to a Portugese side as some rumors are pointing to. Regardless of the move, Delfi should seek to leave his club as his development has slowed down this season. Potential 10/10
Allahyar Sayyadmanesh - (b. June 29, 2001) - Striker - Esteghlal Tehran(Iran 1st div)
The striker's move to Esteghlal drew some criticism earlier this year as many believed he wouldn't receive much playing time. In reality, Allahyar has broken into the first team and is a regular starter, having scored two and assisted two in the first half of the season. The striker broke out at the u17 world cup where he scored four and assisted one more as one of the most prolific strikers in the tournament. Allahyar's strengths lie in his ball control and first touch which allow him to get take on and convert balls in the box. He will be turning 18 next summer and should be on the shopping list for a few European sides. He was previously linked with a move to one of the Istanbul giants, but any move which can guarantee a path to the first team will be beneficial to who is bound to be a Team Melli player in due time. Potential 10/10
Hossein Nokhodkar - (b. February 24, 2002) - Left Winger - Saipa(Iran 1st div)
The young winger has been praised by Saipa coach and Iran legend Ali Daei as being one to watch. At sixteen he has been promoted to training with the first team and has even made a brief appearance this season. Nokhodkar is a technical player who can dribble around players and send it quality through balls. Very little has been seen of him at the senior level, but his quick promotion to the senior squad and praise by Daei make him one to watch. Rumors of Rubin Kazan monitoring the winger have been hard to confirm as being anything beyond rumors, but with the way Nokhodkar is heading, he is bound to draw attention soon. Potential 9/10
Arwin Javad - (b. October 30, 2001) - Striker - NEC Nijmegen U19/U17(U19 Eredivisie)
Javad is an academy player at NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands, the very same team which brought Alireza Jahanbakhsh to the European football stage. The Dutch-Iranian has expressed his interest in playing for Iran and currently averages over a goal a game for the youth teams. He plays above his age level and looks to be the real deal. A path to the first team isn't clear at this point, but with his goal scoring record it is likely that he will make it to a first team somewhere soon. Potential 8/10
Saeid Karimi - (b. January 21, 2000) - Striker - Persepolis(Iran 1st div)
Karimi is a tall striker who is a great aerial target in the box. With Persepolis having a plethora of striking options, he has yet to see competitive game time with his senior team, but has shown glimpses of his quality with youth teams. With a few of the capital team's striking options leaving, Karimi is bound to begin featuring in the next year. Karimi had a decent showing at the u17 world cup, and could be featuring for lower table teams in the Iranian league, but will have to wait for his Persepolis breakout. Potential 7.5/10
Farshad Biabani - (b. March 28, 1999) - Left Winger - Shahrdari Tabriz(Iran 2nd div)
Biabani is a pacy winger who utilizes his technical skills to get into the opposition box. He currently plays in Iran's second division for Shahrdari Tabriz, where he was a youth player. Biabani has an eye for goal and is currently his teams top scorer in the league. He is ready to make the move to Iran's first division, where he can prove himself to be more than just a second division player. Potential 7/10
Midfielders:
Mohammad Sharifi - (b. March 21, 2000) - Central Midfielder - Esteghlal Khuzestan(Iran 1st div)
Sharifi is another talent from the Khuzestan team who has developed well. The box to box midfielder can play in both advanced and defensive positions in the midfield, offering great passing and intercepting abilities. At 18, he already has 27 senior club games under his belt. He is ready to take a step up from his current team and with a weighted rumor of a Portugese team seeking his signature, it is likely the midfielder will advance his development abroad. Potential 9.5/10
Vahid Namdari - (b. July 28, 2000) - Attacking Midfielder - Esteghlal Khuzestan(Iran 1st div)
Namdari has been overshadowed by other young attacking talent in Delfi in his club team, but the pressure being taken away from him has allowed him to develop into a versatile attacking midfielder who can shift out to the wings if called upon. Namdari has great vision, passing ability, and dribbling crafting him into a model number 10. There are no European links at this moment for Namdari, but the attacking midfielder should move to another Iranian team in the event of his club's relegation. Potential 8.25/10
Mohammad Reza Ghobishavi - (b. January 24, 2000) - Central Midfielder - Sanat Naft(Iran 1st div)
Ghobishavi is a classic central midfielder, with the ability to dictate play and create chances. The central midfielder has just begun breakout out with his team and has scored a decisive goal off the bench. Ghobishavi is a future leader in midfield, but needs more game time to develop. He will likely receive more game time the second half of the season and if he continues to develop he will likely become a first team player next season. It's too early to judge whether Ghobishavi will make it to Europe, but he will likely become a key PGPL player in years to come. Potential 8/10
Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh - (b. October 04, 2000) - Attacking Midfielder - Saipa U21(Iran 1st div)
Hosseinzadeh drew a lot of attention from his quality performances at the u17 world cup. The player had signed and was set to move to Cordoba to play for their youth team, but the move unfortunately couldn't be completed. He is currently with the U21 side at Saipa and will likely be promoted to the first team in the summer. Cordoba attempting to sign the player again is a possibility, but he is likely to remain at Saipa. Potential 7.5/10
Mohammad Khodabandelou - (b. September 7, 1999) - Defensive Midfielder - Paykan(Iran 1st div)
Khodabandelou is a physical defensive midfielder who offers decent tackling and passing. The player has been inconsistent, but has shown glimpses of quality in his two senior seasons. He definitely needs game time if he is to develop into a top quality player and will likely feature more as the season progresses. Potential 7/10
Hamidreza Taherkhani - (b. March 26, 1999) - Attacking Midfielder - Persepolis(Iran 1st div)
Taherkhani is one of many young talents at Persepolis. He has made a handful of appearances off the bench for the club since his move a few years prior. Taherkhani has shown glimpses of his ability, but should move to another club for game time if he wants to develop into a quality player. Potential 7/10
Kiyan Gilani - (b. April 04, 2000) - Attacking Midfielder - NEC Nijmegen U19(U19 Eredivisie)
Gilani is another academy player at NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands, and has the same agent as Alireza Jahanbakhsh. The German-Iranian began as a futsal player and this is evident in his technical ability and playmaking. He is a first team player for his team, either starting or coming off the bench each game. With his contract up in the summer, it will be interesting to see what route Gilani takes next. Potential 7/10
Kian Yari - (b. January 1, 2001) - Central Midfielder - Burnley U18(Professional Development League)
Yari is a box to box midfielder who is plying his trade at the Burnley academy. The central midfielder is good with both feet and can both tackle and send in quality passes. Yari identifies with Iran and could be called up to its youth teams if he continues to develop. He is from Manchester, UK and spent time in the academies of both big teams before ultimately moving to Burnley. His academy contract is up this coming summer with big decisions needing to be made by both the club and player. Potential 7/10
Defenders:
Taha Shariati - (b. March 3, 2000) - Centerback - Saipa(Iran 1st div)
Shariati is a ball playing centerback who has developed into an exciting defensive prospect. Shariati's tackling and build up play are second to none in his age group. He has had a few senior club caps to only be sidelined by a hamstring injury this season. He is currently recovering his match fitness, but PSV Eindhoven's prior interest and trial for the player indicates that European teams are well aware of his talent. Once he refinds his form and fully recovers he is set to breakout in the domestic league and sooner than not move abroad. There has been some buzz around him to replace Majid Hosseini at Trabzonspor in a year or two if the established centerback moves. Potential 9.5/10
Ahmadreza Jalali - (b. August 14, 2001) - Leftback - Foolad(Iran 1st div)
Jalali was another talented player in the Iran u17 world cup squad. The leftback offers a modern skillset to the position and can defend as well as move forward. He made his club debut this season and has featured in two games for Foolad, while regularly appearing on the bench. He has yet to fully breakout for his team, but with rotation common for Foolad's leftbacks, expect him to make a few more starts this season. Potential 8/10
Mehdi Rahimi - (b. May 2, 1999) - Centerback/Leftback - Sepahan(Iran 1st div)
Rahimi is a traditional centerback who has also found success playing wider to the left. He started ten games in last years campaign, with his team finding clean sheets in half of those fixtures. He has been limited to two brief appearances off the bench this season, but has shown promise in these two seasons. He offers decent passing while excelling in positioning and tackling. Some proper gametime and development will see him become a regular starter for Sepahan. Potential 7.5/10
Ali Satavi - (b. January 3, 2000) -Rightback - Foolad(Iran 1st div)
Satavi has had a strong showing in the youth teams from club and country. The Rightback is pacy and can move up the field to contribute to attack. He has yet to feature for the senior Foolad team, but that opportunity is bound to come soon. He is promising, but at the moment doesn't seem like he will go beyond Iran's domestic league. Potential 7/10
Amirhossein Esmaeilzadeh - (b. January 25, 2000) - Centerback/Leftback - Esteghlal U21(Iran 1st div)
Esmaeilzadeh had a good showing at the u17 world cup which earned him a move to Esteghlal's U21 team. His timing and positioning are his best assets which allow to defend well against physical opposition despite his shorter stature. He excels in 1v1 defending situations and has the pace to run back against counterattacks. His current strengths would make him a greater leftback talent than centerback, but he is likely to develop into a solid player in either position. Potential 7/10
Goalkeepers:
Ali Keykhosravi - (b. January 13, 1999) - Goalkeeper - Sepahan(Iran 1st div)
Keykhosravi is a very promising goalkeeping talent within the domestic league of Iran. He was promoted to the senior team two seasons ago and has served as the backup goalkeeper ever since. He made his league debut at 18, coming off the bench and saving a penalty in the process. Keykhosravi excels at high claims given his tall stature of two meters(Six foot, seven inches). He has become the starting keeper for the Iran U20 side and will likely move onto the U23 side soon. A move with guaranteed playtime would be beneficial for Ali to develop him into a top goalkeeper for Iran. He has the potential to become a Team Melli regular if he can get consistent gametime for a few years. Potential 9/10
Ali Gholamzadeh - (b. February 13, 2000) - Goalkeeper - Foolad(Iran 1st div)
Gholamzadeh stood between the posts in the last U17 World Cup for Iran. His shot stopping and reflexes are the highlight of his ability. He has yet to feature for the first team of Foolad, but has been fighting for the backup position in the past year. He has the potential to become a great goalkeeper for the domestic league. Potential 7.5/10