Norway's Eliteserien and Sweden's Allsvenskan are back underway for the 2022 season which runs from April through November. Joe is joined by the Nordic Football Podcast's Jonathan Fadugba who provides expert insight on the Scandinavian top flights, reviews the 2021 campaign as well as previewing which players to keep an eye on during 2022. Contains player analysis on Williot Swedberg, Osame Sahraoui, Patrik Wålemark and Akinkunmi Amoo among others. Listen now.

A rare three-pronged attack on the Scouted Football Podcast this week as regular host Joe is joined by Scouted stalwarts Stephen and Llew to discuss the UEFA Youth League. New names, club-issue swimming caps, Fernando Torres' semi-finalists, U19s attracting crowds of 20,000, miniature Diego Armando Maradona and heaps upon heaps of player analysis you won't get anywhere else. Listen now.

Italy have failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

It is the second finals in-a-row Gli Azzurri will play no part in, giving rise to all manner of reactionary takes about the state of Italian football, youth development and the conveyor belt of young talent.

Enter Scouted's Stephen Ganavas, who provides much-needed insight, as well as some new names to be familiar with on the Italian youth international scene. All is not lost, and their European Championships defence in 2024 is expected to be a fierce one. Forza.

Stade Rennais boast one of European football's most illustrious youth setups. It has developed the likes of Ousmane Dembélé, Sylvain Wiltord, Eduardo Camavinga, Yoann Gourcuff and several others throughout the club's history.

Currently, the Ligue 1 side are pushing for automatic qualification to next season's Champions League, spurred on by a youthful core, smart recruitment and a steady stream of teenagers chomping at the bit for more first-team involvement. 

Joe is joined by Rich Allen (@rich_allen85) - a Rennes expert - to discuss the side gunning for European and domestic glory in 2021/22.

Listen now.

In this latest episode, Joe is joined by Ali Maxwell (@AliMaxwell_) of the Not The Top 20 Podcast (@NTT20Pod) to discuss the lads' latest venture - their own show, showcasing the EFL's brightest homegrown talents: 21 Under-21.

Fábio Carvalho, Djed Spence, Jack Rudoni, Tyreece Simpson and several other names from this season's EFL Championship, League One and League Two campaigns discussed. Check it out.

For more information on EFL 21 Under-21, please use the links provided.

Watch on demand

Joe is joined by Peter Coates - editor of @golazoargentino - to discuss four Argentine players, including a deadline day transfer to Manchester City, shades of Sergio Agüero, exit routes to MLS, cats and dogs in central defence and insatiable dribblers.

Includes: Manchester City's newest face Julián Álvarez, Huracán's César Ibańez, Defensa y Justicia's on-loan defender Nazareno Colombo and soon-to-be FC Dallas attacker Alan Velasco.

AFCON 2021 is here...in January 2022.

We've had two rounds of Group Stage matches already, heaps of late drama, new names, familiar faces and plenty of surprise results - and we're only getting started. Give the tournament the respect it deserves, listen to the Scouted Football Podcast with 'Made in Africa' co-host, author and African football expert: the Guardian's Ed Aarons.

Topics include - but are not limited to:

 - Mali and Guinea's young squads

- Saïdou Sow and Anis Ben Slimane player focus

- 17-year-old duo Abdul Fatawu Issahaku and Karim Konaté

- Gambia and Serie A

- Tournament predictions 

AS Monaco are the club of Thierry Henry, Glenn Hoddle, Emmanuel Petit, Lilian Thuram, Arsène Wenger and most recently Kylian Mbappé - their place in Gallic footballing folklore is sacrosanct. 

The Scouted Football Podcast takes a deep dive into the Monégasque club in modern day: including Niko Kovač's sacking and immediate replacement as well as up-and-coming, coming-of-agers Aurélien Tchouaméni and Sofiane Diop.

Listen now.

Guest: @EdwardStratmann of the Monaco Tribune

END OF YEAR SPECIAL

We look back on some of our favourite clips from the Scouted Football Podcast throughout 2021, including...

@LGAmbrose on Stuttgart and Silas Katompa Mvumpa

@ZoryaLondonsk on Ukraine and Everton-bound Vitalyi Mykolenko

@benjack94 on Belgium and Albert Sambi Lokonga

@FMAnalysis on Second Tier Scouting and Mohamed Bayo

@Orland1nho on Chelsea and Conor Gallagher

@AFHStewart on Sochaux and Alain Virginius

@OtherBundesliga on Austria and Karim Adeyemi

@JFfutbol on PL2 and Villa + Leeds

@Tim_Vickery on South America and Ecuador

@Jon_Mackenzie on SC Freiburg and Nico Schlotterbeck

Rayo Vallecano are sitting pretty in LaLiga, currently occupying a spot in the European places. They've never finished higher than 8th in the club's history.

Coached by Andoni Iraola, a former student of Marcelo Bielsa, Ernesto Valverde and José Luis Mendilibar, Rayo are defying the odds and currently boast the best home record across Europe's top five leagues having picked up 25/27 points in their first nine games at Vallecas this season.

Oh, and they were promoted via the Segunda División play-offs last year.

Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) provides the insight on Rayo, their coach, an interesting U23 left-back as well as three more standout youngsters (Vinicíus Jr, Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet) in LaLiga.