In an otherwise inflated transfer market, Scotland is one of the last remaining places where true value can be found.
The recent success of stars emerging from Celtic, Rangers and Hibernian is testament to this - with Virgil Van Dijk and John McGinn being true examples.
Indeed, the country has become a good place to shop in recent years, so who could follow in the footsteps of Billy Gilmour in making the move to Chelsea from north of the border?
We take a look.
Karamoko Dembele
Club: Celtic
Age: 17
Nationality: England/Scotland
Having been tagged as a wunderkind for years, Karamoko Dembele is now making his first team breakthrough for Celtic.
The young prodigy was handed his debut for the Hoops on the final day of last season and while Neil Lennon continues to use the 17-year-old sparingly, easing him into the senior squad, there have been glimpses of Dembele’s potential.
Just like Gilmour, Dembele is diminutive in size and capable of dribbling past opponents almost at will. Of course, Gilmour is closer to the finished article than the Celtic teenager, but he could follow in the footsteps of the Rangers academy graduate in finding his next stepping stone at Stamford Bridge.
Odsonne Edouard
Club: Celtic
Age: 22
Nationality: France
Chelsea were linked with a January move for Dembele, the former Celtic striker who has thrived since making the move to Lyon two seasons ago, but the Blues might be better served swooping for the man who replaced him in Glasgow.
Odsonne Edouard, signed for £9 million from Paris Saint-Germain, was a direct replacement for Dembele and many believe he will go on to surpass his predecessor.
Edouard has scored 28 times for Celtic in all competitions this season. The Frenchman has proven that he can lead the line for a title-chasing side, also impressing in the Europa League for the Hoops. Celtic will want to make a healthy profit on their initial £9 million investment. If Dembele was sold for close to £20 million, the Hoops can expect to get that or more for Edouard.
Leon King
Club: Rangers
Age: 16
Nationality: Scotland
Rangers have high hopes for Leon King. The teenage centre back was linked with a move to Manchester City before putting pen to paper on a contract that will keep him at Ibrox until 2022. It’s easy to see why King is attracting such attention, with the 16-year-old possessing many of the qualities required by modern centre backs.
King is still only 16. He has a long road ahead of him to fulfil his potential, but that potential is obvious.
The defender scored a stunning goal in a youth match against RB Leipzig earlier this year, but is his technical ability in bringing the ball out from the back and his natural status as a leader that marks out King. Chelsea’s signing of Gilmour from Rangers as a teenager paid dividends. The same could be true of King’s capture.
Alfredo Morelos
Club: Rangers
Age: 23
Nationality: Colombia
With 29 goals in all competitions, Alfredo Morelos has proven himself as Scotland’s most prolific goalscorer this season.
Many comparisons have been made between the Rangers striker and Edouard, with the discussion becoming Scottish football’s equivalent of the Lionel Messi v Cristiano Ronaldo debate, but Morelos’ talent is undeniable.
Concerns remain over the 23-year-old’s temperament - Morelos was sent off no fewer than five times in the 2018/19 season and was shown red in the last Old Firm derby - and this could affect the striker’s market value should Rangers decide to cash in, but when focused there are few better at finding the back of the net (see his performances in this season’s Europa League).
Morelos is a true goalscorer, he lives to score and is better at it than most others.
