Scouting Report #19: Vasilije Kostov

Date of Birth: 11/05/2008
Age: 17
Nationality: 🇷🇸 Serbia
Preferred Position: CAM
Alternative Positions: RW, CM
Club: Red Star
Height: 176 cm
Contract Until: 30/06/2028

Weeeeeeeeelcome everyone once again to another report on a big rising star. Today we have a player that occupies a position seen before in this series with the likes of Chuki.

Despite that, today’s player is miles ahead… we have within our hands the biggest gem seen so far. A Serbian player who started to get game time in the first division of his country. A player that will find a big club move sooner than later.

The one, the only, the marvelous: Vasilije Kostov.

Kostov is headlining the new stars who are having a break out season this year… but is that deserved? How does Kostov play? Let’s see 😉

Not a painter nor a musician… but hell is he creative

Let’s start with some context first.

At club level, Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) have been consistently producing high-level talents in recent years. The pipeline has been active and efficient. Just last season, they promoted Andrija Maksimović to the first team — a teenager who immediately exploded with 6 goals and 7 assists. Many will remember him for that bold press conference before facing FC Barcelona, where he claimed he saw himself at Lamine Yamal’s level… 😉

Confidence aside, Maksimović backed up the talk with performances and eventually secured a €14M move to RB Leipzig.

After his departure, the logical assumption was simple: either Aleksandar Katai would take over the central attacking role fully, or the club would dip into the market for a replacement.

But football loves the unexpected.

Enter Vasilije Kostov.

Last season he accumulated barely 30 minutes across three appearances. A name on the bench sheet more than a real option. Fast forward a year, and he has not only stepped into the role — he has owned it.

Before diving deeper into Kostov, we must also understand Red Star’s current competitive context. They sit first in the Serbian SuperLiga, battling head-to-head with Partizan for the title, and have advanced in Europe, finishing 15th in the Europa League league phase. This is not a rebuilding side. This is a team competing on multiple fronts, playing offensive, proactive football led by the experience of Katai and Arnautović — now blended with Kostov’s youth and dynamism.

And in that demanding context, a 17-year-old is not just participating.

He is leading.

Let’s look at the raw numbers first: 28 matches, 1,851 minutes, 10 goals and 5 assists. For a 17-year-old attacking midfielder in a title-contending side playing European football, that output is outstanding.

But numbers only scratch the surface.

Kostov is not a peripheral contributor. He is a central hub. Almost every meaningful possession flows through him or Katai — and the chemistry between them is evident. He reads the rhythm of the match with unusual clarity for his age. He understands when to accelerate with a vertical pass, when to switch play with a long ball, when to slip a through pass behind the defensive line, and when to slow the tempo to regain control.

What truly shocks, however, is his presence.

It feels strange to say this about a 17-year-old, but Kostov shows genuine leadership on the pitch. In difficult phases of matches, teammates actively look for him. He does not hide. He does not rush. He does not shrink under pressure.

Technically, his standout quality is his passing. Vision, execution, range — short combinations, crosses, long diagonals — everything is delivered with precision and intent. Statistically and visually, he stands out as one of the most influential distributors in the squad.

And while creativity may be his defining trait, his attacking contribution is far from secondary. He strikes the ball cleanly, finishes chances with composure and consistently positions himself to arrive in dangerous areas at the right moment.

Weakness? Not in Kostov’s dictionary

It’s becoming a pattern lately that when I reach this section, I genuinely struggle to highlight clear weaknesses.

For his role, for his age, and for what the team demands from him, Vasilije Kostov doesn’t present any obvious structural flaws. And that in itself is rare.

Of course, if we zoom in with a microscope, we can always find areas to polish. He could attempt more dribbles. He could win a higher percentage of duels. He could contribute with more ball recoveries or defensive actions. There are always margins in modern football — especially in transitional phases where athleticism and aggression make the difference.

But let’s be realistic for a second.

If a 17-year-old attacking midfielder were already dominating games creatively, scoring and assisting consistently, dictating tempo, showing leadership… and on top of that dribbling like a winger, defending like a box-to-box midfielder and winning every duel… we wouldn’t be talking about “potential.” We’d be talking about the next Ballon d’Or. 😉

Summary

Strengths:

Vision
Passing
Personality under pressure
Shot selection
Decision making
Crossing
G/A Contribution

Weaknesses:

None
Dribbling if we had to say something

Player Comparison

In these images, the player is ranked against others in the same position and league. For each metric, you’ll see the statistic name, the player’s average per 90 minutes, and their percentile rank—which shows how they compare to their peers (e.g., an 80th percentile means they performed better than 80% of players in that group).

Future Moves and Player Expectations

Kostov is — and has been for months now — strongly linked with a big move this summer.

Red Star have reportedly set his price at €20M, and considering his age, production and leadership already shown at 17, that figure feels more like an opportunity than a risk. In today’s market, clubs pay similar amounts for potential alone. Kostov offers potential and tangible output.

On paper, the best-positioned clubs are Galatasaray, Arsenal and FC Barcelona.

Now, knowing that, my preferred destination for him is quite clear. Turkish… arruspu chu chu… 😉

Jokes aside, from a purely developmental standpoint, Galatasaray makes the most sense.

Both Arsenal and Barcelona are stacked in his position. At Barça, names like Dani Olmo or Fermín López already compete for central attacking roles. At Arsenal, Martin Ødegaard is untouchable, and even additional creative signings would only reduce available minutes further. Breaking into those rotations as a 17–18-year-old foreign signing is not impossible — but it is extremely demanding.

At Galatasaray, the context is different. He would likely receive more consistent opportunities to play, make mistakes, grow and assume responsibility. Importantly, he would still be in a high-pressure, winning environment, competing domestically for titles and on the Champions League stage. That balance between exposure and opportunity is crucial at this stage of his career.

In my view, if the choice truly is between those three clubs, Galatasaray is clearly the smartest step. Not necessarily the most glamorous — but perhaps the most strategic.

Lastly, as always, let’s use some other players to represent the hopes and aspirations we have on him:

Best-Case Scenario
Dani Olmo — A combination of amazing passing and vision with a touch of great shooting and finishing. Not a great dribbler on paper but is smooth and great on the ball too.

Expected Outcome
Nkunku — Always better stats than sensations, at least from our point of view, but Nkunku has always been a dangerous player in central positions, with a great shooting and finishing capacity and a strong passing.

Worst-Case Scenario
Filip Duricic— A Serbian talent who was destined for greatness but unfortunately couldn’t live up to the expectations. Still played in the top 5 leagues at a more than solid level and got a lot of appearances with Serbia’s national team.

Don’t miss out on our other player reports, look at them here.

And don’t forget to check our Instagram account, where you can find summarized player reports.