“A new star is born!” A German suddenly deputises for Erling Haaland and sparks a buzz at Manchester City
A talent with German roots is generating hype at Manchester City these days. But how did Floyd Samba end up deputising for even Erling Haaland in the Champions League recently?
Some Sky Blues fans may have rubbed their eyes at the line-up against AEK Athens. Coach Enzo Maresca picked a certain Floyd Samba, not Erling Haaland, as his lone striker.
At the start of the week, Samba probably hadn't expected to hear the legendary Champions League anthem from the pitch. Yet there he stood, starting in place of the Norwegian superstar, with a mascot in front of him, or rather beneath his nose. Haaland had, after all, scored his 11th and 12th Premier League goals of the season in the 5-0 rout of Ipswich Town.
Haaland made the squad for the home game against Athens but, slightly hampered, spent the full 90 minutes on the bench. His replacement, Antoine Semenyo, had suffered an injury a few days earlier and will be out for weeks, so Maresca turned to the 17-year-old. Samba is actually a central midfielder.
Risky decision pays off: Samba had never played as a striker before
Although Samba did not register a goal or an assist before coming off in the 63rd minute of Man City's 5-1 victory, Maresca was pleased with the teenager again. "The three academy players were good," he said afterwards, also praising substitutes Ryan McAidoo and Kaden Braithwaite, both 18 and products of the club's academy. Samba "particularly" impressed Pep Guardiola's successor, who said he had "played a good game overall".
The press liked what they saw, too. The Manchester Evening News gave him seven out of a possible ten and called his display "a good performance on another big night for him". This was no one-off for Samba: it was already his second start of the young season. His first came in mid-September against Norwich City in the Carabao Cup. Again, he played as a striker.
Maresca's gamble paid off that night. Samba scored twice in a comfortable 5-0 Man City win, despite having tried the unfamiliar position only shortly beforehand. "When I decided over the last three or four days to play him as a No 9, I asked him whether he had ever played as a striker before. He said he had never done it. But I think he can. He certainly isn't a No 9, but he was good."
The Daily Mail went further with its headline: "A new star is born". Hype quickly spread across social media. An excited Samba said: "A debut like that is simply amazing, I could hardly believe it. This is only the beginning; I have a big career ahead of me."
Little prospect of playing time: Will Samba go out on loan?
Back with the youth ranks, Samba waited more than a month for his third first-team call-up before making his Champions League debut with distinction. He had first made Maresca's squad on the third matchday of the Premier League but did not come on. Minutes are likely to remain scarce: he was absent from the teamsheet again for the 2-1 league defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend. Wednesday evening's League Cup tie against Brighton offers a better chance. First-choice striker Haaland is one of five City stars being rested and left out of the squad.
Once Semenyo returns in a few weeks, further appearances will look even less likely. Samba also faces fierce competition in his preferred central midfield role from Elliot Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Enzo Fernandez. According to Sky, the club are considering a winter loan, though no solution currently appears to be emerging. A permanent departure is not an option given his potential. The club also face an uncertain future because of the threat of penalties over the financial scandal. As well as a transfer ban, they must reckon with forced relegation.
Born in nearby Macclesfield, Samba clearly feels at home in Manchester. He has worn the sky-blue shirt since under-nine level. His older brother Tyrone plays as a left winger for the under-21s, too. Tyrone was on the bench once in the Champions League last season and watched his younger brother from the stands last Tuesday. Twelve-year-old Emerson is another member of the Samba family under contract.
Floyd recently said the two still regularly play football in the family garden. "It gets really competitive," he said. Emerson, currently a defender, is aggressive and "so tall" that he "already comes up to my shoulder". He wants to follow in the footsteps of his father Christopher Samba, who made 171 Premier League appearances and 20 in the Bundesliga for Hertha BSC.
Parallels with Jamal Musiala: Will Samba be the DFB's next hope?
Christopher Samba, an imposing centre-back, also met his wife Theresa in the capital, a connection that could yet delight the DFB. Haaland's stand-in has German citizenship. Under coach Hanno Balitsch, Samba made his debut for the under-19 national team shortly after his double against Norwich, having previously played for the Three Lions' youth sides. He could also wear France's shirt, or Congo's, as his father once did.
For now, Samba can take his time over which national association to represent. Nicolo Tresoldi offers a prime example: despite his outstanding goalscoring record, he wants to decide for or against Germany with the DFB side only after the Under-21 European Championship. Italy are pursuing the prolific striker intensively, while his varied heritage, similar to Samba's, also makes Argentina an option. Samba lives up to his surname if taken literally, too. His dribbling, touch and vision bring a distinctly Brazilian flair to the pitch.
Jamal Musiala took a winding international path as well. The gifted Bayern Munich player represented English youth teams as a child. After two appearances for Germany's under-16s, he played for England's under-17s and under-21s before committing to the DFB in 2021. Now 23, he has played 46 times with the eagle on his chest.
Whether Samba follows a similar path remains to be seen. His future looks promising.
