FCK one of best suppliers of Top Five players

F.C. Copenhagen are one of the most successful teams at developing talent to play in the 'Top Five' European leagues, a study has shown.

Data from the Swiss research institute CIES Football Observatory shows FCK are the top Scandinavian team to help players reach leagues in Germany, England, Spain, Italy and France.

F.C. Copenhagen are 14th on the list of clubs outside the 'Top Five' to feed into these leagues.

We currently have 10 former players within the ranks of the 'Top Five', with only a handful of non-Top Five clubs boasting more.

1. AFC Ajax (22)
2. Benfica (21)
3. Red Bull Salzburg (20)
4. Castilla (Real Madrid B) (17)
4. Sporting CP (17)
6. KRC Genk (16)
7. PSV (15)
7. FC Porto (15)
7. FC Basel (15)
10. Anderlecht (13)
11. Club Brugge (11)
12. Dinamo Zagreb (11)
13. FC Barcelona B (11)
14. F.C. Copenhagen (10)

>> See the full list on the CIES website here

The 10 players that FCK have delivered into the Top Five are:
England Daniel Amartey (Leicester)
Spain Kenan Kodro (Athletic Club)
Italy Federico Santander (Bologna), Denis Vavro (Lazio), Peter Ankersen (Genoa) and Jesse Joronen (Brescia)
Germany Oscar Wendt (Gladbach), Jakob Busk (Union Berlin), Ludwig Augustinsson (Werder Bremen) and Robert Skov (Hoffenheim)

The CIES list only includes current Top Five players who have transferred directly from a non-Top Five league. That's why Thomas Delaney, for example, is not included because he joined Borussia Dortmund from Werder Bremen.

Fellow Danish sides Brøndby and FC Nordsjælland have four and three players respectively on the list, but otherwise no other Nordic club has delivered more than two players.