Ari Sigurpálsson is a 21-year-old Icelandic winger who primarily attacks from the left. In a successful 2024 campaign for Víkingur Reykjavík (the Besta deild club finished atop the table prior to the finals where they finished second), their young winger scored 7 goals along with 9 assists in 19 appearances. He added 3 more goals in the domestic cup and 3 goal contributions in continental competitions. Sigurpálsson is a U21 international with 9 caps and spent a few seasons with Bologna’s academy.
Sigurpálsson stands at 1.78 m with a slender frame with a slippery style of play. He is quite agile enabling him to wiggle away in tight spaces. His pace is impressive for this level, having above average acceleration/burst and near elite pace that allows him to long dribble past markers with ease in transition and apply frustrating pressure in the high press of the wings. That relentless pressure combined with his athletic traits make it hard to get a dribble by him when he is pressing at his best. A couple important physical improvements will be adding more muscle to withstand more physical leagues and working on his long-term fitness as he must begin completing more 90s. His domestic league has one of the shortest seasons in Europe and he has only just begun starting regularly. With his form this season, a move will be on the horizon quickly and he will face a more intense schedule that he must adapt to.
On the attack, Sigurpálsson demonstrates elite creation, okay finishing, and improving dribbling. His crossing with both feet is reliable and led to several assists this campaign. In addition, his cutbacks with his right foot earned him assists and created chances. Sigurpálsson’s dribbling got him into these positions to create chances and he utilized agility, above average ball control, and well-timed turn of pace to primarily beat his marker in 1v1s/take-ons to the outside. That gave him the space needed to either cross into the box or attempt to round his marker into the box. To be more successful after that, Sigurpálsson must become more technical with his dribbling. Regarding finishing, he is serviceable at this level, especially at his position. After dribbling into the box, Sigurpálsson creates for himself, opening his hips for a far post finish with his dominant right foot for his most frequently successful/on target shot. His ball striking technique could improve but is solid for this level, shooting with consistent power and wavering precision.
Positionally, Sigurpálsson fits in best as a wide winger. His crossing ability and dribbling preference suit him best for that role in attack from either flank. Tactically, his pace and relentless nature in the press alongside his flexibility to make runs in behind off the outside shoulder of his marker or come short to receive the ball make him a desirable rotational attacking piece for managers of multiple schools of thought. Clubs looking for high work rate and wing creativity in their recruitment this winter window should look to sign him with his contract expiring at the end of December.
A move to a better Scandinavian league is on the horizon and Norway or Sweden seems to be a logical next step. If Sigurpálsson succeeds from there, I see him reaching the heights of mid-table clubs outside the top 5 leagues. I won’t rule out him developing into an Ajax or Benfica level player as he has loads of potential, though he still has a long way to go.
Target Scouting 