Top Young Talents to Watch in European Football
Given the young superstars that are around at this moment in time, it is fair to say that football is in very safe hands. Europe seem to be producing some top teenagers who seem destined for greatness, and in this article, we are going to take you through some of the young players who have the footballing world at their feet.
The Youngsters We Will Focus On
In the following table you will be able to see the young players that we are going to focus on and some key information about each one.
| Player | Age | Nationality | Position | Club |
| Lamine Yamal | 17 | Spanish | Right Winger | Barcelona |
| Phil Foden | 24 | English | Right Winger | Manchester City |
| Nico Williams | 22 | Spanish | Left Winger | Atletico Bilbao |
| Jude Bellingham | 20 | English | Attacking Midfielder | Real Madrid |
| Jamal Musiala | 21 | German | Attacking Midfielder | Bayern Munich |
| Pedri | 21 | Spanish | Central Midfielder | Barcelona |
| Eduardo Camavinga | 21 | French | Central Midfielder | Real Madrid |
| Ansu Fati | 21 | Spanish | Left Winger | Barcelona |
| Bukayo Saka | 22 | English | Right Winger | Arsenal |
| Gavi | 20 | Spanish | Central Midfielder | Barcelona |
| Florian Wirtz | 21 | German | Attacking Midfielder | Bayer Leverkusen |
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Barcelona has been looking for a replacement for Lionel Messi for some time, and it seems that they might just have one in the shape of Lamine Yamal. At just 17 years of age, the Spanish youngster has already broken a number of records.
For instance, he is the youngest scorer in La Liga and Barcelona history as well as for the Spanish national team. He also played a big role in helping Spain win the 2024 European Championship, being called a “genius” by his coach, Luis de la Fuente.
He usually plays on the right, and likes to cut in and get a shot away on his left foot. He has a low centre of gravity, likes to take on defenders, and can score and assist, which is why he is being compared to the masterful Argentine. It is safe to say that Barcelona will build their team around him in years to come. His release clause is $1 billion, so he will not be going anywhere any time soon.
Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Phil Foden, at 24 years of age, is the oldest player on this list, but he can still be considered as a youngster. He has been one of Manchester City’s best players in recent seasons, which is high praise indeed when you consider the type of talent that they have at their disposal.
He was voted as Premier League Player of the Season for the 2023/24 campaign after scoring 27 goals and providing 12 assists in 53 appearances. He helped City to win the EPL title and the Carabao Cup, and he will be an important cog in their team for the up-and-coming campaign.
Paul Gascoigne is considered by many football fans and pundits to be the most technically gifted player that England has produced. Therefore, it is high praise that Foden is often compared to him. However, he is yet to replicate his club form at international level – he played seven matches for England at the recent 2024 Euros, scoring 0 goals and providing 0 assists. Although it must be stressed that Gareth Southgate played him out of position.
Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
Ahead of the 2024 European Championships in Germany, Nico Williams was touted as one of the main youngsters to keep an eye on, and it is safe to say that he did not disappoint. He was actually one of the main reasons why Spain went on to lift the title, scoring in the final against England.
He has rapid pace and fantastic dribbling skills and can finish when he is given the chance to do so. The Spanish youngster arrived on the big footballing stage, and he will definitely not be stepping off it for some time.
His performances in Germany obviously caught the eye, so it is not much of a surprise that Barcelona wants to sign him ahead of the 2024/25 La Liga campaign. They have reached personal terms with the winger, but now they have to meet the winger’s release clause which is €58 million. If Barcelona does manage to sign him, it will increase their chances of wrestling the La Liga title off Los Blancos.
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
It is hard to believe that Jude Bellingham used to play for Birmingham City, a club that will be playing in League One of English football next season. When he moved to Borussia Dortmund, the Blues retired his shirt number, and they were mocked intensely for it. However, not many are laughing now.
The box-to-box midfielder took his game to this next level during his three years in Germany, before he was signed by Real Madrid for €103 million last summer. Carlo Ancelotti put him in the number 10 position, and he went on to have a much better season than anyone could have anticipated.
In the 28 appearances that he made for Real Madrid during the 2023/24 campaign, he scored 19 goals, helping his new club to La Liga and Champions League glory. At the time of writing, he is actually considered to be the most valuable footballer in the world.
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
In Jamal Musiala, it is fair to say that Germany have one of the world’s best attacking midfielders at their disposal. The 21-year-old has the ability to play behind the striker or on one of the wings thanks to his pace and technical ability.
When he has the ball at his feet and is running at full pelt at defenders, it is like watching a slalom skier in his prime as he weaves between the traffic. Once he has left the defenders in his wake, there is usually an accurate finish.
During the 2023/24 Bundesliga season, he scored a total of 10 goals and provided 6 assists from a total of 24 matches. He was also Germany’s top scorer at the 2024 European Championship. He is currently content at Bayern Munich, but I am pretty sure the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City will be knocking on his door if he carries on getting better and better.
Pedri (Barcelona)
The 21-year-old has struggled with injuries over the previous season, but there is no doubt as to how much talent he has. He was part of the Spanish squad that won Euro 2024, but he played a bit part due to the aforementioned injuries. Pundits have often compared him to Andres Iniesta, and he is definitely living up to this tag. Barcelona and their fans will be hoping he can overcome his injury issues as they are definitely a lot more exciting to watch when he is out there on the field.
He is given a free midfield role at Barcelona, which gives him the chance to roam around the pitch, operating between the lines and occupying central areas. The youngster can also play as a winger, if needs must. Pedri has excellent dribbling skills, is faster than he looks, and can play well with either foot. Other pundits have compared his playing style to previous greats such as Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Michael Laudrup.
It is likely that he will be playing at Camp Nou for many years to come as there are not many clubs out there who can afford the €1 billion release clause that is attached to his contract.
Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid)
Camavinga moved to Real Madrid from Rennes in 2021, and he took a bit of time to settle in at his new club. While he is not a guaranteed started for Ancelotti’s side, he gets on the pitch very regularly as he undoubtedly has plenty of talent. At Euro 2024 in Germany, he was also used from the bench, but he will definitely find himself starting for club and country more often than not in the next couple of years. He will just need to bid his time for now.
The young Frenchman is a top-quality defensive midfielder, and he has also shown that he has the ability to play at left-back when needed. When he receives the ball, he also has the ability to go on rampaging runs, bringing his more attack-minded teammates into the equation. To give you an idea as to how highly he is rated, a team that wants to sign him up nowadays would need to spend somewhere in the region of €100 million.
Ansu Fati (Barcelona)
In 2019, an injury to Lionel Messi meant that a 16-year-old Ansu Fati got the opportunity to shine, and boy did he take that chance with both hands. Most youngsters would freeze at the thought of replacing Messi, but Fati was not phased by it at all.
When he made his Barcelona debut, he became the second youngest player to do so for the Catalan giant. The following week, he scored his first goal for the club, becoming their youngest scorer ever, and then he became the youngest player ever to score and assist in a La Liga match.
He spent last season on loan at Brighton in the Premier League, but he looks set to return to Camp Nou and showcase his skills in Catalonia. He was not selected for the Spain squad for Euro 2024, which would have disappointed him greatly, even more so after watching his fellow youngsters take the tournament by storm. However, he will definitely have play in plenty of international competitions between now and the end of his career.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
If you were to ask Arsenal fans who their best and most important player is, many of them would tell you Bukayo Saka without a moment of hesitation. During the 23/24 season, he notched up 16 goals and provided 9 assists in 35 Premier League appearances – he was definitely one of the main reasons why Arsenal came so close to winning the EPL title. At Euro 2024, he looked a little tired, but he was still one of England’s better players as they came so close to winning their first title since 1966.
He causes defenders a whole host of issues due to his willingness to run at them with pace. Not only is he fast with the ball at his feet, but he is also deceptively strong. He is always looking to cut in from the right and shoot with his lethal left foot, and even the best defenders struggle to stop him doing this. He will be an important cog for Arsenal and England for many more years to come.
Gavi (Barcelona)
Gavi is yet another youngster from Barcelona who has the footballing world at his feet, and other clubs will be wondering how it is that they keep managing to produce graceful and tenacious midfielders. He is just 20 years of age, but he is already their main cog in their engine room. An ACL injury ruled him out of most of last season and Spain’s Euro 2024 glory, so he will be eager to get back out there on the field and remind us as to how good he is.
Due to his dribbling, football intelligence, anticipation, pace, passing, and turning ability, Gavi has been compared to previous Barcelona greats such as Iniesta and Xavi. He is another Barcelona youngster that has a €1 billion release clause in his contract.
Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
A big injury threatened Wirtz’s career early on, but he overcome it and came back all guns blazing for the 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign. He won the Bundesliga Player of the Season award and was one of the main reasons why Bayer Leverkusen went on to win their first Meisterschale with ease. Although Germany was knocked out in the quarter-final stage of Euro 2024, Wirtz can be proud of the performances that he put in.
Some players just have the ability to find space when there seems to be none, and Wirtz is one such player. When he has the ball at his feet, he is an incredible playmaker and has a thunderous right foot. Real Madrid and Barcelona are keen on the young German, so he will likely be playing in La Liga very soon.
Other Youngsters to Look Out For
- Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Paul Wanner (Bayern Munich)
- Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton)
- Endrick (Palmeiras)
- Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG)
- Arda Guler (Real Madrid)
- Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
- Kenan Yildiz (Juventus)
- Leny Yoro (Lille)
- Antonio Nusa (Club Brugge)
Conclusion
These youngsters are the future of football, so it is important that they are nurtured and allowed to grow. What is clear from all of the above is that football is in good hands, and that these players are definitely worth following, even if you do not support the team or follow the league that they play in. Feel free to share your thoughts on other young footballing talents that are worth watching.
