10 best young players to watch out for in 2014 Forwards & Wingers
Remember that this list contains only those players who are 20 and under, thus born on or after 1st January 1993. We have taken into consideration factors such as their performance in 2013 and expected performance in 2014. Only those players who have made a fairly regular run of senior football appearances in the top division on any country have been included.
100 Best Young Players to Watch-Out for in 2014 | Forwards/Wingers (10 – 1)
10) Gerard Deulofeu
Who is he?: Gerard Deulofeu is a 19 year old Spanish attacker. He is comfortable playing on either wing, but is seen on the right more often than not. The player is contracted to Spanish champions FC Barcelona, but is currently on loan at Everton.
Back in 2013: In the 2012-13 season, Deulofeu played most of his football for the Barcelona B team in the Spanish Segunda, aside from making a few sporadic appearances for the first team across various competitions. The attacker enjoyed a good season with the B team, notching up 18 goals and 6 assists in 33 appearances.
In the summer too, Deulofeu was very busy with the international side, participating in the U-20 World Cup, and the U-19 Euros, serving as an integral member of both teams. At the Euros, Deulofeu scored twice, and made 3 assists. Both his goals came at the right time, in a crucial semi final match against France. At the U-20?s too, he was satisfactory, scoring twice and assisting once in the game against USA. Deulofeu currently plays for the U-21?s, and has 4 goals in 10 appearances for them.
Read a detailed Scout Report on Gerard Deulofeu
Fast forward to August, and the youngster found himself at Everton under the excellent Roberto Martinez. Despite the fact that he’s only made 2 starts, Deulofeu has been a regular in the side, making 12 appearances before injury hit him. His performances have been very good and have won praise from all quarters. The goal that rescued a point at the Emirates against Arsenal stands out in memory as a fabulous strike.
Looking to 2014: Before anything else, Deulofeu will look to make a speedy recovery and return to Merseyside, where Everton will need his considerable skill to continue their battle for fourth spot. In the summer, the player will have to work hard to impress the coaches at the Nou Camp, and with the competition for places so intense, we might just see him make another short term move.
9) Vinicius Araujo
Who is he?: Araujo is a 20 year old centre forward, who plays for Cruzeiro in Brazil. Araujo is also Brazilian, and is capable of playing on the left and the right, but mostly sticks to the middle.
Back in 2013: Araujo made his first foray into the Cruzeiro team midway through 2013, playing 68 minutes against Portuguesa. In the very next game, another start for the youngster, he netted a brace against Nautico. This helped him make a tremendous impact on the side, and helped him win a lot more appearances. Over the course of the year, he’s gone on to make 11 starts and managed to get himself 6 goals and 2 assists as well.
Looking to 2014: Araujo had a successful 2013, despite missing a few games. He’s back in the line up now, and that’s what is important. He’ll want to keep scoring to possibly make it as a back up to Fred, but also to bolster his growing reputation.