5 best U-25 goalkeepers in the world
While the likes of Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer, Paris Saint-Germain's Keylor Navas and Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak continue to impress with their performances, it is only a matter of time before the young stars take their place.
Modern goalkeepers are required to not only be good shot-stoppers, but also good passers who start the attack. Young goalkeepers are now technically strong and composed on the ball.
As Chelsea found out with Kepa, finding the correct goalkeeper is extremely important. That is why teams are willing to splash the cash on young shot-stoppers, as we have seen with Liverpool and Alisson, as well as Manchester City and Ederson.
5 best U-25 goalkeepers in the world
#5 Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao)
Athletic Bilbao sold Kepa Arrizabalaga to Chelsea for a fee of £72 million, and replaced him with Unai Simon, a product of their academy.
Simon has established himself as the starting goalkeeper for Athletic Bilbao and has impressed with his passing and reflexes. The 23-year old has made 81 appearances in all competitions for Athletic Bilbao so far. Simon has made 33 appearances in all competitions this season.
With both Kepa and Manchester United's David de Gea not getting enough playing time, Simon could start for Spain at the Euros this summer. If the Spain international irons out the inconsistencies in his game, he has a bright future.
#4 Bartlomiej Dragowski (Fiorentina)
Like Unai Simon, Bartlomiej Dragowski has established himself as the starting goalkeeper for his side over the past couple of seasons.
Dragowski joined Fiorentina from Jagiellonia Bialystok in 2016 for a fee of £2.25 million. A backup option when he joined the club, the 23-year old joined Empoli on loan in January 2019, producing some good performances. This included the 17 saves he made in a game against Atalanta, a Serie A record.
The Poland international returned to Fiorentina that summer and became the first-choice goalkeeper. He has made 68 appearances in all competitions for the club. Dragowski has been linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund recently.
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