5 of Borussia Dortmund's best U-20 players
While their fiercest rivals have made it a habit of making big-name signings each transfer window, Dortmund have been quietly acquiring stars of the future, some of whom have already shown glimpses of their outstanding ability to the world.
While they have had to let go of some promising players in the past, their current crop is something to look out for.
Here are Dortmund's top U20 players at the moment:
#5. Alexander Isak(Forward, 18):
It's not everyday that Zlatan considers a player to be his successor and actively recommends him to his former clubs. Young Alexander Isak has managed to do just that and right now is Sweden's crown jewel.
Born in Solna, Sweden, Isak started his football career with Swedish side AIK at the age of 6. Over the years, he rose through their ranks and booked for himself a place in the first team.
He made his first-team debut as a substitute and managed to score a goal in the same match- all of this at the minor age of 16. On 7 April 2016, he started his first senior game and managed to get on the scoresheet thereby becoming AIK's youngest ever goalscorer at 16 years of age. With his exploits in the Swedish league, he earned himself the nickname 'Sweden's New Zlatan Ibrahimovic'.
His glowing performances did not go unnoticed and soon the big guns from Europe came calling for his signature. On 23 January 2017, after 11 years with AIK, he signed for German giants Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of £10 million, ending his stint with the Swedish club on 10 goals in 24 games.
Before committing his future to BVB, there was huge interest from Real Madrid for the striker but he rejected them for Dortmund. He showed why he was so highly rated with a 4 goal performance in a friendly match this season. Isak has made 1 appearance for Dortmund's first team till now and will be looking to make more in the future.
Also read: 5 reasons why Borussia Dortmund will forever be in Bayern Munich's shadow
At 6'3 he is well built, tall and extremely quick. He possesses the kind of ability to skip away from his markers and has an excellent first touch which allows him to create space and get his shot away. It is lanky striker's ability to drop in or move wide to receive the ball and then link up with the midfield and attackers that make him special. Isak also uses his strength and soft feet to defend the ball in tight situations.
He has already got a goal to his name at the international stage in just 2 games and looks to add to it in the future. Before linking up with the first team, Isak was a regular in Sweden's youth program after being a member of their U16, U17, U19 and U21 teams.
Have a look at Sweden's 'New Zlatan' :