Top 5 young players of this football season (2019/20)
In every passing transfer window, football clubs adopt specific transfer strategies to keep up with their ever-strengthening rivals.
Real Madrid's 'Los Galacticos' era, for instance, saw them go on a spree to purchase some of the biggest football superstars in the world to create a super-team at the Santiago Bernabeu. Fast forward almost two decades, and the same club has still invested a lot in players, albeit with a contrastingly different approach.
From well-established superstars, Los Blancos went on to recruit some of the finest young talents in the world — a strategy that has been adopted by various clubs among Europe's elite. In fact, four of the ten most expensive players of all time (!) were aged 23 or under at the time of purchase, and all of them came in the last half a decade.
With young talents predominantly being pursued by clubs such as Real, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and others, the direction that football is heading in is becoming increasingly evident. Young, up-and-coming talents are the future of the sport.
On that note, let's take a look at five of the best young players in Europe for the 2019/20 campaign.
#5 Alphonso Davies | Bayern Munich | Age: 19
Bayern Munich recruited Alphonso Davies from the MLS for $22m (a record at the time) as a winger with great potential. Little did they know, though, that they have unearthed a gem whose ceiling is higher than most players of his age.
Davies has been a revelation for the Bavarians, but as a defender, as opposed to a winger. The Canadian international has blossomed into a superb left-back under Hansi Flick, giving them a surreal dimension in both attack and defence. Blessed with frightening pace and trickery with the ball at his feet, Davies broke the record to become the fastest player in the Bundesliga.
Beyond the obvious, Davies is an intelligent player who is quick to react to situations. The 19-year-old is a capable dribbler, averaging 3.8 attempts per game in the UEFA Champions League.
His intelligence is also highlighted by how quickly he adapted to both — a top-five European league and a new position — to flourish as Bayern's weapon. With an average of 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game, Davies has shown that he can shut opposition wingers out as well. Truly a remarkable discovery for the German champions and Canadian football.
#4 Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund | Age: 20
How would a list of wonderkids be complete without Borussia Dortmund's new talisman Erling Haaland? The Norwegian has announced himself to the football world in a glorious manner with his performances in the UCL as well as the Bundesliga.
Playing for Red Bull Salzburg in the first half of the campaign, Haaland ensured that his first-ever UCL campaign remains a truly memorable one. The then-Salzburg striker started four games (with two sub appearances) for his former club and smashed in a staggering eight goals in that period, along with an assist. Haaland ended his season as the second-highest goalscorer in the UCL (ten goals), only behind Robert Lewandowski.
He moved to Dortmund in the winter and recorded 13 goals and two assists in 15 games, proving that he's certainly capable of adapting to a more competitive league. The towering Norwegian is blessed with an athletic physique, a distinct sense of positioning in the final third, and, most importantly, the ability to find back of the net by any means necessary. It doesn't matter if he's two yards out or 20.
With rumours already suggesting that clubs such as Real Madrid and Manchester United will look to lure him away from BVB in the near future, it's only a matter of time before he moves to an elite-level club.
Also read: Top 10 players with the most assists in Europe this season (2019-20)