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The 2019/20 season has been an exciting one, to say the least, and teams across Europe have produced several young players so far. With the league season set to reach its climax stage in the coming months, 4 of Europe's top 5 leagues could have a new champion when compared to last season, as Liverpool, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and RB Leipzig are in contention to win their respective leagues.
Despite the high level of competition, young players have been given the opportunity to impress in many clubs this season and that has been due to a combination of factors - injuries to key players, poor form of seasoned pros etc.
Manchester United's stunning record of having an academy player in each of their matchday squads since the club's inception has continued this season, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has managed to incorporate a lot of young players into his squad. While La Masia isn't at its best stage currently, as there was once a time when Barcelona fielded an XI of academy players, the club have also brought in a few youngsters from their academy this season.
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That said, here are 5 players who have burst onto the scene and had a breakthrough season in the current campaign:
#5 Gabriel Martinelli (18, Arsenal)
Hailed as the talent of the century by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in the buildup to Arsenal's Carabao Cup fixture against the Reds, Gabriel Martinelli's life has changed dramatically in the last 6 months or so.
Arriving as an unknown commodity from Brazilian club Ituano, Martinelli has exceeded expectations this season and is a key member of the first team under Mikel Arteta currently.
Blessed with electric pace, heading ability, flair and a keen eye for goal, Martinelli has registered 10 goals and 4 assists in all competitions for the Gunners this season, a stunning record for a youngster playing his first season in Europe.
Martinelli has been preferred to season veteran Alexandre Lacazette and new signing Nicolas Pepe numerous times this season and is expected to become a key player for club and country in the future.
#4 Alphonso Davies (19, Bayern Munich)
Arriving from FC Toronto in January 2018, Alphonso Davies was a low-risk high reward kind of signing by the Bavarian giants and was expected to be a utility player for the time being. Fast forward 12 months and the Canadian international has established himself as a key player for the Bundesliga outfit.
Predominantly a winger, Davies has been a revelation for the Bayern as a left-back, as the club have been hampered by a lot of injuries this season. With Lucas Hernandez and David Alaba injured for a considerable part of the season, the 19-year-old has impressed on the left side of the defence, as he has combined the best of both worlds to become a reliable member of the squad.
With 1 goal and 6 assists across 25 appearances in all competitions, Davies' emergence has been one of the bright sparks in an otherwise lacklustre season for the reigning Bundesliga champions, as they continue to blow hot and cold domestically.
Thanks to his development, Bayern can deploy Alaba as a central defender if needed and the youngster versatility ensures that he can also play further up the pitch if need be.
Davies is set to become a pivotal member of a new look Bayern Munich side in the coming years and the Bavarian nabbed an absolute bargain in the transfer market by signing him for €10 million in 2019.
#3 Mason Greenwood (18, Manchester United)
Manchester United's Mason Greenwood has experienced an astonishing rise to fame in the current season, as he's currently a regular member of the first-team squad despite being just 19 years of age.
Having shown in pre-season for the Red Devils, Greenwood was given an opportunity to impress at the start of the season, as the club did not have enough numbers up front after the sales of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.
The youngster, who was 17 years of age at the time, showed maturity beyond his years and made the chance count, as he impressed with goals in the Europa League as well as the domestic cups.
A central striker by trade, Greenwood has played in numerous positions in attack this season for Manchester United and has chipped in with 11 goals and 4 assists in 33 appearances for the club.
The youngster has also drawn comparisons with former Manchester United striker Robin van Persie - understandably so considering their uncanny body feints and calmness in front of goal.
Aside from his ability to strike the ball with both feet, Greenwood's composure has been a major talking point and the youngster is a bonafide superstar in the making.
#2 Ansu Fati (17, Barcelona)
In what has been a tumultuous season for Barcelona, teenage sensation Ansu Fati's rise has been a silver lining for the La Liga club. The Spaniard became the second youngest debutant in the club's history, as he turned out for the Blaugrana at the age of 16 years and 298 and went on to break numerous such records over the course of the season.
The 17-year-old has the world at his feet and has held his own playing against some of the best footballers in the world. Fati is blessed with electric pace and has scored goals at an absurd rate for the junior sides, due to which he was called up to train with the senior squad at the start of the season.
Despite being a teenager, Fati has featured 20 times for Barcelona this season and has scored 5 goals for them, including a goal in the UEFA Champions League against Inter Milan.
With Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele struggling with injuries this season, Fati has become a regular feature of the first-team squad, as he frequently starts alongside Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann upfront.
Fati is widely regarded as the most talented player in his age group and with Messi in the twilight years of his career, the youngster could define a new era at the club and take over from the legendary Argentine.
#1 Erling Haaland (19, Borussia Dortmund)
19-year-old striking sensation Erling Haaland has been the major headline maker this season, as the Norwegian simply cannot stop scoring goals regardless of who the opposition is. Having made a name for himself at Molde, a move to Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga gave him the opportunity to impress in a bigger stage, a chance he duly took.
Having scored in his first 5 UEFA Champions League games, the youngster joined illustrious company in doing so, as the likes of Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and Roberto Lewandowski and some of the other players to have accomplished such a feat in the modern era. The youngster scored an astounding 28 goals in 22 appearances for Salzburg, before joining Borussia Dortmund in a €20 million deal in January.
Haaland wasn't fazed by the prospect of playing in a new league in a new country, as he announced his arrival in Germany with a stunning second-half hat-trick as a substitute, which was incidentally his 5th treble of the season.
The youngster has been one of the most talked-about footballers since the start of the season and looks set to be on the forefront of a new era of attackers, as he continues to rack up the goals for club and country.
