5 teenagers who have made their mark in Europe this season

Mbappe is the best teenage footballer in the world right now.
Mbappe is the best teenage footballer in the world right now.

The world has always been obsessed with teenage footballing sensations. Some of the biggest legends of the game had made their debuts as teenagers.

Unfortunately, most of these promising young talents do not get enough first team exposure to prove their worth.

With all the teams across the major European leagues having played at least 10 matches in their leagues, there have been few teenagers who have come of age and really stood out.

So, without further ado, let us take a look at the 5 teenagers who are taking Europe by storm right now.


#5 Jadon Sancho

England Training Session
England Training Session

Jadon Sancho, the former Manchester City academy player, made a switch from the Premier League to the Bundesliga last August, joining Borussia Dortmund, which has emerged as the No.1 destination for promising youngsters looking for some quality first team football in recent years.

Ousmane Dembélé's big-money move to Barcelona setting the trend for other youngsters.

This move turned out to be a success for the 18-year old, as he received his maiden call-up to the England senior squad for the UEFA Nations League fixtures in October and made his debut for the Three Lions, following an impressive start to the 2018-19 season.

Sancho has featured in all the 10 games for Dortmund and already had his say in the high-flying start of the club with 4 goals and 6 assists to his name in just 455 minutes.


#4 Reiss Nelson

Nelson in currently on loan at Hoffenheim from Arsenal.
Nelson in currently on loan at Hoffenheim from Arsenal.

Reiss Nelson joins his former England U-19 teammate Sancho as one of the most exciting youngsters in Europe so far, after having an instant impact in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim this season.

The on-loan Arsenal youth academy product, has only played 317 minutes of football this season, but already finds himself as the top-scorer for Hoffenheim with 5 goals.

The 18-year-old's reputation is growing exponentially in Germany and his incredible goal against Bayer Leverkusen make him a player whose development should be closely followed by Arsenal fans.

Recent reports suggest that if he keeps performing like this, Emery might recall him early from the loan spell, suggesting that he has a bright future at the Emirates stadium.

#3 Dan-Axel Zagadou

Zagadou has became the first choice center-back for BVB.
Zagadou has became the first choice center-back for BVB.

One of the lesser known players in the contingent of young starlets signed by Borussia Dortmund recently, Dan-Axel Zagadou has gradually established himself as the heart of the defense of Lucien Favre's team.

He joined the club last summer on a free transfer from PSG and started out his career in Germany as a let-back. But this season he has started as a center-back in six games for the club and has been solid at the back.

The giant 6 foot 5 inch, 19-year-old has maintained an impressive 87.5% pass accuracy, indicating that this Frenchman is a composed defender, not afraid to have the ball at his feet.

He has replaced his more experienced compatriot Abdou Diallo as the main center-back in the team and this sort of confidence shown by the coach on him is just what he needs to develop.

#2 Matthijs de Ligt

de Ligt is one of the hottest prospects in Europe right now.
de Ligt is one of the hottest prospects in Europe right now.

Matthijs de Ligt, the imposing 6 ft 2 inch center-back is probably one of the best teenager in Europe right now.

The Ajax academy graduate made his debut for the club as a 16-year old and has already appeared for the Netherlands national team 11 times.

This season he has started all the matches for the Dutch club managing to score and assist a goal so far. He is an integral part of his team's mean defense that has only let in 4 goals in 10 league games so far.

The player has been constantly linked with a move to some of the biggest clubs in the world, given his remarkable progress in the Eredivisie.

Recent reports are suggesting that Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, Juventus all are in hot pursuit of the center-back.

#1 Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe is the current top-scorer in Europe right now.
Mbappe is the current top-scorer in Europe right now.

Kylian Mbappe, who is being considered as a favorite to win the Ballon d'Or this December, is the best teenager in the world right now and one of the best footballers in the world as of now.

The PSG superstar is the leading goal-scorer in Europe right now with 11 goals scored already in 8 league appearances. He has been directly involved in 15 goals in the league, which is more than anyone in Europe right now.

After joining PSG from Monaco the teenager burst onto the global scene and established himself as a world class player at the club from a young talent.

The 19-year old grabbed the FIFA Young Player Award at the World Cup, after helping France secure the World Cup trophy this summer.

The best teenager in the world is also the best paid teenager in the world, with a recent Der Spiegel report revealing that he earns around £10 million a year.

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Edited by Shambhu Ajith
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