5 young superstars who could break into the Germany national team

Germany have been one of the most consistent and ruthless sides in international football since the turn of the millennium. Between 2002 and 2016, Germany reached at least the semi-finals of every edition of the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euros. However, they have faced a slump in recent years as their 'Golden Generation' of players grew older.

Players such as Phillip Lahm, Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Ballack were among the core group of stars that oversaw their highly-successful phase. Recently, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller were among the few who carried out that German domination.

The Germans have played in eight World Cup Finals, winning half of them. They have played in six Euro Finals, winning half of those as well.

For most of the 2000s though, Germany were managed by Joachim Low. He took Die Mannschaft to great heights, winning the World Cup in 2014. He stepped down as manager following Euro 2020 and Hansi Flick took over the manager role.

As Hansi Flick takes over, the first thing he must do is determine the identity and style of play for Germany. Under the tutelage of Low, they were quick out of the blocks, hit hard on the counter and were solid defensively. This, however, won't be possible without incorporating fresh, young blood into the national set-up.

On that note, here are five young superstars who could break in and establish themselves with the Germany's national team:

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#5. Ridle Baku (VfL Wolfsburg)

Ridle Baku is being scouted by several top clubs across Europe.

Bote Nzuzi Baku was born in Mainz, Germany, in 1998 and started his youth career with local club Mainz 05 in 2007. He was given the nickname 'Ridle' by his father who was a fan of German footballer Karl-Heinz Riedle. Baku officially added it to his name in 2018.

Ridle Baku made his senior professional debut for Mainz 05 in a 3-1 home win against VfB Stuttgart in the 2017-18 DFB-Pokal. He made his Bundesliga debut in 2018 in a 3-0 home win against RB Leipzig. He secured the win for his side by scoring the third goal in the last minute.

In 2020, Baku moved across Germany to fellow Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg and signed a five-year contract. He has made 56 appearances for Wolfsburg, scoring 10 and assisting nine goals. You can catch a glimpse of the German's elite mentality in the clip below, where despite scoring, he seems dissatisfied as his side did not win.

Ridle Baku made 37 appearances for Germany across youth levels, scoring six goals. He made his senior international debut for Germany against Czech Republic in 2020. Baku also assisted in the solitary goal Germany scored as they beat Portugal at the UEFA Under-21 Euro 2021.

His rise to the national side is imminent, with Hansi Flick preferring wing-backs.

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#4. Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund)

Youssoufa Moukoko is among the freshest crop of talent developed by Borussia Dortmund.

Youssoufa Moukoko was born in Yaounde, Cameroon, in 2004 and grew up with his grandparents in the capital city. In 2014, he was brought to Germany by his father who lived in Hamburg as a German citizen since 1990s.

Moukoko joined FC St. Pauli's youth set-up until 2016, before switching to Borussia Dortmund's academy. He set the youth leagues ablaze with his astounding 141 goals in 88 games for Dortmund's u-17 and u-19 sides. In 2020, he was brought to train with the first team by former Black and Yellow coach Lucien Favre.

In November 2020, Moukoko made his debut aged 16 years and one day old. He became the youngest ever player to appear in the Bundesliga.

Having chosen to represent Germany at youth level instead of Cameroon, Moukoko has scored six goals in eight games across different age groups. Considering he is still only 17, the ceiling is extremely high for this talented youngster.

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#3. Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)

Florian Wirtz is yet another gem unearthed by Bayer Leverkusen in recent years.

Florian Richard Wirtz was born in Pulheim, Germany, in 2003 and spent the majority of his youth career at 1. FC Koln (2010-20). In 2020, he joined Bayer Leverkusen's academy. Having impressed with the youth teams, Wirtz made his senior debut for Leverkusen in May 2020 in an away match against Werder Bremen.

He held the record for being the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history, at the age of 17 years and 34 days. It was later broken by Youssoufa Moukoko.

Wirtz scored his fifth Bundesliga goal in a 5-2 win against Stuttgart in February 2021. It made him the first player in league history to do so before turning 18. In November 2021, Wirtz scored his 10th Bundesliga goal of the season to become the first player under the age of 19 to score 10 total Bundesliga goals. He has hit the ground running this season, scoring five goals and providing seven assists in 12 games.

Florian Wirtz made 16 appearances for Germany at youth level, scoring two goals. He made his senior international debut for Germany in September, coming on as a late substitute for Joshua Kimmich.

An attacking midfielder with a hunger to run at opponents and drive towards goal, Wirtz is a remarkable offensive asset. He covers a lot of ground as well, suiting Hansi Flick's intense pressing style. It will be interesting to see his career progress with Germany.

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#2. Karim Adeyemi (RB Salzburg)

Karim Adeyemi is already being eyed by Europe's elite - Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund among others.

Karim-David Adeyemi was born in Munich, Germany, in 2002 and began his youth career as TSV Forstenried in 2008. He played there for two years before moving to Bayern Munich for a further two years until 2012. He then signed for SpVgg Unterhaching and was part of their youth setup for six years (2012-18).

Prior to the 2018-19 season, Adeyemi was signed by FC Red Bull Salzburg on a three-year contract. He is currently one of Europe's hottest properties as we approach the winter transfer window.

Karim Adeyemi has made 16 appearances for Germany at youth level, scoring five goals. He debuted with the senior German team in a 6-0 win over Armenia in their 2022 World Cup qualifiers, scoring his side's sixth goal in the final minute. Adeyemi was also the first player from an Austrian club to debut for Germany's senior team in the post-war period.

With his blistering pace, Adeyemi is always a threat in attack. His ability to run in behind defensive lines is an asset, too. The only thing remaining is excellent coaching, which he will eventually get once he gets picked for Germany's teams in the future.

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#1. Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)

Jamal Musiala is already making a big splash in the world of football.

Jamal Musiala was born in Stuttgart, Germany, in 2003 and spent the majority of his youth career at Chelsea (2011-19). He later joined Bayern Munich's academy in 2020. He was born to a British-Nigerian father and a German mother with Polish roots. However, Musiala chose to represent his country of birth - Germany.

Jamal Musiala made his senior Bundesliga debut for Bayern Munich in a game against Freiburg in June 2020. In September 2020, Musiala scored his first Bundesliga goal in an 8-0 win over Schalke to become Bayern's youngest goalscorer at 17 years and 205 days. He broke Roque Santa Cruz's record, which stood at 18 years and 12 days.

Jamal Musiala represented both England and Germany at the youth level. He played 19 games and scored five goals for England, and no goals in two games for Germany.

Musiala made his international debut in 2021 in a 3-0 win against Iceland. He scored his first goal against North Macedonia in a 4-0 win in October the same year. He was also picked for Germany's squad for UEFA Euro 2020. In June 2021, Musiala became the youngest German to feature in a major tournament at 18 years and 117 days.

He has had an incredible start to his club and international career. Hence, it is hard to see past Musiala making it as one of the greatest to wear Germany's and Bayern's kits.