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Last season saw youngsters like Vinicius Jr., Rafael Leao and Pedri take their game to the next level. They have evolved from being talented prospects to becoming one of the best in the world in their positions right now.
With the new season commencing a few weeks from now, fans are hoping to witness the rise of a new group of young players who will take the world by storm.
With that in mind, let's take a look at five youngsters who could become world-class this season.
#5 Malo Gusto
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Malo Gusto just had his breakthrough last season but he could be ready to take the next step. The young French right-back is complete in all departments. The Lyon youngster is quick and athletic, meaning he can make effective recovery runs like Kyle Walker. He might have only managed four assists but his expected assists per 90 are at a healthy 0.20. He is also technically good at linking up and is a quality dribbler.
One of his best performances came in a big game against Olympique Marseille last season. Lyon won 3-0 and the youngster was imperious all round, even assisting Moussa Dembele for the second goal. This season, he could potentially make the move towards stardom. Owing to France's lack of depth in that position, he could find himself in the World Cup squad as well.
#4 Michael Olise
Crystal Palace have made a number of extremely smart signings and young Michael Olise could arguably be the best of them. The Frenchman functions as a wide midfielder or a right winger and was adjudged the EFL 'Young Player of the Year' in the Championship for the 2020-21 season.
He was arguably Crystal Palace's best player in their run to the FA Cup semifinals.
Although he scored four goals and eight assists last season, his underlying numbers are really good. 9.54 progressive carries as well as 5.13 progressive passes per 90 show just how creative he is.
Olise is also extremely silky, the type of player that gets fans to the edge of their seats. He also has a fantastic delivery from set pieces. Once he gets into his groove, Olise can easily hit double-figure goals and assists for the Eagles.
#3 Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez arrived in Europe after absolutely dominating South American football. The young Argentine has joined Pep Guardiola's insanely strong Manchester City side this summer.
Alvarez mostly played as a striker for River Plate. However, the arrival of Erling Haaland combined with the sale of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling means he might be deployed wide too.
If Alvarez can quickly find his feet in the Premier League, he has all the tools to become world class. His goalscoring record speaks for itself. This year alone, he has scored 18 goals in 26 games. A whopping six of these came in the Copa Libertadores game against Allianz Lima.
#2 Eduardo Camavinga
Eduardo Camavinga has long been touted as one of the most promising young midfielders in world football. Last season, he was instrumental in changing the flow in a number of Champions League knockout ties after coming off the bench. This was extremely crucial in Real Madrid's stunning triumph in the competition.
However, in order to establish himself as a world class footballer, the young Frenchman has to become a starter for his club. This is easier said than done because of the presence of Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric along with Federico Valverde and new signing Aurelien Tchouameni.
With the former two arguably showing signs of slowing down, and Modric in his late 30s, it could be the perfect time for Camavinga to step up. He has already shown that in the second leg matches against Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Chelsea, respectively. Incidentally, he was the 'Man of the Match' on debut against PSG as a 16-year-old player for former club Rennes.
#1 Ansu Fati
Ansu Fati came into senior football as a 16-year-old and started banging in the goals. Now 19, he still scores almost every time he plays. The problem is just that he doesn't play a lot.
Over the last two seasons, the young forward has been ravaged by constant injuries and surgeries. However, every time people cast doubt on his ability to fight back, he fought back and scored.
The young winger, who inherited the iconic Barcelona number 10 jersey, just has the uncanny knack of finding the back of the net. With the Blaugrana looking to bolster their frontline, there will be less pressure on Fati next season. This would allow him to take some time and care to maintain his fitness and start firing at his full capacity.
Last season, he scored important goals against Real Betis, Celta Vigo and Valencia despite not playing for the majority of the season. He also scored in El Clasico, having just returned from injury.
