Germany might not have been able to win the UEFA Euro 2016 despite many terming them as the favourites for the title. However, the national team is definitely one of the most feared units in the footballing world, and it is their sustainable development model that was adopted years ago to help develop local talent that is finally bearing fruit for the team.
For every starter in the national side, there are a number of able replacements to cope with the injury and form troubles that might arise and it can be said that Germany arguably boasts the best set of U-23 players at the moment. While some of them have already established themselves at superstars owing to their performances over the course of the last few seasons, some of them are beginning to emerge as world-class talents, and we believe it is not long before they don the national colours at a regular frequency.
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In this segment, we bring you the five most exciting U-23 players from Germany at the moment.
#1 Leroy Sane
The 20-year-old had an impressive time at Schalke, becoming a regular in the side despite being in his late teens years and has since moved to Manchester City in a big money move. While he might still be getting used to the pace and physicality of the English Premier League, the German has already showcased in bits and pieces, why is amongst the most highly rated players to have emerged out of Germany in recent years.
The biggest strength of Sane is his pace, and he has been able to combine it well with skill on the ball to torment the defenders in the past. He can create time and space for himself as well as his teammates with his movement on and off the ball, a quality that makes him a constant menace to the opposition. Additionally, he is equally efficient in the final third, often making the right choice/picking the right pass and also possesses a deadly left foot and a sound goal scoring ability for a player his age.
Another aspect of his game that does not get highlighted as often as it should be is his defensive contribution. Sane is always willing to track back and share the defensive burden of his teammates.
In Pep Guardiola, Sane is currently under one of the best managers in the world, who is unafraid to give the youngsters the chance they deserve and it is only a matter of time before the German finds his feet in a new country and takes the League by the storm.
#2 Julian Weigl
Despite being just 21 years of age, Julian Weigl boasts of composure that very few experienced, and better-known footballing gods possess. He is very tidy with the ball at his feet and keeps the game ticking with his passing and movement to ensure his side maintains the tempo demanded by his manager Thomas Tuchel. To support his credentials, Weigl has racked up impressive numbers during the current season, having a pass completion of a whopping 91%
After moving to Borussia Dortmund only last year, the former 1860 Munich midfielder has already established himself as one of the key players at the club and is already being deemed as the future of the German midfield for years to come with his calm yet industrious and useful displays in the middle of the park.
The industrious midfielder is not shy to fly into tackles, as he has averaged a tackle every 21 minutes and has also shown a penchant for breaking up play by intercepting the opposition moves as demonstrated by the stats that read one interception every 40 minutes on the pitch.
Perhaps, if there were an aspect of his game that we would like to see an improvement in, it would be his direct contribution to his side’s attack. While being deployed in a deeper role means that Weigl is going to be restricted to a more defensive role, he possesses all the traits to become an effective deep-lying playmaker, and we are keen to find out if Tuchel will be able to bring the best out of his attacking abilities.
#3 Max Meyer
After having come to the forefront owing to his explosive displays with the Schalke side and the German U-15, U-16, U-17, U-19 and U-21 teams, Meyer has already established himself as one of the mainstays of the Schalke side and is now tipped to be a regular for the German national team owing to his performances for his club during the course of the last few seasons.
A player who has showcased great acceleration with the ball at his feet in the past, Meyer has the ability to find space for himself in the attacking third of the pitch and can prove to be a handful to handle for defenders with his ability to create goal scoring opportunities and also find the back of the net. The player played a crucial role in his side finishing a respectable 5th in the last season, creating chances at will and was a constant threat to the opposition. He created a total of 45 chances in the last season, averaging a goal scoring opportunity created every 52 minutes, which is a sound reflection of his abilities as an attacker.
However, there is a feeling amongst most fans and pundits alike that there is further scope for improvement in the player as he has a tendency to go missing at times. Additionally, his slight physical frame might prove to be detrimental to his game with the physicality of the game only on the rise over the course of time and defenders could be successful in restricting him should they use brutal methods.
#4 Mahmoud Dahoud
After having joined the Borussia Monchengladbach academy in 2010, Dahoud has emerged as one of the brightest prospects to have emerged from the academy owing to his steely performances in the middle of the park for the club.
An all-round player who is equally effective in defence as well as attack, Dahoud has established himself as a regular at the club at a young age of 20. The Central midfielder is very comfortable with the ball at his feet, can carry the ball out of his defence and also function efficiently as the link between the defence and attack for his side. He is quick off the ball and always haggles the opposition for time and space in the middle of the park to ascertain his team’s dominance and these traits have made him an endearing figure at the club despite his rather short career so far.
In the last season, Dahoud was consistently seen breaking up play with frequent tackles and intelligent interceptions, in the process helping his side finish amongst the top 4 in the League and qualify for the prestigious UEFA Champions League in the current season.
However, with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool continually linked with him for some months now, we believe it’s a matter of team before the player leaves the German shores in search of a bigger team. He would be a perfect fit for the Liverpool midfield which, despite its attacking abilities has lacked steely midfielder since parting ways with Javier Mascherano.
#5 Joshua Kimmich
A move to Bayern Munich, notwithstanding its glamour, can prove to be fatal to the careers of players as the riches of the club ensures that even the best have to prove their worth to the manager to establish themselves as a regular at the club and just reputation will not do. Joshua Kimmich, who moved to Bayern Munich from RB Leipzig at the beginning of the last season, must have had similar thoughts before his move.
However, the German international has grabbed the opportunities that have come his way and has not established himself as a regular at the club level but also for the German national team.
The versatile player, who can play across the midfield and also can fill in the full-back role when needed was personally scouted by former manager Pep Guardiola and has proven to be one of the best pieces of business done by the former Barcelona man despite being at the club only for just over a year now.
Kimmich is tidy with the ball at his feet, finding the desired teammate at a regular frequency while also ensuring that he is not easily dispossessed by the opposition. He continually probes the opposition with his runs on the ball into the final third and combines his pace and acceleration with dribbling ability to beat the opposition and get into advanced positions on the pitch.
He is also always willing to do the dirty work in the middle of the park; consistently tackling the opposition, intercepting their passes and recovering the ball from the opposition to help his side gain the dominance in the middle of the park. And these all-round abilities have made him a regular at the Allianz Arena this season.
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