Top 5 U-23 strikers in the world

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Sergio Aguero, Luis Suarez and Robert Lewandowski are considered to be the best of the best when it comes to football hitmen. But while these players are currently in their prime a time will come when the next generation of superstars will have to take up the mantle.

Some of the best young strikers are showing their prowess and it won’t be long before they turn into world beaters as well. But for now, they need to keep their head down and do what they do best, scoring goals.

With that in mind here are the 5 best strikers in the U-23 category:

Note: The U-23 category includes players that are also currently 23 years of age

#5. Andrea Belotti

A name that has become more familiar as the season has worn on, Andrea Belotti has become the talisman of the current Torino side. Without him, the club will be much lower than they currently are in the Serie A table.

With 17 goals, he is the second highest scorer in the league. The 23-year-old is Italy’s next big hope and already has 5 caps for his country in which time he has scored 3 goals. Big, strong and with a calmness in front of goal he has developed into the complete forward.

Torino have only managed 45 goals in all this season and two have more than 1/3rd of that tally is very impressive indeed. This season has been Belotti’s breakout season before which he wasn’t really as lethal.

The likes of Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Arsenal are all after the striker and it’s no wonder either. The club have placed a 100 million Euro price tag on him and reportedly rejected an 85 million offer in January from Arsenal.

Belotti is destined for great things if he continues this incredible form.

#4. Paulo Dybala

Paulo Dybala’s numbers might not seem too impressive but nothing should be taken away from how good this little Argentine is. Max Allegri deployed him in a two striker system with Alvaro Morata last season at Juventus last season.

But this campaign with the arrival of Gonzalo Higuain he is no longer the main striker at the club. Yet, he produces dazzling displays for the Old Lad day in day out. He has been given more of a No. 10 role recently and is thriving in this environment.

With movement and ability similar to another great Argentinian, Dybala has the potential to become one the world’s best if not the best. It is this versatility that has attracted Europe’s biggest clubs.

Juventus are desperate to hold on to their sensation but if Barcelona or Real Madrid come calling it might not be long before we see him in Catalunya or the Capital of Spain. The 23-year-old will continue to improve and there will surely be a huge price tag if clubs want to prize him away from Italy.

#3. Mauro Icardi

The main reason Inter Milan are enjoying a resurgence in Serie A is Mauro Icardi. Their captain is a very controversial character but there is no doubting his quality. The Argentinian could single handily carry a team to success.

Icardi is more a fox in the box than a dribbler but he is capable of the spectacular as well. He also has quick feet in the box and bamboozles defenders with ease. His quickness of thought and ability to be in the right place at the right time is what sets him apart.

Icardi makes poaching look like child’s play and it is almost uncanny how consistently he is able to take up great positions to score from. Add to that an ability to finish from almost anywhere inside the box the man is a nightmare for defenders.

Icardi has his fair share of critics as well and some of the fans hate him for his demeanour off the field but on it, their captain is a thorough professional and any team would enjoy having a striker like him in their team.

#2. Romelu Lukaku

The current runner-up for the golden boot race in the Premier League takes the second spot in this list as well. Why Chelsea ever let a talented striker like him go still remains a mystery. The big man has been a success for every club he’s played at.

He arrived in London at the age of 18 from Anderlecht but was immediately loaned out to West Brom when they could not find a place for him in the first team. At West Brom, he bagged 17 goals in 35 appearances which is remarkable for a teenager.

It was the same problem next season as Lukaku failed to break into the first team and Everton decided to take him on a season-long loan. He managed a decent tally of 15 goals in his first season.

After the Merseysiders made his transfer permanent he fell slightly below expectations with only 10 goals. But he has been banging them in ever since and this season has been his best yet.

In only 24 appearances he has already scored 16 goals which is just 2 short of what he managed in the entirety of the last campaign. If he takes home the golden boot this year it won’t come as much of a surprise.

#1. Harry Kane

Harry Kane has been crucial to Spurs ever since he became the main man at White Hart Lane. The club had been crying out for a striker of his calibre for some time now and they have finally found one in the Englishman.

A golden boot winner at 22, Kane has been central to Mauricio Pochetino’s plan of transforming Spurs into to regular title contenders. Having just signed a new contract he has been in hot form since his return from injury.

The LilyWhites were struggling for goals during the two-month period he was out injured but now that he’s back Spurs look to be back on track for a top 4 finish. Kane has made lesser number of appearances as compared to his golden boot rivals but has already caught up to them with his current tally standing at 14 goals, 3 shy of top scorer Alexis Sanchez.

Tottenham will have a tough time of keeping him considering their financials and also with the new stadium coming up. They will desperately want to hold on to him in order to continue to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.