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In every passing transfer window, football clubs adopt specific transfer strategies to keep up with their ever-strengthening rivals.
Real Madrid's 'Los Galacticos' era, for instance, saw them go on a spree to purchase some of the biggest football superstars in the world to create a super-team at the Santiago Bernabeu. Fast forward almost two decades, and the same club has still invested a lot in players, albeit with a contrastingly different approach.
From well-established superstars, Los Blancos went on to recruit some of the finest young talents in the world — a strategy that has been adopted by various clubs among Europe's elite. In fact, four of the ten most expensive players of all time (!) were aged 23 or under at the time of purchase, and all of them came in the last half a decade.
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With young talents predominantly being pursued by clubs such as Real, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and others, the direction that football is heading in is becoming increasingly evident. Young, up-and-coming talents are the future of the sport.
On that note, let's take a look at five of the best young players in Europe for the 2019/20 campaign.
#5 Alphonso Davies | Bayern Munich | Age: 19
Bayern Munich recruited Alphonso Davies from the MLS for $22m (a record at the time) as a winger with great potential. Little did they know, though, that they have unearthed a gem whose ceiling is higher than most players of his age.
Davies has been a revelation for the Bavarians, but as a defender, as opposed to a winger. The Canadian international has blossomed into a superb left-back under Hansi Flick, giving them a surreal dimension in both attack and defence. Blessed with frightening pace and trickery with the ball at his feet, Davies broke the record to become the fastest player in the Bundesliga.
Beyond the obvious, Davies is an intelligent player who is quick to react to situations. The 19-year-old is a capable dribbler, averaging 3.8 attempts per game in the UEFA Champions League.
His intelligence is also highlighted by how quickly he adapted to both — a top-five European league and a new position — to flourish as Bayern's weapon. With an average of 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game, Davies has shown that he can shut opposition wingers out as well. Truly a remarkable discovery for the German champions and Canadian football.
#4 Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund | Age: 20
How would a list of wonderkids be complete without Borussia Dortmund's new talisman Erling Haaland? The Norwegian has announced himself to the football world in a glorious manner with his performances in the UCL as well as the Bundesliga.
Playing for Red Bull Salzburg in the first half of the campaign, Haaland ensured that his first-ever UCL campaign remains a truly memorable one. The then-Salzburg striker started four games (with two sub appearances) for his former club and smashed in a staggering eight goals in that period, along with an assist. Haaland ended his season as the second-highest goalscorer in the UCL (ten goals), only behind Robert Lewandowski.
He moved to Dortmund in the winter and recorded 13 goals and two assists in 15 games, proving that he's certainly capable of adapting to a more competitive league. The towering Norwegian is blessed with an athletic physique, a distinct sense of positioning in the final third, and, most importantly, the ability to find back of the net by any means necessary. It doesn't matter if he's two yards out or 20.
With rumours already suggesting that clubs such as Real Madrid and Manchester United will look to lure him away from BVB in the near future, it's only a matter of time before he moves to an elite-level club.
Also read: Top 10 players with the most assists in Europe this season (2019-20)
#3 Jadon Sancho | Borussia Dortmund | Age: 20
The second Borussia Dortmund wonderkid to feature on this list, Jadon Sancho is another player who has had a genuinely incredible season in Germany. The English winger already had an impressive 2018/19 campaign, but this year, he's gone on to better his tally and took his game to a new level.
Sancho's record-breaking season saw him become the highest-ever assist-provider for Borussia Dortmund in a season, assisting his teammates 16 times in the Bundesliga alone. Additionally, he's also scored 17 goals in the league, taking his total goal contribution to an astonishing figure of 33 in just 32 games, starting only 25 of them.
There is little doubt that he is one of the biggest talents in world football at the moment, and he is currently at the heart of a transfer saga involving Manchester United. The prospect of him partnering the likes of Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes, and other stars is a devastating one.
Should the move fall through or Sancho choose otherwise, he could still be in for a scintillating season with Dortmund on current form alongside the likes of Erling Haaland and Marco Reus. Ultimately, he's a gifted talent, and the former Manchester City winger has shown that he can succeed regardless of the circumstances.
#2 Kylian Mbappe | Paris Saint-Germain | Age: 21
Undisputedly the most well-established wonderkid in the world, Kylian Mbappe is not just one of the best youngsters right now, but is one of the best players overall. The Frenchman has displayed abilities and an understanding of the game that belies his age, and has been an integral cog for every team he's represented so far.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has enjoyed a vastly successful career so far, and fired PSG to another league title in 2019/20 alongside Neymar Jr. In a curtailed Ligue 1 season, Mbappe played 1516 minutes of football over 20 appearances (17 starts) — accumulating a stunning 18 goals and five assists in that period. Although he's played more centrally, Mbappe is capable of playing anywhere across the front line.
His performances in Europe have been frighteningly good as well, having racked up five goals and four assists in just 446 UCL minutes. This included a scintillating 22-minute spell against Club Brugge that saw him net a hat-trick and record an assist. Mbappe also registered a hat-trick of assists in another game against Galatasaray, rounding his show off with a goal as well.
The 21-year-old made headlines on Thursday after it was revealed he has recovered from a terrible injury to feature for PSG's UCL clash against Atalanta. Should he win the competition this year, he would have one of the most complete CVs in football.... at the age of 21.
#1 Trent Alexander-Arnold | Liverpool | Age: 21
It is generally a bit out of the ordinary to see Kylian Mbappe at any other spot but#1 on lists of this nature. However, that is a true testament to Trent Alexander-Arnold's season, which has been precisely that. It has been out of the ordinary.
The Englishman has been one of the best players in the Premier League this year, running riot down Liverpool's right flank. It really is hard to envisage a right-back doing as much as the gifted 21-year-old does. Deliveries from deep, arrowed passes piercing the final third, absurdly good free-kicks, and so much more — Alexander-Arnold has got it all.
His emergence, alongside that of Andy Robertson on the opposite flank, has allowed Liverpool to dominate football matches like few teams can. Their press-friendly midfield puts the onus on the full-backs to be creative, and they could not have asked for a better pair of players to command the flanks.
Alexander-Arnold broke the record for most assists by a defender in Premier League history this year, setting up an astonishing 13 goals from right-back. The previous record stood at 12, which was set by Alexander-Arnold himself in the 2018/19 campaign. He has been one of the standout players for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool and played a crucial role in their dominant title win.
Jurgen Klopp has created a monster in Alexander-Arnold, and at this rate, he could go on to become the best-ever right-back England and the Premier League have ever produced.
Also read: 10 most valuable Premier League clubs
