Top 5 teenagers in European football right now

Champions League | Opinion

04/10/21

Top 5 teenagers in European football right now

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In this day and age, it feels like more and more teenagers are breaking through at Europe’s top clubs and establishing themselves as first-team regulars.

Young stars like Alphonso Davies, Bukayo Saka and Mason Greenwood have only just left their teens, but there are still plenty of exciting teenagers playing for elite sides across the continent.

Here are the top five teenagers in European football right now.

• Pedri – Barcelona

At just 18 years of age, Pedri is already a vital part of Barcelona’s midfield. He played 52 games across all competitions for Barca last season – bagging four goals and six assists – before representing Spain at both the European Championship and Olympic Games.

Sitting alongside Sergio Busquets in the heart of Ronald Koeman’s team, Pedri is only going to get better. He already boasts the passing ability and awareness of veteran – and that is why he is currently valued at €80 million!

• Eduardo Camavinga – Real Madrid

Camavinga made his professional debut for French side Rennes when he was only 16, going on to rack up 88 appearances for the club. Having shone in Ligue 1, he earned a dream move to Real Madrid during the previous transfer window.

The prodigy has hit the ground running following his €31 million switch to Los Blancos, scoring on his debut at the Bernabeu. At just 18, the sky is well and truly the limit for this gifted midfielder.

• Jude Bellingham – Borussia Dortmund

Not only has Bellingham become a key player for Borussia Dortmund in recent times, but he has also turned into an important member of Gareth Southgate’s England squad. Oh, and he only turned 18 back in June!

The box-to-box midfielder has all the right attributes to become one of the game’s greats. Although traits such as his ball carrying, tenacity, and work rate stand out, the young Englishman is strong in almost every department.

• Jamal Musiala – Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich’s squad is stacked with world-class midfielders. Still, Musiala has managed to establish himself as a crucial part of Julian Nagelsmann’s side – notching two goals and two assists across his first five Bundesliga outings this term.

Born in Stuttgart to a British-Nigerian father and German mother, Musiala represented England at U15, U16, U17 and U21 level before opting to represent Germany at senior level. He doesn’t turn 19 until February, yet he already has eight caps under his belt.

• Ansu Fati – Barcelona

Aged 16 years and 298 days, Fati became the second-youngest player in Barcelona’s history when he made his debut in 2019. Just days later, he became the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer and the youngest player to register both a goal and assist in a La Liga game.

Now 18, Fati has made 45 appearances for Barca – recording 14 goals and five assists along the way. Although he has struggled with injuries during the early stages of his career, he is still one the best teenagers in European football.