With the football season nearing to an end, football fans and experts are already looking forward to the next one. The summer will pass quickly, with Premier League action returning in early August. Why is it always so exciting when a new league begins? Well, apart from seeing how your team progresses, one of the reasons we look forward to new football seasons is the exciting talent.
Young players are a year older and more experienced with many living up to their promise. Bettors like to follow their career with interest as they may frequently pop-up on online totalizators and other types of bets. Many exciting prospects will also be among the top betting picks at U20 World Cups as top scorers or best players, so it’s always exciting to see if they steer their career in the best possible direction.
Without further ado, FootTheBall takes a look at the most exciting young players for next season in no particular order.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens
You might have seen his name on the scoresheet last season in Borussia Dortmund’s matches. Similar to his compatriot Jadon Sancho, Bynoe-Gittens left the Manchester City academy at an early age to head to Dortmund. He left for Germany in 2020 and has never looked back. While his playing time was limited in the first two seasons due to injuries, Bynoe-Gittens looks healthy now as he broke into Dortmund’s first 11.
A fast and tricky player on the wing, he was a key member of England’s U19 Euro-winning team last summer. He’s also scored several times for Dortmund in the Bundesliga, with many branding him the next Sancho.
Stefan Bajcetic
Liverpool’s season may have been a forgettable effort, but at least Klopp managed to uncover a true gem in Stefan Bajcetic. The young midfielder seemingly came out of nowhere. He was bought by Liverpool from Celta Vigo in a quiet move in December 2020. It took a while for him to feature in the first team, and with Liverpool’s season going south and energy needed in the midfield, Bajcetic became an almost automatic selection for Jurgen Klopp’s team.
His performances were not unnoticed. Teammate Mohammed Salah said he’s been the best player this season. He’ll sit out the rest due to injury, but it’s clear that Liverpool may have found its next best midfield player.
Arda Guler
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a great player come out of Turkey, and Arda Guler might just be that prospect. He broke into the Fenerbahce first team in 2021 and became the club’s youngest goalscorer. Still only 18, many have dubbed him the Turkish Lionel Messi. Thanks to his experience in the first team, he’s already on the radar of a few big teams, most notably Barcelona and Arsenal. We fully expect him to continue learning the ropes next season, with possibly a move to a bigger team as well.
Endrick Felipe
Endrick Felipe became a viral sensation as a 15-year-old dominating the prestigious U20 Copinha Brazil tournament over a year ago. He took the Internet by storm and big clubs were hot on his trail. There was a bidding war between a few, with Barcelona seeming to be in the lead. However, their financial troubles were obviously an obstacle, and Real Madrid eventually signed Endrick for €60 million.
Widely regarded as the best prospect from Brazil since Neymar, it’ll take a while before we see Endrick in the white shirt. He’s just 16 years old, but still manages to play as a much more experienced strike. He has a natural goalscoring instinct, and it’ll be interesting to see how he fares at Brazil next season before the next top Brazilian talent comes to Madrid.
Gavi
While Barcelona is clearly not on the level of the famous Lionel Messi days, at least it has been producing top talent in the past few years. While Pedri seems the hottest prospect—and a starter for Xavi’s side—it’s Gavi that’s been stealing the headlines. A La Masia product, Gavi earned his place in the first 11 as a tenacious midfielder who’s not afraid of duels. His combative nature sometimes gets in the way, but his talent is obvious.
So far, the 18-year old has racked up over 80 appearances for the Blaugrana and become Spain’s third-youngest goalscorer at the World Cup last year. He rarely disappoints when he puts on Barca’s shirt, and if he continues down this line, we may see him ranking high among the Blaugrana legends.
Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho joined Manchester United from Atletico Madrid two years ago, and from his first days at Old Trafford, his quality was clear. The 18-year-old has shown his knack for goals and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo several times in the past seasons. His tricky runs from the left are a big problem for PL defenders, so expect to see him feature more often for the Red Devils next year.
Kaiky
Almeria signed Kaiky for €7 million last summer which was a shocking deal considering the fact the defender was ready to join Barcelona. Before he got to La Liga, he was a started for Santos at the age of 18, earning comparisons to the great Marquinhos. He’s settled well with Almeria too, and we think he has a bright future ahead of him, probably at a bigger club like Barca.
Vitor Roque
Barcelona may have dropped the ball on Endrick, but the club is poised not to make the same mistake with Vitor Roque. As of today, Barcelona are the clear favourite for Brazil’s current hottest prospect. He most recently finished the joint-top scorer at the U20 South America Championship, showing all his talent on the big stage.
With his playing style and knack for goals, Roque has earned comparisons to the legendary Ronaldo Nazario Da Lima. Brazil has never seen a No. 9 after his retirement, and Roque may come as close as possible. Still just 18, he’s terrorizing defences in Brazil, and we may see him do the same in Spain and Europe soon.