Currently, the Bundesliga seems to be the hot bed for young talent in European Football. From the stand-out, well-known youngsters like Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland at Borussia Dortmund, to Timo Werner at RB Leipzig, to Alphonso Davies at Bayern Munich and Kai Havertz at Bayer Leverkusen, it is clear to see the abundance of young stars plying their trade in Germany, who could be moving to the Premier League in the near future. In addition to these highly-talked about names, there are plenty of other young players really making a name for themselves in the Bundesliga.
As well as Timo Werner starring for RB Leipzig, the German club also possesses a couple more young players who are impressing many this season. 21-year-old French centre-back Dayot Upamecano is highly sought after around Europe after his commanding displays at the back over the last couple of years. Comfortable with the ball at his feet, strong in the air and of a decent pace, Upamecano has the attributes to go on to become a top-quality centre-back and plenty of the top European clubs will be looking to sign him in the next 12 months. Upamecano's compatriot Ibrahima Konaté is another exceptional young centre-back who is destined for huge things and according to many in Germany who watch Leipzig week in, week out, Konaté is better and more talented than Upamecano. At 6 foot4, Konaté is a very physically imposing centre half who is very comfortable with the ball at his feet and is one of the fastest centre-backs around. 21-year-old American Tyler Adams, signed from sister club New York Red Bulls in his native country in January 2019, is a versatile option for Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann, capable of playing as a holding midfielder and a right back. Adams has played 10 times for the USA national side since his debut in 2017 and still has a huge amount of development ahead of him and his versatility and flexibility will be an asset for him going forward in his career. In addition to Adams, Christopher Nkunku has been one of Leipzig’s best players so far this season as they push for a Champions League spot again this season. Nkunku made the decision back in July 2019 to leave PSG in his native France, where he came through their academy setup. Since making the move to Germany, the 22-year-old pacey French winger has been Leipzig’s most productive and creative players, registering 13 assists, only behind Thomas Muller and Jadon Sancho in the Bundesliga, and also scoring 5 goals. The quality and precision of his crossing and set-pieces are some of his best assets.
Kai Havertz is not the only stealing the show at Bayer Leverkusen; young Burkina Faso centre-back Edmond Tapsoba has impressed in his first six months in the Bundesliga. Tapsoba joined Leverkusen at the end of the January transfer window this year from Portuguese side Vitória Guimarães for around £20 million. The 21-year-old centre-back has settled in quickly in Germany with a combination of pace, power and strength. Tapsoba looks comfortable playing in a back four or as a left-sided centre-back in a back three. Leverkusen might find it tough to keep hold of Tapsoba for much longer if his impressive rise continues. Moussa Diaby is another young player starring for Leverkusen this season. Like Christopher Nkunku, Diaby came through the ranks at PSG before making the move to Leverkusen in June 2019. Diaby is a tricky winger who not only has the speed to break past full-backs but also the precision in his delivery. Just 20 years old, the rapid French winger has registered 4 goals and 5 assists in the Bundesliga this season and is sure to attract interest from Premier League clubs this summer. If a club could secure a deal for Diaby for around £25 million, that would very much be money well spent for a player with huge potential and upside.
Werder Bremen’s Kosovan international Milot Rashica is another who has attracted interest from the Premier League and other Bundesliga clubs like RB Leipzig. Rashica, who has 4 goals in 27 international appearances since his debut in 2016, is just 23 years old and plays as an attacking midfielder or winger. He has scored 17 goals in 60 games since joining Bremen in 2018 and despite the club’s struggles in the league this season, he has contributed 7 goals and 5 assists. Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram is a name that many will recognize, being the son of the French great Lillian. Thuram made the move to Monchengladbach from Guingamp in Ligue 1 in July 2019 for a fee of around £10 million. He has had an impressive breakout year in his first season with the German club, socring 10 goals and registering 8 assists. Thuram has the combination of strength from his physique but also the speed to get in behind opposition defences. Like Thuram, Borussia Dortmund’s Giovanni Reyna is the son of a former footballer, Claudio. Born in Sunderland, the 17-year-old American midfielder joined Dortmund’s academy from the New York City FC academy and has broken through into the Dortmund first team this season. Borussia Dortmund have proven to be a very good place to nurture young talent, proven by current stars like Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland, so Reyna is seemingly in a good spot to develop in the coming years.
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