Top 5 emerging young football prospects

The 2019-2020 season of European football has just begun.

The summer has seen numerous new transfers that many football fans would want to follow closely over the coming months.

It’s 2019. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the dominant forces in soccer, winning nearly every individual award and leading their clubs to title after title. Yet both are in the twilights of their careers, at 31 and 34 years old respectively, and previous heirs to the throne such as Neymar and Gareth Bale haven’t come close to filling their boots.

It prompts an obvious question: Who’s next? Who will take on the challenge of being the best in soccer?

Here are the Top 5 emerging young football prospects.

5. Sandro Tonali

Brescia starlet Sandro Tonali had been making waves in Italy last season, turning out a series of exceptional displays for the Serie B outfit that have caught the attentions of both Chelsea and Liverpool, among others.

Blessed with outrageous technical skills and an eagle-like eye for a pass, the player is clearly destined for great things. Also, to paraphrase Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s flawless Michael Caine impressions from ‘The Trip’, he’s only 18 years old. Let’s face it, everyone loves a “wonderkid”, and the Tonali, dubbed the next Andrea Pirlo” looks to have all the necessary potential to become a world class player in future, and it would be an absolute treat to see him flourish.

4. Lee Kang-in

Officially added to the Valencia first-team squad in January 2018, Kang-in Lee looks perfectly poised to deliver on the potential that was first spotted when he appeared on a football reality TV show at the age of six.

The versatile, exciting and industrious left winger has already lined out in both La Liga and the Copa del Rey, while the 18-year-old was even included among the substitutes for the Champions League group meeting with Manchester United at Mestalla.

One of Lee’s greatest attributes as a player is his brilliant close control and dribbling. The ability to keep the ball and work in tight spaces effectively is a prized talent, yet the South Korean has it in abundance. His technique and dribbling allow him to be the creative hub of any team he plays in and that has not been more evident in the U-20 World Cup having laid on four assists for his side.

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3. Mason Mount

For the first time in a long time at Stamford Bridge, the prospect of first team football for young players looks closer to reality than fairytale. Previously, depending on who you ask, the youth policy sometimes even resembled a nightmare.

Mount dictates play relentlessly, has an obsession with finding space, is adept at releasing teammates and escaping his midfield counterparts. He even occasionally chips in with an effort from range that narrowly escapes the grasp of the keeper. The 20-year-old is among a generation of young English players that are bucking the stereotype of what used to define being an English footballer, expanding their horizons in the hopes of a greater footballing education.

2. Rodrygo

When Rodrygo Goes agreed his future switch from Santos, he followed the footsteps of another Brazilian teenager – Vinicius Junior, who had sealed a €45 million move to the Spanish capital a few years back. He has already been dubbed as Brazil’s “new Neymar”.

Just like his compatriot, he transcends with the ball at his feet and has remarkable dribbling skills. He also has good judgement on when to take on the defender or pass to his teammates. Selecao coach Tite once stated that he had already been left amazed by Rodrygo’s dribbling, finishing and, above all else, maturity.

1. Joao Felix

João Felix is the latest wonderkid on the scene in Portugal to be dubbed the “next Ronaldo”.

As soon as he touches the ball, you realize why was courted by several of Europe’s top clubs. Eventually, Atletico Madrid won the battle, signing him for a staggering €120 million from Portuguese side Benfica. Despite being just 19, he has managed to bring the joy back to the Estadio da Luz and place Benfica in the domestic title fight once again.

At his age, as some in Portugal have lately been arguing, Felix seems to be even more developed than Cristiano Ronaldo was when he was still settling into life at Manchester United after arriving from Sporting CP. Devastatingly effective when running at defenders, the teen star is capable of playing in every position across the forward line. With a vast skill set that will probably only get better as he develops more, he already possesses an elegance and self-confidence with the ball comparable to the best talents in the game.