Ones to Watch: The Best Young Footballers

• Modern Football involves many Young Players who would not have been given a chance before.
• We see the growth of young players who look to follow footsteps, like Jude Bellingham, Musiala and many others.
• Here’s a list of the best young players currently breaking into the scene.

Football is getting younger as more high-level players break into top-flight football in their teenage years, like Jude Bellingham, Pedri, Jamal Musiala, and many others.

Here’s a list of the best young players currently breaking into the scene.

Mathys Tel – FC Bayern München (GER)

Bayern Munich’s French forward Mathys Tel celebrates scoring his team’s sixth goal 6:1 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen in Munich, southern Germany, on November 8, 2022. (Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)

Mathys Tel, born in Sarcelles, a Paris suburb, and developed at Stade Rennais, has progressed through two of French football’s most promising development programs. But he wants to make his name at FC Bayern München, the German giants.

Tel left Rennes with a handful of first-team appearances after winning the UEFA U-17 European Championship with France, a tournament in which he starred.

He has since become Bayern Munich’s youngest-ever goalscorer, their youngest-ever starter in a Bundesliga game, and an appearance in the UEFA Champions League for Julian Nagelsmann’s side.

Tel is a phenomenal artist. He is a complete package forward, an attacker with all of the attributes required to play at the highest levels. This includes athletic dynamism, technical skill, boundless self-confidence, and other characteristics.

He can play anywhere on the front line, but he prefers the left side, where he can drift into wider channels and angle inside on his strong right foot. That aspect of his game reminds me of the legendary Thierry Henry, as does his sleek speed, functional strength, and on-ball quality.

His completeness as a forward profile is extraordinary and holds great promise. He still has a long way to go, but all the tools are in place for him to develop into an elite-level forward.

Devyne Rensch – AFC Ajax (NED)

Devyne Rensch won the Abdelhak Nouri Trophy for best AFCAjax talent of the year.|PHOTO: Ajax|

Many Ajax players’ rise to senior status appears to be rapid, but it is almost always the result of years of steady advancement through De Toekomst. Devyne Rensch is no exception.

After being named Ajax’s best academy player in 2020, he has naturally progressed into the first team and solidified his place in the squad with solid contributions.

Rensch combines technical and tactical excellence with the versatility we expect from an Ajax academy graduate. Capable of playing anywhere across the back four and in midfield, he has mostly played at the senior level as a right-back, though he has been projected as a future centre-back.

To play in the middle, he will most likely benefit greatly if he can gain a couple of inches over the next few years to compete physically with big strikers. Across the field, he is highly mobile but lacks the engine to last 90 minutes in his high-intensity role.

But in the end, his technical ability is what stands out. Rensch is slated to play centre-back, but in his current position, he spends a lot of time receiving the ball in crowded areas when he tucks into midfield. When he attacks the suitable half-space, he occasionally engages in combination play in and around the penalty area.

Mohamed Tour – Stade de Reims (FRA)

Mohamed Toure: The Australian teenage sensation destined for a bright future.|PHOTO: Foottheball|

When Mohamed Touré made his A-League debut in February 2020, he stunned the league by scoring in a 2-0 victory over the Central Coast Mariners at 15, breaking the record for the youngest goal scorer in the history of the league.

In 2020–21, he kept up his impressive play, frequently making impact substitutions from the bench while scoring three goals in 349 minutes. Stade de Reims made their move in 2022 and signed the Australian to their team to help him develop through their reserves.

Touré can play anywhere in the front three, having already developed the physical qualities to play in the A-League as both a striker and a winger.

Mohamed is lightning-fast, and his explosiveness from a standing start makes him especially dangerous when beating dribblers. Touré enjoys getting on the ball, slaloming through defenders, and attacking space in transition. Still, he can overdo it sometimes, running into dead ends when it would have been better to release the ball earlier.

Warren Zaïre-Emery – Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

Warren Zaire-Emery signs his first professional contract. Photo by Paris Saint-Germain

Warren Zare-Emery was the UEFA Youth League’s revelation this season. He was not only one of the tournament’s youngest players at 15 years old, but he also started all but one game as an exciting Paris Saint-Germain team reached the quarter-final stage.

He has been a well-known name in youth football circles for some time, having impressed at the Al-Kass Cup. In the 2022 UEFA U-17 European Championship, which France won, he demonstrated his elite-level talent by dominating midfielders against mostly 2005-born players.

After an outstanding season and summer, PSG had no choice but to promote him to the senior squad. He’s currently on the fringes of the first team, playing minutes as needed. He has signed a professional contract with PSG, making him the club’s youngest player.

Zaïre can play any position in the middle of the field and quickly change his responsibilities. He can do it all. He can stand at the base of the midfield and direct play, be the driving midfielder between the two boxes, and be the forward-breaking runner. Zare-Emery could be categorized as plug-and-play. A flexible athletic profile supports his game; he is also well-developed for his age in this area, with a strong core and fluid change of pace.