Unknown stars that have stood out in Europe this season

• Europe’s top five leagues sees the emergence of new stars every season, and the 2023–24 campaign was no exception.
• We take a look at players that made an impact this season.

Europe’s top five leagues sees the emergence of new stars every season, and the 2023–24 campaign was no exception.

We take a look at players that made an impact this season, ranging from youthful talent given an opportunity to play in the first team to hidden gems found on the transfer market.

Leny Yoro

Leny Yoro. Photo/ Football Espana

The top teams in European football are vying for Leny Yoro, whose achievements at Lille have caught recruiters’ attention. The 18-year-old helped Lille finish fourth in Ligue 1 and earn a spot in the Champions League by playing in 44 games across all competitions.

Yoro’s maturity in possession has allowed him to be named to the Ligue 1 Team of the Season and record the fourth-best pass accuracy in France this season (92.1%). He competed for France at the young level and is anticipated to play a major role as the country hosts the Olympics this summer.

Riccardo Calafiori

Riccardo Calafiori has ascended to the top of Serie A by an unconventional path. Before moving to Basel, the defender, who was seen to be a promising potential at Roma, made just 10 games due to a major knee injury.

Calafiori returned to Italy with Bologna following an amazing season in Switzerland, when he switched from full-back to a central role and has since excelled. The 22-year-old provides superb distribution from deep in Thiago Motta’s lineup, ranking seventh in terms of percentage of won aerial duels and fourth in terms of interceptions.

While Calafiori has made an impact for Italy as the holders go to the European Championship this summer, Bologna will play in the Champions League for the first time the following season.

Cole Palmer

Cole Palmer has been voted Premier League’s Young Player of the Season. Photo/beIN SPORTS

Cole Palmer made the choice to leave the manager and the greatest team in club football last summer, believing that playing in the first team should take precedence than collecting awards while playing on the periphery of the Manchester City team.

After leading England’s under-21 team to the European Championship in the summer, Palmer got a taste of a leading role in success and joined with Chelsea in quest of further possibilities. Given Palmer’s inexperience, questions were raised about the deal and the £42.5 million price tag, but the attacking player has surpassed every target at Stamford Bridge.

The bright spot on a losing team, he finished the season having played a bigger part in more Premier League goals than any other player with 22 goals and 11 assists. Palmer has lit up West London with his flair and skill, and his achievements have won him trophies such as PFA Fans’ Player of the Year and Premier League Young Player of the Season.

Victor Boniface

This season, Victor Boniface made a quick impression at Bayer Leverkusen, winning the Rookie of the Month award in the Bundesliga in August, September, October, and November.

After joining from Belgian team Union Saint-Gilloise in the summer, the Nigerian international made 12 appearances for the German team, scoring seven goals and dishing out five assists.

Despite missing three months of action due to a muscle ailment, Boniface finished the season with 14 goals and 8 assists from 18 league starts for Leverkusen, helping the team win its first-ever Bundesliga title without dropping a match.

Serhou Guirassy

Serhou Guirassy. photo/WEB.DE

Stuttgart’s amazing start to the season, spearheaded by Serhou Guirassy, turned them from relegation contenders to Champions League qualifiers.

Stuttgart had made it through the relegation play-offs the previous season, but Guirassy’s goals helped them get off to a strong start in 2023–24. The 28-year-old broke Robert Lewandowski’s Bundesliga record (11) by scoring 13 goals in the first seven games.

The Guinea international kept up his impressive play throughout the season, finishing second in Germany’s top division with 28 league goals. His sole goal runner-up was Harry Kane. Given his contract’s rumored €17.5 million (£15 million) release clause, it would be shocking if he remained at the MHPArena for the upcoming campaign.

Artem Dovbyk

Last summer, Girona agreed to pay €7 million to recruit Dnipro striker Artem Dovbyk, shattering their meager transfer record in the process. The Catalan club showed interest in the player due to his impressive record in Ukraine, and their assessment was validated.

In his first La Liga season, Dovbyk has been absolutely brilliant, leading Girona to an unexpected Champions League qualifying with 21 goals in the league. In the competition for the Pichichi Trophy, he is just behind Alexander Sorloth of Villarreal. This season, he has contributed seven assists and leads the league in xG, xG/90, and non-penalty xG.

Savio, who is expected to move with Manchester City in the summer, and Miguel Gutierrez were sad to lose out on this opportunity, but Dovbyk’s smooth transition to one of the top divisions in the world of football has been impressive. Girona’s campaign has been full of thrilling breakthroughs.