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There is nothing more pleasing than seeing a young footballer grow into one of the best in the world. While it has always demanded consistency, in the modern era of football, it demands a lot of resilience as well.
Developing a player is one thing, but developing a great character has to be a necessity. Even the football GOATs Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have achieved success primarily because of their strong character and never give-up attitude.
European clubs have a lot of talented young players
Top clubs have focused on developing young players and it has paid off well for them. Right now, a good number of talented youngsters are playing for some of the top European teams.
These footballers are showing signs of greatness at a very young age. Amongst them, the attacking players have already contributed significantly this season and helped their respective teams. Here, we take a look at some of the most productive youngsters in the 2021-22 campaign so far.
Note: Only Europe's top five leagues are considered
#5 Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal)
Some of the finest young talents in the Premier League right now are at Arsenal. At the age of 10, Emile Smith Rowe joined the youth academy of the Gunners.
The Englishman has been seen playing on a regular basis for the club since the start of the current 2021-22 season. Smith Rowe has given some amazing performances in front of goal using his intense energy, amazing creativity and hunger to score goals.
The 21-year-old has so far scored nine goals and registered two assists in the ongoing Premier League campaign, contributing 11 goals in total. With an efficiency of 0.31 goals/shots, Smith Rowe ranks second-best in the league in this department.
#4 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Another Arsenal player on the list is Bukayo Saka. The English youngster has been in sensational form in the 2021-22 season.
After a successful and productive Euro 2020, Saka has continued with his good form in the Premier League. His ability to play in multiple positions with utmost efficiency has been a blessing for manager Mikel Arteta. That being said, Saka's most productive output has come from the flanks.
The 20-year-old Gunner has so far scored eight goals and registered three assists in the 2021-22 season, contributing 13 goals in total. Saka's performances remain a major factor in Arsenal's aspirations to qualify for the Champions League next season.
#3 Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
One of the most surprising performers of the ongoing season has been Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz. The German midfielder has been in fabulous form using his amazing vision and creativity in attack.
Wirtz has so far scored seven goals and registered 10 assists this season, contributing in 17 goals. The attacking midfielder ranks second when it comes to the number of assists in the Bundesliga this campaign, with only Thomas Muller (16) ahead of him.
Using his flair and agility, Wirtz has dribbled past players more frequently and has the second-most carries into the final third (59) in the league. The 18-year-old has also provided the highest number of through balls (10) in the Bundesliga so far. His impressive performances should attract a good amount of bids come this summer.
#2 Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid have done pretty well this season with the return of Carlo Ancelotti as their manager. Los Blancos are leading the race in La Liga right now and one of the primary reasons is Vinicius Junior's contributions.
The Brazilian winger has stepped up and performed amazingly well this season. His performances have been so impressive that he has been a regular starter on the left wing instead of the great and now fit Eden Hazard.
Vinicius has so far scored 13 goals and registered six assists this season, contributing in 19 goals in total. His blistering pace combined with his amazing dribbling abilities has been a delight to watch. He has successfully dribbled past a player 94 times this campaign, the most in La Liga.
#1 Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
Erling Haaland has been sidelined from the game for a good amount of time since January due to an injury. This is not the first time that he has had to sit out with an injury this season either.
However, it doesn't take away from the fact that he has once again had an impressive time in front of goal this campaign. In his 14 appearances for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, Haaland has scored 16 goals and registered five assists, contributing in 21 goals in total.
Despite missing a significant number of games, the Norwegian striker ranks third in the leading goal-scoring list in the Bundesliga. He is only behind Robert Lewandowski (28 goals) and Patrick Schick (20 goals).
Haaland also holds the record for the best ratio when it comes to goals and assists per 90 minutes with a ratio of 1.73.
