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Football clubs are always on the lookout for the brightest young talents. Some of the youngsters are being transferred for ridiculous amounts of money these days with the big football clubs not hesitating to invest in talent and potential.Two of the biggest transfers in the Premier League last season involved two youngsters, Anthony Martial and Raheem Sterling who moved to Manchester United and Manchester City respectively. Although Sterling has had a mixed season so far, Martial has already established himself as one of the key players in the United team.So who are the youngsters we can expect to make a big money move to the top clubs across Europe this season? We take a look at the 10 most wanted youngsters in European football.Note: Only Players who are 21 years or younger have been considered
#10 John Stones - Everton
Everton defender John Stones’ future has been subject to widespread speculation in the last year and a half. The young Englishman first captured the world’s attention with his calm and assured performances at the heart of the Everton defence in the 2014/15 season.
Although the player has put in mixed performances this season, he still remains one of the most sought after defenders in the world. Stones is powerful in the air, good on the ball and not afraid of throwing his body around for a last ditch tackle. Stones’ ability to play the ball out of defence has made him a coveted target for all the big clubs.
Chelsea, Manchester United and Barcelona have all been interested in the Englishman with Chelsea reportedly having had three bids rejected for the youngster in the summer.
The impending departure of John Terry and the defensive frailties for Chelsea will tempt them to go for Stones again although they will face stiff competition from big clubs like Barcelona and Manchester United.
#9 Kingsley Coman - Bayern Munich/Juventus
Still just 19, Kingsley Coman has already played for some of the world’s biggest clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern Munich. The French footballer is currently on a two-year loan at Bayern Munich from Juventus and he has spoken of his desire to stay at Bayern Munich.
Coman is very good at dribbling and keeping possession of the ball and he has turned in some impressive performances for the star-studded Bayern Munich side.
The Frenchman was so highly rated that Bayern did not hesitate to pay €7m to secure his services on a two-year loan deal and they are favourites to make the move permanent as they have an option to sign him for just €21 million.
Considering his performances this season for the Bavarian giants, it will not come as a surprise to anyone if Bayern Munich make the move permanent although teams like PSG and Manchester City are also rumoured to be interested in the young French winger.
#8 Julian Weigl - Borussia Dortmund
Julian Weigel is one of the surprise talents in Germany. He was signed from 1860 Munich in the second division in the summer of 2015, but no one expected the player to play such a crucial role in Dortmund's midfield this season.
Despite the likes of more established stars such as Gundogan, Nuri Sahin and Moritz Leitner being present in the Dortmund team, Weigl has gone on to become an integral member of the impressive Borussia Dortmund side.
The young German reads the game very well and is effective in retaining position and starting off attacks at the centre of the pitch for Borussia Dortmund. Weigl has an incredible passing accuracy of 92% and he has even managed to get praise from Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola.
The youngster is well suited to play a passing game and is very composed in possession. Dortmund have been transformed this season to play a brand of possession and attacking football under their new coach and Weigl has been an important part of the team’s new strategy.
His impressive performances have seen him being linked with Barcelona and Manchester City with Pep Guardiola reportedly a huge admirer of the Dortmund starlet.
#7 Ruben Neves - FC Porto
At the tender age of 19, he is already the captain of Porto. Neves primarily plays as a defensive midfielder although he is not afraid to go forward usually being the catalyst for Porto’s attacking moves.
He has already featured in 31 games and has two assists to his name. Neves is a born footballer with great positional sense and an eye for a pass as well. If he continues playing in this fashion, there is no doubt that one day he will be leading his national team as well on the world stage.
The youngster has already represented Portugal having made 2 appearances for the senior side. Neves has shown consistency and maturity which belies his young age and he has already proven that he is a natural leader.
Premier League sides Arsenal and Liverpool have already been rebuffed by Porto but it only seems like a matter of time before one of the super-rich European clubs make a move for this talented defensive midfielder.
#6 Marquinhos - Paris Saint-Germain
Marquinhos is considered to be one of the best young defenders in the world, but the presence of his fellow countrymen Thiago Silva and David Luiz have seen him get limited opportunities and playing time at his club Paris Saint-Germain.
Marquinhos’ early career was marked by him being identified as a versatile defender, but the subtle nuances of professional and amateur football led to him being rechristened a centre back with the occasional ability to switch to the right, should the team need such a change.
Interest for this talented defender is high among all of Europe’s top clubs with Thiago Silva even confirming a bid from Barcelona.
"His situation is difficult. Marquinhos is a player with great qualities who would be able to play in any team in Europe. That's the reason why Barca and others have already enquired," Silva said, as quoted by Sport.
Blanc stated that he would be open for Marquinhos to leave at the end of the season, while agent Giuliano Bertolucci has confirmed that Marquinhos would be leaving.
Barcelona, Manchester City and Manchester United are all interested in signing this €30 million-rated Brazilian.
#5 Breel Embolo - FC Basel
One of the most talented forwards in Europe currently, Breel Embolo has played a crucial role in Basel’s dominance of the Swiss Super League this season. Playing as a right-sided forward, Embolo has contributed 8 goals in 29 appearances for the Swiss side.
UEFA.com writer Stefen Potter praised Embolo saying :
"He is powerful, technically strong and decisive. He has explosive pace and is a composed finisher".
His performances for Basel in the league have caught the attention of Europe’s top clubs with Premier League sides being most interested in bringing the Swiss youth international to England. Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have all been credited with an interest in the Swiss forward.
His market value is around the range of €16-20 million and with the current spending power of the Premier League clubs, a move for the young Swiss forward cannot be discounted.
#4 Ousmane Dembele - Stade Rennais FC
Rising French forward Ousmane Dembele has many admirers with Barcelona being the most interested in signing this talented French forward. Last season Dembele, then 17, scored 13 goals in the 18 games he played for the club's B team in the fifth tier of French football.
Following his impressive performance, Dembele was promoted to the first team and he has adapted to it like a duck to water having scored nine goals in this season's Ligue 1 in 17 matches, including a hat-trick in the derby match against Nantes, helping his team win 4-1.
The recent progression of the young Frenchman, now 18, led Barcelona to make a move before they get overtaken by other big European clubs that are pursuing the player's services, including Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea from England and Spain's Atletico Madrid.
Valued at about €10 million, Stade Rennais FC might be tempted to cash in on their young forward.
#3 Renato Sanches - Benfica
Highly rated youngster Renato Sanches has been continuously linked with a move to Manchester United. The Portuguese midfielder is just 18 years old and he has already been capturing everyone's attentions with his eye-catching performances.
Many reports claimed that Manchester United already had a deal to get this Portuguese starlet to Old Trafford, however, Benfica denied all these claims saying that they wanted to keep Sanches for the foreseeable future.
After the international break in November 2015, Sanches signed a new contract with Benfica until 2021, with a release clause set at €45 million.
Renato Sanches has quickly become a crucial player for Benfica. Before his debut for the senior side in October, Benfica had only won eight out of their 14 matches in all competitions. However, after his debut, they have won 16 out of the 19 matches he has played in.
His energy, drive and incisive passing have really helped Benfica reinvigorate their season and he might just be the box-to -box midfielder Manchester United need to change their fortunes.
#2 Aymeric Laporte - Athletic Bilbao
Aymeric Laporte’s stock has risen quite incredibly in the last few year. A product of the famous Basque academy in France, Athletic Bilbao picked him up at a very young age. His talent was there for all to see and he has quickly become a first team regular at Bilbao.
The Centre back has amazing agility and is a fine reader of the game as well as being a brilliant interceptor of the ball. His speed also enables him to recover quickly in tough situations.
Laporte has regularly played for the French Youth teams having played for the U-17, U-19 and U-21 teams. The Frenchman is coveted by a lot of big clubs with Barcelona and Manchester uNited being linked to the youngster.However, recent reports have suggested that Pep Guardiola might be a crucial factor in convincing Laporte to join Manchester City.
Laporte's release clause is set at € 50 million but Bilbao might be tempted with an offer around €35 million.
#1 Leroy Sane - FC Schalke 04
Leroy Sane has it all: great pace, excellent ball control and an afro that's uncomparably cool. Still only 20 years old, Sane has the world ahead of him but is in no mood to wait for it to come around. Having excelled in Schalke's academy, he was snapped up by rival Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen but returned to Schalke last summer to give his home fans all he can in the Bundesliga.
Plenty of clubs have been linked with the Schalke starlet and if reports are to be believed, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool are all interested in signing this talented youngster.
Schalke manager André Breitenreiter admitted that Sane might move to Real Madrid or Barcelona if a bid comes in. He told Sport Bild:
“We understand that this is the dream of every young player. It was always a dream of mine to play for Barcelona or Real Madrid. He'll have to choose between one and the other.”
