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The 2019/20 season kicked off with much excitement in August this year, with the Premier League, Serie A, LaLiga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 promising the usual mix of last-minute goals, drama and footballing narratives. This has been especially true in the Premier League, where the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee has thrown up a whole new avenue of discussion and controversy.
Each European league has had its fair share of different storylines and headlines, whether it is the fact that Liverpool have started the season like a house on fire, that the Bundesliga title race is tighter than it has been for several years, or that minnows Granada are amongst the big boys in LaLiga.
In the opening stages of the season, we have been wowed by the array of stars plying their trade in Europe and players such as Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne have lit up their respective leagues so far this season. Add to the mix emerging and exciting young talents and there is certainly no shortage of entertainment to be had this term.
This list is dedicated to the youngsters, or more specifically, teenagers who have surprised us all this season with their consistently stellar performances and have grabbed their opportunity at the highest level. It seems as though 2019 has been the year for youth, as the likes of Mason Greenwood, Marc Guehi, Brandon Williams, Mohamed Ihattaren, Per Schurrs and Marash Kumbulla have burst onto the scene this season.
For this list, we are looking only at players who have exceeded expectations, or who have just broken out this season, so the likes of Jadon Sancho and Alphonso Davies will not be considered.
Honourable mentions: Eduardo Camavinga (Stade Rennais, age 16), Dwight McNeil (Burnley, age 19), Sergino Dest (Ajax, age 18), Hamid Junior Traore (Sassuolo, age 19), Mohamed Simakan (Strasbourg, age 19)
#3: Dejan Kulusevski
Age: 19
Club: Parma (on loan from Atalanta)
Nationality: Swedish
Not many heads were turned when the news emerged that Atalanta youth prospect Dejan Kulusevski would be moving to Parma on loan for the 2019/20 season. Indeed, it was seen much as any other loan move would be- as a chance for the player to gain exposure to first-team football, and for the team to gain a solid player for the season.
However, Kulusevski has impressed one and all with his performances for the side from northern Italy, who currently occupy ninth place in the Serie A table. As a left-footed player on the right-wing, Kulusevski tends to drift inside and look to influence play from a more central area. His unusually large build, for a winger (he stands 6 ft 1 in tall), means that he sometimes struggles to beat his man on the outside and whip in a cross, but he more than makes up for it with his close control in tight areas.
So far this season, he has made 10 appearances, even starting 3 matches as a number 10, which is testament to the influence he can have in the middle of the park. His total of 7 goal contributions (2 goals and 5 assists) is more than anyone else in the Parma squad, and he also puts up impressive creative numbers, with 2.7 key passes per game for the likes of Andreas Cornelius and Gervinho to feed off of.
Kulusevski has played for his country at nearly every age level, and is certainly deserving of a call-up to the senior squad sooner rather than later.
#2: Sandro Tonali
Age: 19
Club: Brescia
Nationality: Italian
Fans of football video games such as FIFA and Football Manager will be familiar with the name Sandro Tonali. Earmarked as a hot prospect since he broke out for Brescia in Serie B at the age of 17, Tonali has now gained worldwide recognition for his performances for the newly-promoted club.
Tonali's best position on the pitch is as the deepest of three midfielders in a 4-3-3 and is given the responsibility of shielding the defence and initiating counter-attacking moves with his passing ability. The young Italian also has the licence to drive forward with the ball at his feet, and is quite good at that as well, completing 17 of his 19 attempted dribbles in 9 Serie A game so far this season. Tonali has also drawn 2.3 fouls per game on average, thereby enabling Brescia to take full advantage of set pieces.
It suits Tonali's game to be part of a team that relies heavily on dead ball situations, as he is lethal in such positions. His 2 assists this season have both come from corner kicks, and his solitary goal was scored via a direct free kick. Indeed, at times, Tonali can seem almost Andrea Pirlo-esque in his striking of a football.
Tonali was one of Italy's key players at the U-21 European Championship and made his senior international debut earlier this year, coming on as a substitute in a 5-0 win. His consistency has seen him linked with a host of top European clubs, including Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City and Manchester United, and there is no doubt that he could potentially become a world-class player at any of these teams.
#1: Halil Dervisoglu
Age: 19
Club: Sparta Rotterdam
Nationality: Turkish
Halil Dervisoglu is not a name that crops up very often when talking about the best young players in world football, but his performances this season have shown that he certainly deserves to be in the discussion. Graduating from the famed Sparta Rotterdam academy which has produced the likes of Danny Blind, Memphis Depay, Georginio Wijnaldum and Kevin Strootman amongst others, Dervisoglu debuted for the club in an Eredivisie playoff win over FC Dordrecht in 2018.
He scored 8 goals last season to help Sparta gain promotion from the Eerste Divisie, and has started this season brilliantly. With 4 goals and 3 assists in just 865 minutes thus far, his total of 7 goal contributions is the joint highest in the Sparta squad. At exactly 6 feet tall, Dervisoglu is not very aerially dominant, but rather, has excellent control of the football in tight areas as well as control over his body, often feinting to devastating effect, and going past defenders swiftly.
He is a goal poacher extraordinaire and is very rarely involved in build-up play, preferring to put pressure on defenders (he completes 1.5 tackles per game), and look for space in behind. He is also dangerous with the ball at his feet, completing 4 dribbles per game at a success rate of 71.42%.
Dervisoglu will not be a Sparta Rotterdam player for much longer, having agreed a January move to English Championship side Brentford on the last day of the summer transfer window. It will be interesting to see whether the London-based club can provide him with the springboard he needs to launch his career to the next level. He has also represented Turkey at the U-19 level, and it will surely not be long before he receives a senior call-up.
