5 best talents outside Europe's top-five leagues

Ajax's Ryan Gravenberch has emerged as one of the best talents in European football.
Ajax's Ryan Gravenberch has emerged as one of the best talents in European football.

#3 Manor Solomon (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Manor Solomon
Manor Solomon

Shakhtar Donetsk's Israeli winger Manor Solomon was already a target for Manchester City a few years ago. However, according to the Daily Mail, his first club in Israel doubled their asking price citing City's prestige, which forced them to pull out of the deal.

Manchester City's loss turned out to be Shakhtar's gain though, as they signed him midway through the 2018-19 season.

Solomon has been a hit already in Ukraine, even scoring against Manchester City in last season's UEFA Champions League.

He scored 11 goals in all last season. However, Solomon's real big break has come in the 2020-21 season. The Israeli scored in both of Shakhtar's group stage games against Real Madrid.

His direct running and dribbling ability from the wide areas has made Solomon a name to definitely watch out for.


#2 Donyell Malen (PSV Eindhoven)

Donyell Malen
Donyell Malen

Donyell Malen is a Dutch striker who plays for PSV Eindhoven. After previously playing youth football for both Arsenal and Ajax, Malen is making a name for himself in the Eredevisie with Eindhoven now.

Malen is the quintessential forward who can play in different positions across the forward line. He is capable of both leading the line and playing from the wider positions, thanks to his excellent dribbling ability.

This season, Malen has already scored 17 goals in 25 games for PSV in all competitions.

He has predictably been linked with moves to big clubs across the continent, with Arsenal said to be interested in bringing him him back to North London.

Malen has also on the fringes of the Dutch national team but hasn't quite been able to nail down a spot for himself yet, with the likes of Steven Bergwijn and Calvin Stengs currently ahead of him.


#1 Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax)

Ryan Gravenberch
Ryan Gravenberch

Of course, such a list wasn't going to end without a mention of the Ajax production line.

From the academy that has given the world the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek, Ryan Gravenberch is the latest midfielder that looks destined for greatness. With his lanky build and languid running style in midfield, Gravenberch has already drawn comparisons with Paul Pogba.

This season, he was superb in Ajax's Champions League campaign even though that eventually ended in disappointment. His performances against Liverpool really caught the eye, as he looked superb in possession of the ball and strong enough off it as well.

Gravenberch has also had interest shown in him already from some of the biggest clubs in the world, with the likes of Juventus reportedly said to be interested.

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