5 emerging Bundesliga players to watch out for in 2020-21

Erling Braut Haaland is one of the top young Bundesliga players at the moment.
Erling Braut Haaland is one of the top young Bundesliga players at the moment.

#3 Joshua Zirkzee (Bayern Munich)

Joshua Zirkzee
Joshua Zirkzee

Touted to be a long-term successor of Robert Lewandowski, the 19-year old Dutch sensation Joshua Zirkzee bagged a Bundesliga hat-trick in his debut game for Bayern Munich. Coming off the bench against Freiburg in the 90th minute, it took less than two minutes for the striker to land his first strike.

In the game against Wolfsburg, he came off the bench to break the deadlock and seal a win for the defending Bundesliga champions. Just a day later, he scored the winning goal for Bayern's U-19 side as they defeated their 1.FC Nurnberg counterparts.

Following his impressive performances in the Bundesliga, Hansi Flick handed Zirkzee his maiden senior team start in the Champions League clash against Tottenham Hotspur, where the player had a decent outing.

The player, renowned for his goal-scoring instinct and physical strength, has earned nine caps in his debut season under Flick. As it turned out, he ended his first season for the Bundesliga giants with a continental treble.

Zirkzee is yet to make his senior international debut for the Netherlands, but he has scored eight goals in nine games for the Dutch U-19 team and has been earmarked as a potential replacement for Memphis Depay.

With four goals from 11 games during his brief Bayern Munich career, Zirkzee is definitely one to watch out for this season.


#2 Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)

Florian Wirtz
Florian Wirtz

Florian Wirtz emerged as the best U-19 player at Bayer Leverkusen last season and also made his debut for the German U-21 team.

With ten appearances in his first season, Wirtz became the youngest-ever goalscorer in Bundesliga history by netting an 89th-minute goal against Bayern Munich. He did so at the age of just 17 years and 34 days.

Following that feat, Wirtz burst into the limelight. Leverkusen boss Peter Bosz has wisely shielded the youngster from public glare for a few games. However, there may not be such kid-glove treatment this season, as Wirtz could come of age and become a first-team regular.

Many see Wirtz as the natural heir to Kai Havertz, who recently left the club to join Chelsea. Just like Havertz, Wirtz is already a fan favourite at Leverkusen.

Havertz was Leverkusen's youngest-ever goal-scorer till Wirtz arrived. Considering the history of the club that has produced the likes of Michael Ballack, Arturo Vidal and Toni Kross, Wirtz's trajectory to success looks destined.

With the recent departures of Havertz and Volland, Leverkusen would hope that Wirtz has a breakout campaign in the Bundesliga this season.


#1 Dani Olmo (Leipzig)

Dani Olmo will look to win some silverware in Germany.
Dani Olmo will look to win some silverware in Germany.

Dani Olmo arrived at RB Leipzig from Dinamo Zagreb in January 2020 and has gradually grown into prominence at the surprise Bundesliga leaders. That may sound odd because Olmo gained his footballing education at Barcelona.

After seven years in La Masia, Olmo left for Croatia to gain more game-time. His subsequent decision to move to Germany at the age of 22 seems to be a step in the right direction. Following the Bundesliga restart, Olmo has bagged three goals in eight games for RB Leipzig.

Olmo is seen as one of the most talented players in Spain's latest generation of midfield maestros. His technical abilities with the ball at his feet, coupled with his brilliant control are nothing short of mesmerising. Moreover, just like his new teammate Marcel Sabitzer, Dani Olmo also has the ability to smash the ball home from long range.

The Spain international, who is expected to continue his progress in the 2020-21 Bundesliga, will like to score goals and bag assists as Leipzig attempt to win some silverware.

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