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#3. Jeremy Doku (Rennes)
Jeremy Doku was born in Antwerp, Belgium, in 2002 and kick-started his youth career by joining Anderlecht in 2012. He was handed his senior debut for the club in a 4-2 loss to Sint-Truiden in the first division in November 2018.
He went on to score six goals and provide eight assists in 37 appearances for Anderlecht. He was then signed by Rennes for €26 million in 2020. Doku has scored three and assisted four goals in 45 appearances for the French club.
His raw pace, power and ability to dribble past opponents made him a popular choice among Belgium's coaches at youth level. Doku, of Ghanaian descent, played 35 matches at youth level for Belgium, netting 12 times.
He made his senior debut in 2020 against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League. Three days later, he scored his first goal for the senior team against Iceland.
Jeremy Doku also notably featured for the entire 90 minutes in Belgium's quarter-final against Italy at Euro 2020. In a side lacking creativity and initiative, Doku was the shining light who took the game to the Italians. He even won a penalty for his efforts. Sadly, his side lost 2-1 to the eventual champions.
As he grows older and gains maturity in his game, Doku will surely become a mainstay in the Red Devils' lineup under Martinez.
#2. Charles De Ketelaere (Club Brugge)
Charles De Ketelaere was born in Bruges, Belgium, in 2001 and has been with his hometown club Club Brugge since 2008. As a kid, he also worked as a ball boy at some of the matches between older players. An interesting thing to note is that he was in the middle of his law degree before his football career took off!
De Ketelaere was handed his senior debut for Brugge in 2019 when he played the entire game against Francs Borains in the Belgian Cup. A month later, the Belgian made his maiden UEFA Champions League bow in a 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain. Exactly a year later, De Ketelaere scored the winner as Brugge defeated Zenit St. Petersburg 2-1 in a UCL Group Stage match.
De Ketelaere made 17 appearances for Belgium across youth levels, scoring five goals. He was called up to the senior Belgium squad in November 2020 and made his debut against Switzerland. Nearly a year later, De Ketelaere scored Belgium's only goal in a 2-1 loss to Italy in the 2021 UEFA Nations League.
De Ketelaere is extremely versatile. He has played as a left winger, center forward, attacking midfielder, central midfielder and even as a left back! With a skillset like his, it's going to be near impossible for Martinez to overlook him for future tournaments for Belgium.
#1. Albert Sambi Lokonga (Arsenal)
Albert-Mboyo Sambi Lokonga was born in Brussels, Belgium, in 1999 and spent his entire youth career at Anderlecht (2010-17). He signed his first professional contract with the club in November 2017, and made his debut a month later in a 1-0 win over Eupen.
Lokonga made a total of 78 appearances for Anderlecht, scoring three and assisting seven goals. He earned plaudits from former Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany, manager of Anderlecht. Kompany recommended him to his friend and current Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. Arsenal signed Lokonga for £18 million in 2021.
Lokonga is widely renowned for his passing range and ability, nimble footwork, his leadership and his honest self-assessment. He recently impressed in Arsenal's Premier League game against Newcastle United, which they won 2-0. Lokonga created more chances than the entire opposition, as well as more than twice that of anybody else on the pitch.
Lokonga, of Congolese descent, has made eight appearances for Belgium's youth teams, scoring two goals. He was called up to the senior Belgium squad in March 2021. He made his debut in a 5-2 away victory over Estonia in a FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Having captained Anderlecht aged 19, Lokonga has the tools to take him to the very top. He will hope to do that this season with Belgium as well as Mikel Arteta's tricky reds.
