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There aren’t many leagues in Europe that have been more one-sided than the Bundesliga in recent years. Bayern Munich have won the title in each of the last six seasons and, on the majority of those occasions, they have won it at a canter.
They will be hoping for the same this year, but they enter the campaign under a new manager. Niko Kovac takes over at the helm of the club, having been brought in from Eintracht Frankfurt to replace Jupp Heynckes.
The task for the other teams is to try and close the gap on Bayern this season, and potentially beat them to the title. The last side to do this were Borussia Dortmund, who won consecutive titles in 2010/11 and 2011/12.
The transfer window in the Bundesliga this summer has seen the bigger players leave Germany without too many big names taking their place. The likes of Naby Keita and Arturo Vidal have left Germany for chances abroad. There were a couple of decent buys, particularly at Borussia Dortmund, who bought both Thomas Delaney and Axel Witsel.
In some ways, the lack of big-name signings could prove to be a blessing in disguise for some clubs. There are some excellent young players coming through in Germany, and this gives them the chance for more game time.
Here are five excellent young players who will look to take advantage of this in the Bundesliga.
#1 Jadon Sancho: Borussia Dortmund
Jadon Sancho is almost unique in the fact that he is one of the few English players who decided to move abroad to further their career. The winger was regarded as one of the hottest prospects in England when he decided to leave Manchester City to join Borussia Dortmund.
He was given the number 7 shirt, suggesting that he was going to play a big part at Dortmund. Sancho perhaps didn’t make the immediate impact that he was hoping for, but he started in each of the last four games and will hope he can take that into this season.
Dortmund haven’t signed any wingers this summer, yet they sold Andriy Yarmolenko to West Ham. This suggests that he is going to continue to get game time in the Bundesliga, and this is a real chance for him to prove he made the right decision to leave England last summer.
#2 Weston McKennie: Schalke 04
Weston McKennie is one of few young American players popping up in the Bundesliga at the moment, with the most notable of which being Borussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic. McKennie established himself in the Schalke side last season, making 23 appearances in the Bundesliga, and he is still only 19 years old.
There is still an awful lot to come from McKennie and this could be a real breakout season for him. He is a technically gifted player and he is good with the ball at his feet. He is also an exceptionally hard-working midfielder and is able to cover a huge amount of ground.
He has the ability to make an impact at both ends of the pitch and is an important part of Schalke’s high pressing game. He has already been capped four times by the USA, so will hope to keep progressing this season.
#3 Kai Havertz: Bayer Leverkusen
It would be easy to forget that Havertz is still only 19. Earlier this year, the German midfielder became the youngest player to reach the milestone of 50 Bundesliga appearances, all of which have come for Bayer Leverkusen.
He is also the youngest player to play for his club in Germany’s first division, as well as their youngest ever goalscorer - a record he claimed with a strike against Wolfsburg in April 2017.
He looks to be the complete midfielder. He has stepped up after the sale of Hakan Calhanoglu and he hasn’t disappointed. At 6 ft 1 in tall, he is physically strong, but his real qualities come technically.
He is athletic, capable of picking a pass, and is able to get a goal or two. He will be a regular for Leverkusen this season and won’t have to miss games to take an exam, as he did against Atletico Madrid a couple of years ago.
He has been compared to Mesut Ozil in the past. And now the Arsenal man has "retired" from international football, there is a chance Havertz could push for a spot in the national team.
Also read: Mesut Ozil hasn't 'Retired' but is he to blame or the German FA & media?
#4 Dayot Upamecano: RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig have grown a reputation for bringing through talented young players in recent years. The likes of Timo Werner are still at the club, while Naby Keita moved on to Liverpool this summer.
Upamecano could be the next man off the production line, and the defender looks like he could be the real deal. He is only 19, but in his two years at Leipzig - after moving from sister club Red Bull Salzburg - he has looked at home in the big time.
Much like many of the young French centre-backs coming through at the moment, he doesn’t just look strong defensively, but he also has the ability to bring the ball out from the back and he is an exceptional passer of the ball.
He may not have fully established himself as a first choice selection at Leipzig yet, but expect him to be a key man this season as he looks to take his game to the next level.
#5 Gian-Luca Itter: Wolfsburg
There won’t be many people familiar with the name Gian-Luca Itter, but give it a few years, and a lot more people will be aware of the German left-back. Of the players on this list, none have made fewer appearances in the Bundesliga than Itter (5).
The 19-year-old was thrown in for his debut against Bayern Munich last year and did a decent job in dealing with experienced winger Arjen Robben. He is highly regarded in Germany and was awarded the Walter Gold Medal in 2016 - the highest honour for young players in Germany.
He is very much a modern full-back, given that his greatest strengths come going forward, rather than going the other way. But that is something that will improve with experience.
Itter may not be the only 'Itter' we see in the Bundesliga this season, as his twin brother Davide is also on the books at Wolfsburg. He is a full-back on the opposite flank, and the pair has already played together for Germany at the youth level.
