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World football is filled to the brim with quality youngsters. Every season we have a few of them breaking into the first team of top clubs and setting the world alight with their youthful energy and exuberance. Their swift ascent also brings with it a sizeable transfer frenzy. If the player is from a mid-table side, the bigger teams try to swoop in fast and get their man for cheap. If the player has broken through at a big club, then they try to make him sign lucrative contracts with massive release clauses.
In this article, we have looked at five talented youngsters from the top 5 football leagues who have had a breakout campaign this time around.
Erling Braut Haaland has obviously been the best breakout star this football season. However the problem is that most of his goals have come for RB Salzburg in the Austrian League. He moved to Germany only in January and has been absolutely phenomenal there too.
Adding onto that, he's second in the top scorer charts of the Champions League football this season. Despite all this, he has not been included here, the sole reason being that the basis of judgement is performance in one of the top 5 leagues and in this case the player chosen for Bundesliga has simply been the better player there and Haaland's breakthrough actually took place in Austria.
So here we go.
Ligue 1- Victor Osimhen
The Ligue 1 has the reputation of being the least competitive of the top five football leagues but we do get some fantastic youngsters coming out of it pretty regularly. Last season it was Nicolas Pepe and this season it might just be Victor Osimhen. The Lille youngster has been phenomenal in the league, scoring 13 and assisting 5.
The 21-year-old is extremely industrious and can harass the opposition backline with his endless running and pressing. Leading football clubs Arsenal, Leicester, Spurs and Liverpool have all been linked to him. A very good case can also be made for Rennes ' Eduardo Camavinga as the top breakout football star from France. However, that owing to his age and position, Camavinga needs a little more time at Rennes whereas Osimhen is ready to move to a bigger club.
Honorable mentions- Ibrahim Sangare, Boubacary Samara, Rayan Cherki
Bundesliga- Alphonso Davies
Now here's the potentially controversial one. Bayern bought Alphonso Davies last season from Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS. He barely played all football season last time around. However this season, he's been one of the standout players in the league.
Due to injuries at centre-back, manager Hansi Flick was forced to move David Alaba there. Hence, there was a vacancy at left-back and Davies, originally a left winger, was called upon to do the job.
About 6 months later, he's being credited as one of the finest left-backs in the world. A massive reason for this is his express pace which allows him to maraud up and down the left flank of the football pitch. Even if he makes a mistake, he has enough pace to correct it. His performance against Chelsea in the Champions League made the world sit up and take notice and he is sure to be a force to reckon with in the future.
Honorable mentions- Erling Haaland, Mousa Diaby, Christopher Nkunku
Serie A- Sandro Tonali
Only 20, technically brilliant and sporting long hair, it's no wonder that he has been likened to Italian legend Andrea Pirlo. Sandro Tonali is so adept at controlling the game of football that sometimes his tenacity goes under the radar.
In fact, he himself thinks that he's more similar to the gutsy Gennaro Gattuso than the more artistic Pirlo. Tonali will be an important member of the Italian national football team for years to come and a big move us surely not far away.
Brescia are dead last so it'll be impossible for them to hold on to their prized asset if a big club comes with a big money bid. Tonali's passing range is very impressive and so are his suitors. With Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan and Barcelona all chasing the 20 year old, it remains to be seen where he will play next season.
Honorable mentions - Dejan Kulusevski, Merih Demiral, Alessandro Bastoni
La Liga - Federico Valverde
This too was a difficult one. The La Liga like always has seen the rise of several new football stars. But the most euphoric rise has been that of Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan 21-year-old was acquired by Real from Peñarol in 2016 but it has only been this season that he has really broken into the first team.
To his credit, he has also managed to bench Luka Modric for most parts. The best thing about Valverde is his non-stop running on the football pitch. He harries the opposition, is a decent passer and can also deputise at CDM. Fede was also man of the match both times in the El Clasico this season and he will be a fixture in the Real midfield for years to come.
Honorable mentions- Ansu Fati, Diego Carlos, Mohammed Salisu
Premier League - Adama Traore
Everyone knew that Adama Traore possessed insane pace and power, this season he added the end product to his football skills. Brought up at Barça's famous La Masia academy, Traore has been around with the likes of Middlesborough and Aston Villa.
But it has been this season that he has levelled up from being just a speedster on the football pitch. Liverpool and Manchester United are reportedly in search of his signature. His best performances came against champions City where he bullied their backline as Wolves went unbeaten against them. It is yet to be seen whether he declares for Mali or Spain as he is eligible to represent both on the international scene but he is going to light up the game of football in the near and distant future for certain.
Honorable mentions: Mason Greenwood, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli
