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One of the most prestigious individual awards in football, the Golden Boy is given to the best young player in a calendar year. Players must be aged 21 or under and play in a European nation's top tier to be eligible for the award.
The current holder of the Golden Boy award is Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, who won it for his performances at Benfica in 2019. Previous winners of this award include names like Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Wayne Rooney and Kylian Mbappe.
On that note, we look at the top five favourites for the Golden Boy award this year:
#5: Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)
When Real Madrid decided to splurge €45 million in 2018 on Vinicius Jr. to acquire him from Flamengo, eyebrows were raised.
Not much was known about the youngster back then, and it was seen as an extravagant purchase by Los Blancos. But two seasons later, it looks like a shrewd acquisition. Vinicius has become an integral part of Zinedine Zidane's attack and was trusted with a lot of minutes during the season.
The 20-year old is not the finished article, far from it. But his pace and dribbling ability from the left-wing are impressive, and his performances have been such that he has kept the likes of Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez out of the first-team picture.
Last season, the winger made 29 appearances in La Liga, scoring three goals and providing one assist.
#4: Mason Greenwood (Manchester United)
When Romelu Lukaku was sold to Inter Milan last summer, many Manchester United fans expected a replacement to arrive.
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was vocal in his support of young Mason Greenwood, however. The Norwegian placed a lot of faith on the youngster, and it is fair to say that Greenwood has delivered with his performances this season.
The 18-year old, although a striker, often played on the right-wing for Manchester United. He formed a threatening and fluid attack with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, with their pace and quality often causing problems to opposition defences.
An extremely strong finisher, Greenwood is excellent with both feet. The Englishman made 29 appearances in the Premier League where he scored ten goals and provided one assist.
Also Read: 10 players Barcelona need to sell immediately.
#3: Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund)
Already regarded as one of the best wingers in the world, Jadon Sancho's stock rises on a daily basis.
The England international joined Borussia Dortmund from Manchester City in 2017 for a fee of £8 million but endured a slow first season.
In his second season, however, he came to the fore. A creative, fast and technically strong player, Sancho ripped apart opposition defences with his ability.
Sancho played in a variety of forward positions for Borussia Dortmund last season, which was arguably his best one in Germany. His performances were such that he has been persistently linked with a big-money move to Manchester United.
The 20-year old made 32 Bundesliga appearances in the season gone by, scoring 17 goals and providing 16 assists.
#2: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)
Affectionately nicknamed 'Roadrunner' by his Bayern Munich teammate Thomas Muller, Alphonso Davies has been a revelation this season.
Bayern Munich paid Vancouver Whitecaps €10 million for Davies' signature in 2019, and it could very well be one of the best bargains of the decade.
A winger during his time in the MLS, Davies has been converted into a left-back at Bayern Munich, a role where he has shone in.
An extremely fast, strong and attack-minded left-back, the Canada international frequently makes dangerous runs forward.
Due to his strong technical prowess as well as pace, Davies is able to beat almost every opposition defender. The 19-year-old still lacks defensive stability, often relying on his recovery pace to trackback.
In the Bundesliga, he made 30 appearances, scoring three goals and providing five assists.
#1: Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
There is no denying that Borussia Dortmund are a treasure trove of young, exciting talents. Erling Braut Haaland is one of their young superstars.
The Norway international enjoyed a stellar campaign with Red Bull Salzburg during the first half of the season before moving to Borussia Dortmund in January for €20 million. The striker turned down Manchester United for a move to Germany.
Haaland has taken to the Bundesliga like fish to water. A fast, strong and mobile forward, the former Molde man has been touted by many as a future Ballon d'Or winner.
The 20-year-old made 15 Bundesliga appearances last season, scoring 13 goals. Overall, for both Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund, Haaland made 40 appearances in all competitions, scoring 44 goals.
Also Read: 5 changes Barcelona need to make to return to the top.
