5 upcoming superstars from top European academies

European football boasts vast talent at academy level, with new star players coming to the forefront and impressing every few seasons. As with everything else, the phrase ‘out with the old and in with the new’ is always personified, albeit not as quickly in the sport of football.Nevertheless, academies remain filled with promising youngsters who are hungry for first-team opportunities. Some of these famed youth systems have produced the very best footballers such as Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale and Wayne Rooney.Fortunately, when the sun sets on such superstars, there will be no shortage of players who could take over with ease.Let’s take a look at five upcoming stars which will ensure that the game of football remains in good hands (or feet rather) down the line.

#1 Alessandro Mastalli - AC Milan

Italian teenager Alessandro Mastalli, who captained AC Milan’s Primavera side last season, was loaned out to Swiss club Lugano last July, but returned to Milan at the turn of the year.

At 19 years old, this midfielder is exceptionally talented, and has exhibited resplendent passing and finishing ability. He has developed into a great playmaker, possessing the intelligence and maturity needed to control things in the middle of the park. Mastalli, predominantly right-footed, has superb control of the ball and is always composed under pressure.

He already has a 14-minute senior-team cameo under his belt, having replaced Andrea Poli 76 minutes into a 3-0 home win against Torino back in May of 2015.

Having served as Primavera captain, the youngster has shown that he has what it takes to be a leader on the pitch. He will definitely be hard to overlook in the future.

#2 Sergi Samper - Barcelona

Sergi Samper currently plays for the Barcelona B team, but is highly regarded at the Catalonian club.

The 21-year-old defensive midfielder has been compared to club legends Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez, but will find it extremely difficult to break into the first team as long as Sergio Busquets is around.

Samper – who has been at Barcelona since the tender age of six - is a natural-born leader and has captained the club at every level, save the first team. He is extremely talented, has an impressive passing range and exquisite ball control. The youngster could also mop up in front of the defence and begin attacks from deep midfield.

When, and not if, he finally gets a real crack at first-team football, he may just go on to become Barca’s next great captain.

#3 Alex Iwobi - Arsenal

Alex Iwobi could find himself in Arsenal’s first-team set-up regularly pretty soon. The Nigerian – aged 19 – travelled to Singapore with the team, taking part in their preseason tour last summer. He also scored during a match against Lyon in the Emirates Cup, helping his team to a 6-0 win.

Iwobi joined the Gunners as a schoolboy, and signed a new long-term contract last October. This season, he has featured in a Capital One Cup fixture – a 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday – and came on Mesut Ozil as a stoppage-time substitute during a 3-0 league victory away at Swansea.

He is a natural winger who has been converted to a center-forward, but can also play as a full-back. The nephew of former Bolton star Jay-Jay Okocha, Iwobi has loads of pace, power and a great eye for goal. He can keep possession of the football and maintains good movement out on the pitch.

Arsenal pride themselves on developing and promoting young talent, so it would be no surprise to see this player become a regular starter in the not too distant future.

#4 Charly Musonda - Chelsea

Perhaps this talented youngster is in the wrong academy, given the difficulty faced by Chelsea’s youth when it comes to getting onto the pitch as a first team player. The gradual incorporation of Ruben Loftus-Cheek does give a bit of hope, but for the most part, Chelsea academy players hardly ever get to see the light of day at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have loads of great potential in their youth teams, and 19-year-old Belgian Charly Musonda is currently the hottest prospect. Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink was so impressed with Musonda’s recent performance - during a 5-0 thrashing of QPR in a behind-closed-doors friendly - he gave the player the opportunity to train with the first team ahead of their match against Arsenal on Sunday.

Musonda plays as a winger, but can also play in a central attacking midfield role. He is an adept passer who also has pace, flair and impressive dribbling skills, drawing comparisons to fellow Belgian Eden Hazard.

#5 Callum Gribbin - Manchester United

17-year-old Manchester United midfielder Callum Gribbin has already been branded ‘the next Ryan Giggs’. He is the most exciting player in the team’s youth academy and they are making sure everyone knows.

United’s social media team have bought into the hype, posting highlight videos of the youngster, which have drawn hundreds of thousands of YouTube views.

Gribbin – who has represented England at the under-16 level – is a left-footed attacker capable of playing on the right wing, central midfield or behind a striker. A bit of a flashy player with no shortage in confidence, he is also very composed on the ball and can distribute with a reassuring calm.

He has it all in his locker; intelligence, pace, nimbleness and incredible ability on the dead ball. His attitude, however, had been cause for concern, but he does seem to be maturing.

Louis van Gaal has certainly taken notice, having called the player up to first-team training during the preseason.

The future is bright for young Callum Gribbin, but can he go on to emulate former United academy graduates like David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs?