Back, around 5 or 6 months ago, I released a list of young players yet to burst onto the scene, who if signed when it was released would be absolute bargains. Well, I’m back and with a new list of wonderkids. I’m telling clubs to sign these guys now. It absolutely will be worth it, for all 12 of these guys. Let’s begin.
Honorable Mention: Afonso Moco
12: Mauro Couto
Portuguese, Left Wing, only 17, from Sporting? Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Yes, I know comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo are only from these, but he can become quite the star in the next years. Maybe he won’t have the same meteoric rise as Ronaldo, but he will eventually come good.
11: Emilio Ballard-Matthews
Coming from Watford’s academy, where the likes of Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka have come from in recent years, Ballard-Matthews is just a raw talent. 15 years old in Wolves’ youth team, I see him breaking out in the first team in the next few years.
10: Mohamed Salah El Boukammiri
Known just as Mohamed Salah, not that one, he’s one of the best in a seemingly golden generation of Club Brugge talents. As a CAM, he’s getting frequent game time in the b-team, getting 3 goals and 2 assists in 12 appearances so far this season. Perhaps when the Liverpool Mohamed Salah retires, this one will be there to carry the torch.
9: Romeo Vermant
Born in Germany but representing Belgium, Romeo Vermant is another of the best young talents in the Club Brugge system, and while he’s 19 and only played a single Belgian league game this season, I can see him breaking out over the next few years.
8: Moises Paniagua
Now a regular of Bolivar, Moises Paniagua is going well under the radar for some reason. Born after Lamine Yamal, Paniagua is the only one younger than Yamal who has had similar amounts of game time in a top flight league. I can definitely say that Paniagua is a future world beater.
7: Marius Courcoul
Splitting his time between the Angers A and B teams, Marius Courcoul is the freshest in a new line of French Center Back talents. With Youngsters like Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konate, and Leny Yoro, Courcoul’s path is complicated, but at only 16, has lots of time.
6: Amidou Doumbouya
Another young French CB, Doumbouya is a Nice CB, signing from Sochaux last summer. He’s a great prospect, also only 16 and yet to break into the Nice team. Let’s hope for his breakthrough in the next 2-3 years.
5: Patrick Nuamah
No, this isn’t the Lyon winger, who could be classified as a star to buy before it’s cool to be fair, but Patrick still has more to prove than Ernest. The winger is still at Brescia and was born there, but still needs his big break for the first team.
4: Frederic Soelle Soelle
The crown jewel of Mechelen’s current group of young talents, Soelle Soelle has played 1 league game so far for the club, but no doubt the forward will be given his chance in the first team soon.
3: Alejandro Granados
Not Garnacho, Alejandro Granados was born in Spain, moved to the USA early in his life, and left for Club NXT, Brugge’s B-Team this summer. He’s been a good fixture in the team, as at Orlando City, and the potential is certainly there.
2: Jon Martin
A regular fixture of Sociedad’s B-Team and the Spain U-17 team, look out for Jon Martin breaking into Sociedad’s back line real soon. San Sebastian since birth, Martin is certainly one of Spain’s most exciting defensive prospects and a club could get his hands on him for a bargain now.
1: Jovan Miladinovic
While Jovan Mijatovic is another very solid prospect for Red Star, Miladinovic is the best prospect in the side. A goalkeeper wonderkid, rare in the world of football, he’s outgrowing his level in the youth side and will surely overtake Omri Glazer in the starting XI soon.
There it is. Clubs, get all of these players right now, every single one. I believe all of these guys will be household names in the future, and they are absolute bargains. I’m Jim James, until next time!