The biggest talents in 11 European leagues, according to football journalists

LIST - Who are the most talented up-and-coming players in Europe? The Monday League asked European football journalists to name one player in their national league who they think has the potential to be a major player for one of the top European sides.

Collage made by © Rik Tuinstra

1. Gavi (18) – Spain’s golden boy

‘Spanish midfielder Pablo Martin Páez Gavira, known as Gavi, is widely considered the biggest talent in Spain at the moment’, says Greek football journalist Panos Kostopoulos from the Spanish football magazine MARCA. ‘He is being compared to Spanish legend Andres Iniesta and stands out for his technical ability, agility, intensity, strength and pace. And don’t forget that he is only eighteen years old.’

In 2021, Gavi became the youngest player to ever play and score for the Spanish national team and has been shining bright for FC Barcelona ever since his debut for the club. The youngster was also awarded the Golden Boy Award in 2022 for the biggest male talent playing in Europe under the age of 21.

2. Jude Bellingham (19) – Dortmund’s perfect leader

The German Bundesliga has long been a hotbed of young talent. According to British football journalist Jonathan Radcliffe who resides in Germany, the most exciting youngster in the league at the moment is English midfielder Jude Bellingham (19) from Borussia Dortmund.

‘Bellingham is an obvious choice, but there are plenty of reasons why Europe’s top clubs are already desperate to acquire his services,' says Radcliffe. 'At the age of nineteen, he is already one of Dortmund’s most authoritative players and even became the club’s youngest ever captain earlier this season. He is the perfect midfielder as he possesses pace, power, close control, vision, and he knows where the goal is. There are several other Bundesliga talents who could become star names in the future, but, right now, it is impossible to look past Bellingham.’

3. Xavi Simons (19) – The man on a mission

‘In the Dutch first division there are two contenders: Ajax defender Jurriën Timber and PSV Eindhoven midfielder Xavi Simons and at the moment I would say Simons is the biggest talent,’ says Dutch football journalist Stef de Bont from football outlet Voetbal International.

‘Simons has been known as a huge talent since he was still a kid in FC Barcelona’s academy,' says de Bont. He played at Paris St Germain (PSG) with some of the world’s best players and now he has been on fire in the Dutch league. His versatility makes him so special. His technique is sublime, he has got great vision and finishing and he is physically a lot stronger than he looks. In the last few weeks important players such as Cody Gakpo and Noni Madueke have left PSV and Simons has shown he can lead the team. Visibly stoic, he is on a mission to become one of the best.’

4. Désiré Doué (17) – A footballing magician

Désiré Doué (17) is the biggest talent in the French league according to French football journalist Max Drodelot from the sports newspaper L’Equipe. The attacking midfielder from Stade Rennes has already made a big impression. ‘What distinguishes Doué is not only his impressive technique but also his creativity. His vision is different from other players in his position. This season he has not been a regular starter at Rennes, but I am pretty sure that he will be one of the main characters in Ligue 1 next season.’

Doué is the next biggest prospect at Rennes, who have produced great talents in recent years such as FC Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembélé (25) and Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga (20).

5. Ibrahima Bamba (20) – A skilful defender

The Italian central defender Ibrahima Bamba (20) is the biggest talent in Portugal, according to Portuguese football pundit Óscar Botelho from broadcaster Eleven Sports. Bamba is one of the key players for his club Vitória Guimarães. ‘Vitoria plays with a line of 5 defenders. When Vitoria is attacking, Bamba moves forward into defensive midfield and when they are defending he moves back into his position as a central defender. He is good on the ball, two-footed, has the ability to start attacks and he is very mobile,’ says Botelho.

The pundit would not be surprised if Bamba were to make his debut for the Italian national team soon as he said that Italy’s head coach Roberto Mancini is a big fan of the defender.

6. Hugo Larsson (18) – The bright spark in a disappointing side

The biggest talent plying his trade in the Swedish league is Malmö FF midfielder Hugo Larsson (18), according to the freelance Swedish football journalist Josip Ladan. ‘He came out of nowhere last year after Malmö’s former coach Milos Milojevic promoted him from the under-19s to the first team. Last summer he became a starter and grew and developed visibly from game to game. Although Malmö had a pretty bad season, Larsson impressed with his intelligence, maturity and decision-making on the pitch.’

Larsson made his debut for the national team in January 2023. ‘On transfer deadline day he turned down an offer from Premier League club Bournemouth, which would have made him the most expensive player sold from the Swedish league ever. He told the media that he wanted to stay and develop further at Malmö,’ says Ladan.

7. Nicolò Rovella (21) – Italy’s new maestro

Italy might have got their hands on a new midfield maestro in Italian midfielder Nicolò Rovella (21). ‘Rovella is a technically gifted midfielder, all-rounder and a master of passing the ball,’ says Italian football journalist Fabio Ornano from Calcio Casteddu. Rovella is currently on loan at Serie A side AC Monza from Juventus and has been on fire this season, reveals Ornano. ‘He has everything to be a starter at Juventus or another big European club. He has the capability to start and break down a move with such great quality.’

Rovella is more of a deeper playmaker, playing a similar role to the one Italy legend Andrea Pirlo used to play. Rovella has not yet made his debut for the Italian national teams but has had plenty of appearances in the national youth teams. He has even scored three times in eighteen matches for Italy's U21.

8. Carney Chukwuemeka (19) – The million-pound ace

‘The first player that springs to mind is Bukayo Saka, given his current form for Arsenal and on the international stage for England,’ says English football journalist Patrick Rowe from the British news publisher Reach plc. The 21-year-old is one of Arsenal’s most important players.

However, Rowe picked Carney Chukwuemeka (19) from Chelsea, who bought him for €18 million from Aston Villa last summer. ‘He is probably the most well-rounded young talent I have seen in a while. He plays with a level of confidence and composure that takes many players years to develop. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be a Chelsea regular in the coming seasons.’

9. Roony Bardghji (17) – The Swedish superkid lighting up Denmark

‘Roony Bardghji is a typical left-footed right winger, but with an exceptional technical skill set and great finishing,’ says Danish football journalist Daniel Patrzalek from sports broadcaster TV3 Sport. The 17-year-old Swedish footballer, who was born in Kuwait, made his debut for the Danish club F.C. Copenhagen when he was just sixteen years and six days old. ‘What stands out most is his maturity. He makes great decisions on the ball and often knows when to dribble and when not to. We have done some interviews with him. He is very determined and thinks about football 24/7.’

For Sweden's U17 national team, Bardghji has scored five goals in six appearances. In the Danish Superliga, he has scored three goals in twelve appearances for F.C. Copenhagen so far.

10. Sivert Mannsverk (20) – The Norwegian Busquets

The one player in Norway with the best chance of playing for a big European side in the future is midfielder Sivert Manssverk (20), says Norwegian football journalist Geir Jone Karlsen from NRK Sport. ‘He reminds me a lot of Sergio Busquets. A player who does all the invisible work on the pitch. He is very calm for his age, having even scored a penalty that secured the Norwegian cup last year for his team, Molde FK.’

The midfielder was heavily linked with a move to Dutch club Feyenoord in the winter but was reportedly also receiving interest from Dutch club Ajax and English Premier League clubs Arsenal and Manchester United.

11. Giannis Konstantelias (20) – The next Greek god

A new gem has arrived in Greece going by the name of Giannis Konstantelias (19) according to Greek football journalist Panos Kostopolous from MARCA. ‘PAOK’s playmaker is an excellent ball handler, whose agility, and intelligence in the final third may earn him a big move. He is reportedly being monitored by several European clubs, including Manchester City and Arsenal. Greece has produced many quality defenders in the past, but rarely have we produced such an exciting and talented attacking midfielder.’

PAOK's playmaker has scored twice and gave the assist to five other goals in 21 appearances for his club this season. Last season he was loaned out to Belgian side KAS Eupen where he had a less fruitful experience having only appeared for the club on eight occasions and not scoring any goals.

Disclaimer:

To get onto this list, players had to be 21 years old or younger. Players could be of any nationality, as long as they play in a professional league in the country that the football journalist reports on. This list is not part of any official ranking system and does not claim to be complete. Many journalists said that it was tough to pick just one talent in their respective leagues. The sole purpose of the list is to highlight some gems who could be playing in top European clubs in the future.

And because we could not get enough The Monday League highlighted another talent on Instagram: Osame Sahraoui.

Text: Rik Tuinstra