If you’re good enough, you’re old enough, as the old adage goes, and in the modern game we’re seeing countless youngsters show they’re more than ready to make the step up while still in their teens.
Though players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have shown that you can play at the top level beyond a more conventional retirement age, there is a growing emphasis on snapping up starlets still in their teens.
We’ve already seen players too young to legally drink alcohol or even drive thrive on the biggest stages with Lamine Yamal winning the European Championship this summer just a day after his 17th birthday – and he’s not the only one.
The Premier League has seen the likes of Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Evan Ferguson and Kobbie Mainoo all emerge in recent years to become established figures in their respective teams.
Here Mail Sport’s TOM COLLOMOSSE runs the rule over some of the brightest wonderkids who are set to become household names of the future after already catching the eye of Premier League sides.
Bukayo Saka was only 17 when he made his Arsenal debut and has gone on to become a household name
Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo has already become a fixture of the side before turning 20
Yarek Gasiorowski
Age: 19
Club: Valencia
Country: Spain
Position: Centre back
If Yarek – as he is known at Valencia – reaches the top, he owes a little to divine intervention. When Yarek was just five, the priest in his home town of Polinyà del Xúquer spotted him playing in a local game. Don Antonio asked Yarek’s mother, Rosario, her son’s name and alerted a Valencia scout.
A decade-and-a-half later, Yarek is preparing for his breakthrough season after helping Spain win the European Under-19 title in July. With his hairstyle and imposing presence, Yarek was occasionally mistaken for Sergio Ramos as he walked around host city Belfast in his Spain tracksuit – even though there are 19 years between them.
The Real Madrid great is one of the centre backs Yarek studies regularly, along with Virgil van Dijk, Argentina stopper Roberto Ayala and Valencia stalwart Carlos Marchena.
‘In the coming years we expect Yarek to be ever more influential and decisive at the top level,’ Valencia sporting director Miguel Angel Corona told Mail Sport. ‘He is a player for the future but also the present.’
Yarek is a natural leader whose aerial power makes him a threat in both boxes. He is also the product of outstanding youth system. Last season, he was the 113th homegrown player to reach the first team – following the example of David Silva, Gaizka Mendieta and Jordi Alba. Valencia invest nearly £9million in their academy annually and continue to reap the rewards.
Next in action: v Barcelona, LaLiga, August 17
Yarek Gasiorowski is a natural leader and has great ability in the air which makes him a threat in both boxes
The Spanish teenager regularly studies clips of Sergio Ramos to whom he bears a close resemblance
Orri Oskarsson
Age: 19
Club: FC Copenhagen
Country: Iceland
Position: Forward
Copenhagen have already fended off bids of about £15million for the Iceland attacker this summer, who was rated more highly than Rasmus Hojlund in the club’s youth set-up. Oskarsson was also a talented handball player in his youth but chose football and made his senior debut for Icelandic club Grotta aged just 13.
Oskarsson was a star student at school, spending time in classes one year above his age group, and is from a sporting family: his father and younger sister have played senior football and his mother was an excellent handball player.
But there are even higher hopes for Orri, who has eight goals and two assists in his last seven matches. ‘In two years he’ll be a £50m striker,’ said one European recruitment expert.
He is close friends with Hakon Haraldsson, his former Copenhagen team-mate who had an excellent first season at Lille in 2023-24. Oskarsson has already attracted interest from the English top flight and it would be no surprise if both were lining up in the Premier League within the next two years.
Next in action: v Banik Ostrava, Europa Conference League, August 15
Orri Oskarsson (left) was a star pupil at school, spending time in the year above his age group
The Icelandic youngster has already been tipped to become a £50million striker in the future
Mattia Liberali
Age: 17
Club: AC Milan
Country: Italy
Position: Attacking midfield
In a football culture notoriously cautious with young talent, Milan saw enough in Liberali to make him part of their squad for pre-season matches against Real Madrid and Manchester City in the USA.
A graceful midfielder and thrilling ball-carrier, Liberali was a key member of the Italy side who won the European Under-17 title this summer and further international honours await. The key now is what Milan do with him.
Their ‘B’ team, Milan Futuro, will play in the Italian third division this term and Liberali scored in a 3-0 win over Lecco in a lower-division cup game last week. The current plan is for him to spend most of the campaign there.
To look at Liberali, with his slight build, it is hard to believe he was a centre-back in junior football. Equally curious is that he was unsure about a career in the game. ‘He enjoyed judo,’ his father, Christian, has said. ‘He wants to carry on with his studies alongside football and has thought of being an osteopath or physiotherapist, maybe even a sports journalist.’
All the signs are that Liberali will be making the headlines instead of writing them.
Next in action: v Novara, Coppa Italia Lega Pro, August 17
Mattia Liberali has managed to draw attention in a culture notoriously cautious when giving time to young stars
The AC Milan starlet will likely spend time in the third division of Italy this season with AC Milan’s Futuro side
Sverre Nypan
Age: 17
Club: Rosenborg
Country: Norway
Position: Midfield
Norway’s two finest football exports, Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, represent England’s two strongest clubs – but their heir apparent has eyes only for another Premier League giant.
‘It would be a dream come true to play for Manchester United,’ he told the United Norway podcast. ‘But I am quite adamant I don’t want to open that door yet.
‘I remember Robin van Persie scoring against Aston Villa in 2013. My friend and I were ecstatic and went straight to the park to recreate the goal.’
Nypan, whose playing style has been likened to Odegaard’s, does not turn 18 until December 19 but he has already clocked up nearly 3,000 minutes in the Eliteserien, Norway’s top flight, with an overall balance of 39 games, seven goals and six assists. United are not the only club watching him, either, with Real Madrid – who signed Odegaard as a 16-year-old – also making trips to Trondheim in recent times.
‘He’s a truly generational talent,’ an experienced Norwegian scout told Mail Sport. ‘If he continues to play like this, it’s very likely he’ll move within a year. He’s very special and mature for his age.’
Next in action: v Viking, Eliteserien, August 18
Sverre Nyman has been described as a ‘generational talent’ by an experienced Norwegian scout
Oscar Perea
Age: 18
Club: Strasbourg
Country: Colombia
Position: Winger
Let us introduce you to Chelsea’s first-choice winger for the 2026-27 season. If that seems, far-fetched, consider this: Perea this summer made a £4.5million move from Atletico Nacional to French club Strasbourg, who are owned by BlueCo – the company also in control of Chelsea.
‘Our goal is to make sure we can show pathways for our young superstars to get on to the Chelsea pitch while getting them real game time,’ Blues owner Todd Boehly has said. ‘To me, the way to do that is through another club somewhere in a really competitive league in Europe.’
The next part is up to Perea, and he has already shown considerable strength of character to make it this far. He lost his father when very young and was desperate to succeed as a footballer to help his mother make ends meet. Luckily, talent earned Perea the break he deserved.
Catching the eye with his pace, close control and quick feet, Perea has already drawn comparisons with some of South America’s best. ‘He reminded me of Neymar,’ said coach Luis Gonzalez, who coached the Under-17 side at Atletico. ‘I had to have him in my team.’ Don’t be surprised if Perea is showing off those skills at Stamford Bridge before too long.
Next in action: v Montpellier, Ligue 1, August 17
Oscar Perea’s pace and close control have drawn comparisons to Brazil icon Neymar Jnr
Jeremy Jacquet
Age: 19
Club: Rennes
Country: France
Position: Centre back
The omens are pretty handy. Jacquet shares a name with Aime Jacquet, who coached France to their first World Cup, on home soil in 1998. Then there are his roots. Jacquet was born in Bondy, a suburb of Paris – just like Kylian Mbappe.
There the comparisons end, though. Jacquet is far more likely to be trying to stop Mbappe in a high-level Champions League game than trying to emulate him. The 6ft 2in Jacquet has all the raw materials to become an outstanding central defender: pace, athleticism, timing, power and composure.
Along with Spain’s Yarek Gasiorowski, Jacquet was the best defender in the recent Euro Under-19 competition. All he needs now is an extended first-team chance and given Rennes’ record at promoting and improving young players, the signs are promising, although he will spend the season at Clermont Foot in the French second tier.
Jacquet would surely be further along the track had he not suffered a serious knee injury during his youth career, followed by other setbacks.
‘The injuries were a real obstacle to his progress,’ Rennes development coach Pierre-Emmanuel Bordeau has said. ‘He must gain consistency and reliability over a whole game, but he is the technical leader of his generation.’
Next in action: v Pau, Ligue 2, August 16
Jeremy Jacquet was born in Bondy, a suburb of Paris – just like Kylian Mbappe – and has already represented France at three youth levels
Adam Daghim
Age: 18
Club: Red Bull Salzburg
Country: Denmark
Position: Forward
From Sadio Mane to Erling Haaland, not forgetting Karim Adeyemi or Benjamin Sesko, Red Bull Salzburg have a flair for spotting a talented forward, and Daghim could be the latest from that impressive production line.
Daghim may have only just broken into the Salzburg senior team but already he is setting his sights high. After signing a contract extension at the start of 2024, he said: ‘I really like the way Neymar plays, and as a striker, Erling Haaland is my big idol. He scores loads of goals, and you can’t do the job any better than he does.’
Born in Denmark but with Palestinian heritage, Daghim represents the Danes at Under-19 level and moved to Salzburg from Aarhus a year ago for about £2million. By then he had already made history as the youngest player ever to appear for Aarhus, in a 0-0 draw against Velje in April 2022, when he was four months shy of his 17th birthday.
Next in action: v LASK, Bundesliga, August 17
Adam Daghim (right) is the latest in a long line of exceptional youngsters to come out of RB Salzburg
Franco Mastantuono
Age: 16
Club: River Plate
Country: Argentina
Position: Midfield
Any player who is the linchpin of their team aged 16 is worth a closer look. When that club is River Plate, where the crowd is one of the most demanding in the world, it really is time to sit up and take notice.
‘I saw Franco for the first time when he was eight or nine, but I couldn’t take him at the time because he was a promising tennis player,’ Daniel Brizuela, River’s former director of recruitment, has said. ‘I saw he had a brilliant mind. He had the ball glued to his foot and was lethal in one-on-one situations.’
Mastantuono has already been compared to his fellow left-footer Phil Foden but is more likely to end up in Madrid than Manchester. The economics of Argentine football mean the best young players do not stick around long and Mastantuono’s release clause of about £39million will be no problem for Europe’s wealthiest clubs. There have been suggestions he has already agreed to move to Real Madrid when he turns 18 in August 2025.
At 15, Mastantuono described playing at River’s Monumental Stadium as ‘my dream’. European football’s grandest stages will surely be his next destination.
Next in action: v Talleres, Copa Libertadores, August 15
Franco Mastantuono has been compared to fellow left-footer Phil Foden at just 16 years old
Alessandro Longoni
Age: 16
Club: AC Milan
Country: Italy
Position: Goalkeeper
Longoni was training with Milan’s first team before he turned 16 and will form part of their Under-23 side due to compete in Italy’s third division in the coming season. His ceiling is far higher than that, however.
Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who captained Italy to glory at Euro 2020, made his breakthrough at Milan and coaches there believe Longoni can become even better. He still has work to do with the ball at his feet but he is brave, with a strong personality, and he is a brilliant shot-stopper.
Longoni was part of the Italy side who won the European Championships at Under-17 level in June, making a decisive save in a penalty shoot-out win over England en route to the title. As Italy struggle to regain their footing at senior international level, young stars like Longoni should at least give them cause for optimism.
Next in action: v Novara, Coppa Italia Lega Pro, August 17
Alessandro Longoni was part of the Italy side that won the Under-17 European Championship
Bilal El Khannouss
Age: 20
Club: Genk
Country: Morocco
Position: Midfield
During his time away from the day job, the golden boy of Belgian football is happiest in the kitchen. His speciality is a twist on bolognese sauce, featuring peppers, mushrooms, mozzarella and fresh tomatoes. With a ball at his feet, there is no doubt El Khannouss has the recipe for success.
He has been compared in Belgium to Kevin De Bruyne, who also began his career with Genk, and no wonder: El Khannouss can play as part of a midfield three or as an advanced playmaker, and is comfortable with either foot.
The only disappointment for his compatriots is that he chose to play for Morocco rather than Belgium. ‘I played for Belgium at youth level but then I chose Morocco because I wanted to make my grandparents proud,’ El Khannouss has said. Suspended for Morocco’s defeat by Spain in the Olympic semi-final, he helped them beat Egypt to bronze – getting on the scoresheet in a 6-0 thumping.
Juventus sporting director Federico Giuntoli has long admired El Khannouss. But the chance to follow in the footsteps of De Bruyne and Eden Hazard in the Premier League may be too tempting to resist.
Next in action: v Beerschot, Belgian Pro League, August 17
Bilal Al Khannouss starred for Morocco at the Olympics and has already piqued the interest of Juventus chief Federico Giuntoli
Mario Stroeykens
Age: 19
Club: Anderlecht
Country: Belgium
Position: Midfield
Stroeykens was so dedicated to his studies as a youngster that Anderlecht had to persuade him gently to spend a little more time on the pitch and a little less in the classroom.
At 15 he was already deemed talented enough to train with the first team and realising they had a jewel on their hands, Anderlecht’s coaches were keen Stroeykens did not waste his potential.
He is from an academic family: his elder brother, goalkeeper Mathieu, is now a lawyer in Brussels after spending time in the Anderlecht youth ranks.
There seems little chance Mario will follow the same path, however. Already signed to one of the game’s top agencies, Stroeykens is firmly on the radar of Premier League and Bundesliga clubs and there is a general acceptance that he won’t be in the Belgian top flight for much longer.
Yet the attacking midfielder is in no huge hurry. He realises that fighting for the title with Anderlecht, probably the country’s biggest club, will accelerate his development – not to mention what he hopes will be a lengthy campaign in the Europa League.
Next in action: v Mechelen, Pro League, August 17
Anderlecht had to persuade Mario Stroeykens to spend less time studying and more time playing football
Stroeykens is firmly on the radar of Premier League and Bundesliga clubs and is set for a move in the near future
Bazoumana Toure
Age: 18
Club: Hammarby
Country: Ivory Coast
Position: Winger
Twelve games. That is all it has taken for Bazoumana Toure get dashboards flashing in recruitment centres across Europe’s top clubs.
In those appearances in the Allsvenskan, Sweden’s top flight, Toure has scored five goals, provided two assists and earned comparisons with Ousmane Dembele, the Paris Saint-Germain and France winger whose £116million move from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona in 2017 is the fourth-most expensive transfer fee in history.
Toure is a pupil of the ASEC Mimosas club in Ivory Coast and if you haven’t heard of them, you probably should have. Their academy produced some of Africa’s finest players including Kolo and Yaya Toure, and Bonaventure and Salomon Kalou.
Bazoumana Toure has earned comparisons with Ousmane Dembele while playing in Sweden
Toure is described as a happy-go-lucky character and given his potential, it is no wonder. Like other players in this list, Toure is already attached to a prominent agency and has admirers across Europe. Brighton recently signed Malick Yalcouye, another ASEC Mimosas graduate, from Hammarby’s Allsvenskan rivals IFK Gothenburg – who Sven-Goran Eriksson led to the UEFA Cup in 1982.
If Toure continues to fly, the Seagulls may fancy another Swedish shopping trip soon.
Next in action: v Varnamo, Allsvenskan, August 17
