11. Benoit Badiashile, Chelsea, 22, defender (Laurens)
A big, left-footed center-back, Badiashile is strong and aggressive, but also a calming influence on those around him. He arguably settled in quickest out of all of Chelsea’s midseason signings and wasn’t rattled by the club’s tumble down the Premier League table.
12. Mykhailo Mudryk, Chelsea, 22, forward (Marcotti)
OK, he had a bit of a nightmare after moving to Stamford Bridge in January, but this is like those guys who have a terrible senior season only to go on and show plenty of promise before that. Mudryk is fast, technically gifted and direct like few other wide men his age. He just needs to regain his mojo.
He’s your old-school ball-winning defensive midfielder who will run all day and doesn’t mind a bit of physicality. He also knows how to distribute the ball and protect his center-backs.
14. Kouadio ‘Manu’ Kone, Borussia Monchengladbach, 22, midfielder (Laurens)
Another physical, all-energy type of central midfielder, Kone has been a fixture at Gladbach for two seasons. Boasts tremendous work rate, but also a keen sense of what the team needs and great tactical awareness.
15. Santi Gimenez, Feyenoord, 22, forward (Laurens)
The transition from Liga MX to Europe (let alone the Dutch Eredivisie) is far from straightforward, yet Santi Gimenez settled in quickly at Feyenoord, notching 23 goals in his first season despite starting the campaign on the bench. Mobile, athletic and good in the air, he played a big role in Feyenoord becoming Dutch champions.
16. Armando Broja, Chelsea, 21, forward (Marcotti)
OK, this one is a bit of a gamble, given he suffered a season-ending injury in November and hasn’t played since. He’s the highly rated prospect that misses most of his senior year through injury, I guess. However, Broja is tall, strong and intelligent and has plenty of physical and footballing skills to harness, assuming he makes a return to full fitness.
17. Anatoliy Trubin, Shakhtar Donetsk, 21, goalkeeper (Marcotti)
Not many keepers get drafted this high, mainly because few of them get significant playing time at a young age. But Trubin has been Shakhtar’s starting keeper — and playing Champions League football — since he was 19, and there’s a reason. He has a big, lanky frame, but is also hugely athletic; there’s something of the Thibaut Courtois about him.
Technically outstanding, but athletically gifted, too, Olise has played mainly wide for his club, though his natural position may be through the middle where his vision and one-touch passing make him stand out. Hugely hyped as a child, he bounced around several top clubs and that may have hindered his development somewhat, but he has massive upside.
Impressive man-child of a defensive midfielder, Onana is an intense and physical backstop in front of the back four. Despite his young age and despite having newly arrived at the club, he played a huge role in helping Everton avoid relegation.
20. Nicolo’ Fagioli, Juventus, 22, midfielder (Marcotti)
“Nicky Beans” is an old-school midfield playmaker who sits deep and dictates play, though he’s capable of a sudden, defence-splitting through-ball as well. After guiding little Cremonese to promotion two years ago, he returned to Juventus and despite their difficult campaign, was often a beacon of stability in the middle of the park. There’s also a definite edge to him too, which fans love.
A word on last year’s Top 10 …
Just to highlight how this is far from an exact science, a year ago we went with:
1. Erling Haaland, FW, Manchester City
2. Phil Foden, FW, Manchester City
3. Vinicius Junior, FW, Real Madrid
4. Alphonso Davies, DF, Bayern Munich
5. Aurelien Tchouameni, MF, Real Madrid
6. Jonathan David, FW, Lille
7. Dusan Vlahovic, FW, Juventus
8. Antony, FW, Manchester United
9. Sven Botman, DF, Newcastle United
10. Sandro Tonali, MF, AC Milan
With the benefit of hindsight, you’d probably have Vinicius ahead of Foden. We still love Foden, but there has to be more to come. Tchouameni, Vlahovic and Antony — for different reasons — didn’t have outstanding campaigns. We’re still big believers in their abilities, but it does highlight how, at that age, consistency is difficult to maintain.
