Real Madrid‘s Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema might be gone, but LaLiga is still loaded with talented players, many of whom have their whole careers ahead of them.
Continually producing and nurturing young players, there seems to be a conveyor belt of talent in Spain‘s top flight. With so many highly rated youngsters poised for bigger roles again this season, the 2023-24 LaLiga campaign is sure to produce another class of breakout youngsters.
ESPN’s resident scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen picks out some of the top players aged 22 or younger who could make their mark this season.
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Lamine Yamal, 16, FW, Barcelona
This season could come a year too early for the winger, but his performance in the friendly win against Tottenham this week will have left Xavi wondering whether he should keep the 16-year-old in the first team set-up. (Though Lamal has already become the youngest player to ever appear for the first team in an official game.)
With just 10 minutes to go vs. Tottenham, Yamal helped turn the game in Barcelona’s favour. Not only did he set up Ansu Fati with a sublime assist for the equaliser, but through magnificent flair and quick thinking he also started the moves that led to another two late goals to drive Barca to a 4-2 win.
Arguably the star of the U17 European Championships earlier this year, Yamal usually drifts in from a wide-right position or picks up smart positions in space in the front line. Never afraid to get on the ball, he’s extremely constructive with it and is always looking to break lines with dribbles, passes, or test the goalkeeper from distance.
Signed from Fluminense a year ago for €8m, the Brazilian’s impact grew as his debut season progressed and he showed his significant potential on multiple occasions. As a left-footed winger operating on the right, Luiz Henrique uses his outstanding technical ability to take on defenders to great effect. He approaches his markers with an instinctive resourcefulness, often picking the right means — quick acceleration when space allows, clever body feints in tight areas, or delicate flicks — to feed supporting movement.
Recently linked with a handful of mid-table Premier League clubs, don’t be surprised if the 22-year-old — who’s also diligent in his defensive work — finds himself courted by even bigger names next summer.
Pablo Barrios, 20, CM, Atletico Madrid
Slowly phased into first-team football by Diego Simeone during the second part of last season, the multi-talented academy graduate equipped himself well and showed enough to suggest that appearances may come thick and fast from this point.
Capable of playing as a deep midfield pivot, or as a No. 8, Barrios is safe in possession, picks line-breaking passes with either foot and possesses an aggressive edge to his game that no doubt enthuses his Argentine manager. In the slightly higher role, Barrios is also capable of gaining ground in possession and, courtesy of his strong build, he’s hard to knock off the ball.
