Borussia Dortmund might have let Jude Bellingham joined Real Madrid for an initial €103 million, but the German Bundesliga is still loaded with talented players, many of whom have their whole careers ahead of them.
Continually producing and nurturing young players, Germany‘s top flight seems to be a conveyor belt of talent. With so many highly rated youngsters poised for bigger roles again this season, the 2023-24 Bundesliga 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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Mathys Tel, 18, forward, Bayern Munich
Signed from Rennes for €28.5m a year ago, the teenage Frenchman played just 416 league minutes in his debut season yet still netted five goals in the Bundesliga — becoming the youngest player ever to score for Bayern.
Bayern have turned down several loan approaches for a player who has been compared in style to France legends Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappé, and the club have high hopes that he can manage the expectations placed upon on him, even with the €100m arrival of Harry Kane.
Capable of occupying any role up front — though he instinctively gravitates towards central areas — Tel has excellent physical, technical and tactical qualities. His ability to stretch opponents and run behind the defence is particularly useful for a possession-based side like Bayern. But in his eagerness to get on the ball, he also comes short to play passes in deeper areas.
Paxten Aaronson, 19, attacking midfielder, Eintracht Frankfurt
Another explosive Dortmund winger, Bynoe-Gittens got on the scoresheet three times in his 20 appearances last season and was given a chance to shine in the first XI. With the promise of more to come this year, the ex-Manchester City academy graduate is hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow Englishmen Jadon Sancho and Bellingham by making his name in the Bundesliga.
Like Duranville, he’s efficient at taking on opponents (he shifts his weight during a dribble as a means of deception to great effect), but tends to pick up the ball deeper and cuts inside to run at opponents. Boasting impressive upper-body strength, the England U19 international is particularly hard to knock off balance and his quick shooting technique represents gives another edge to his developing game.
