The Top 10 Teenagers in Europe Right Now
Following hot on the heels of our breakdown of the 10 best out-of contract players, we’re taking a look at the top 10 teenagers in Europe this season, according to our world-class Incognito data.
There’s a good mix of exciting attacking talents, silky midfielders and gifted defenders in this list, all of whom look to have big futures in the game.
Only domestic league performances count towards Incognito Scores? and data is based on performances in matches up to but not beyond 1st May 2022.
10. Malo Gusto (RB) – Lyon (Ligue 1)
Gusto is a versatile youngster who has been deployed at CB, RWB, and in midfield on occasions this season, but most of his outings have come at RB (18).
The France U21 international is a graduate of Lyon's youth academy and is reportedly a target for Juventus ahead of the summer transfer window.
Among 30 eligible Ligue 1 RBs, he ranks first for Physical Defence (81.5) and third for Defensive Off Ball Intelligence (78.5).
The attacking side of his game still needs plenty of work but he already boasts promising Cross (77.3) and Attacking Intelligence (76.3) scores, and he's certainly one to keep an eye on.
9. Jamal Musiala (CDM) – Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)
Few players become Bayern Munich or Germany regulars before their 20th birthdays, but Musiala is both.
The versatile 11-cap teenager has been used all over the pitch by Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern this season and scored two goals last month after being introduced from the bench as an attacking midfielder.
He's played most of his football at CDM, though, and his numbers there are impressive.
The former Southampton and Chelsea youth player ranks first among eligible Bundesliga CDMs for Physical Attack (90.6), third for Attacking Intelligence (88.9), fourth for Shot (86.1) and fifth for Challenges (83.0).
In February, he produced a brilliant performance in a 3-2 home win over RB Leipzig, earning him a match Incognito Score of 84.8.
8. Ryan Gravenberch (CM) – Ajax (Eredivisie)
Back in 2018, Gravenberch became Ajax's youngest ever league player, and he was a near ever-present in the Eredivisie this season prior to sustaining an ankle injury last month.
The 6ft 3" youth academy graduate has 10 senior Netherlands caps to his name and has been heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich this summer.
Gravenberch's performances for Ajax as both a CDM and a CM have earned him Incognito Scores? that are well above the league average, but he's been marginally better as a CM.
He ranks first among Dutch top-flight CMs for Dribble (88.9) and Shot (78.5), while he's second for Cross (78.8) and Defensive Off Ball Intelligence (77.0).
7. Eduardo Camavinga (CM) – Real Madrid (La Liga)
Former Rennes starlet Camavinga has only seen around 1000 minutes of league action in his first season at Real Madrid, mainly due to the brilliance of first choice midfield trio Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro.
He has underperformed slightly when used as a CDM (Incognito Score? = 67.1), but his numbers as a CM are very strong for a player of his age.
The three-cap France international, who starred off the bench in Los Blancos' astonishing Champions League semi-final second-leg victory over Manchester City, has the fifth-best Defence Quality rating (81.3) out of 35 eligible La Liga CMs.
6. Gavi (CM) – Barcelona (La Liga)
Gavi is the youngest player on this list but he has made 44 appearances for Bar?a across all competitions this season.
In October 2021, the La Masia graduate also became the youngest ever player to represent Spain at senior level and the sky is the limit for him.
Much like Camavinga, he has plenty of room for improvement in other positions, but he's already a highly-accomplished CM.
Gavi ranks first among La Liga CMs for Dribble with a whopping attribute rating of 94.5, while he also scores well for Attacking Intelligence (84.7) and Cross (83.5).
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5. Giorgio Scalvini (CB) – Atalanta (Serie A)
Several months into the 21/22 season, Scalvini was yet to make his Atalanta debut.
His big moment only came in the closing stages of a 1-1 draw with Udinese in October, but since then, he's represented Italy U21s and trained with the senior national team.
During a recent run of seven consecutive starts, the 6ft 4" CB received excellent match Incognito Scores of 83.3 and 83.7 respectively for helping his team to clean sheets against Genoa and Bologna.
At this early stage in his career, his best defensive attributes are Challenges (85.6) and Physical (81.9), while he boasts the third-best Attack Quality rating (83.2) among Serie A CBs.
4. Yeremi Pino (RM) – Villarreal (La Liga)
Villarreal's domestic performances this season haven't quite matched their European heroics, but Pino has been one of their best players in La Liga.
The speedster has the second-highest Incognito Score? of any winger in the Spanish top flight, while he ranks first among RMs for Dribble (90.7) and second for Physical (91.8).
Additionally, high scores for Defensive Off Ball Intelligence (84.3) and Physical Defence (83.1), help him to the second-best Defence Quality rating (81.8) for his position.
3. Pedri (CM) – Barcelona (La Liga)
Pedri has struggled with injuries for much of the campaign, aiding the dramatic rise of his younger teammate, Gavi.
However, in the 12 league matches the 12-cap Spain international has played, his quality has shone through.
He's scored three goals and ranks first among La Liga CMs for Shot (92.2), while excellent scores for Dribble (94.0), Attacking Intelligence (90.8) and Pass (90.7) help him to a league-leading Attack Quality rating of 90.4.
2. Jude Bellingham (CDM) – Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)
It looked somewhat OTT when Birmingham City retired their no.22 shirt following Bellingham's high-profile transfer to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2020.
However, it's since become abundantly clear that the Englishman possesses truly elite-level ability.
An outstanding athlete who shows maturity beyond his years both on and off the pitch, he could have taken third spot in this list for his performances in his second-best position (CM Incognito Score? = 82.1).
He's been even better as a CDM, though, where he boasts the sixth-best Attack Quality (84.4) and Defence Quality (81.8) scores for that position in the Bundesliga.
1. Florian Wirtz (CAM) – Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga)
Wirtz was used in a variety of positions by Leverkusen manager Gerardo Seoane before his season was cruelly cut short in March by a serious knee injury.
His best performances came as a CAM, though, a role from which he scored five goals.
Outstanding Physical Attack (96.2) and Attacking Intelligence (96.0) scores contribute to an Incognito Score? that's only currently bettered by a handful of players across all positions and leagues.
Expect big things from the Germany international when he eventually returns to full fitness.
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