From up-and-comers primed to become household names to gems in the rough that could catch us by surprise, we present a list of young footballers that are ready for a breakout season in 2024-25.
We’re well and truly into the full flow of the football season and the opening few weeks have given us plenty to ponder and savor already. Early on in the season, things can be overwhelming as the games come thick and fast, with fans everywhere not quite sure where to place their main focus.
This is especially true when looking for which players will perform the best through the season.
If we take a look at the pool of world class players in the game today, most of them have had a singular breakthrough season in which they announced themselves to the world. Kylian Mbappe’s 2016-17 campaign with Monaco, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham in successive seasons with Borussia Dortmund, and most recently, Florian Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen last year. So who’s next?
We’ve complied a list of names that you should already know who may be on the cusp of that signature season, but we’ll also give you some names you might not have yet heard of that have shown flashes of world-class potential.
Ready for the Next Step
Pau Cubarsi, 17, FC Barcelona/Spain
This season will be Pau Cubarsi’s first full outing as a professional. The 2023-24 campaign was a whirlwind for the Barcelona central defender as he broke into the first team at 16 years old. His debut saw immediate dividends as he came off the bench to assist the winning goal in a 3-1 Copa del Rey victory over Unionistas.
The starlet hasn’t looked back since, and has become a mainstay in the Barça first team squad, earning himself a place on Spain’s Olympic team in the process. His performances throughout that tournament were instrumental in his country’s gold medal, and he has started Barcelona’s first two league games this season. At 17 years old, it seems he has already made himself a first-choice center back.
Cubarsi is already an extremely polished defender. His on-ball capabilities are first-rate — as you’d expect from a La Masia product — but he also shows dominance in duels reminiscent of a player beyond his years.
It’s clear that the lack of experience will continue to be an issue, and being thrust into the deep end of men’s professional football before you can legally drink will always come with a huge learning curve. It takes a special talent to break into a team as a teenager, even more so when you play at the heart of the defense. Cubarsi is just that.
Johan Bakayoko, 21, PSV Eindhoven/Belgium
The Eredivisie is teeming with talent and has an abundance of teams willing to give youth the platforms to excel. Johan Bakayoko is one such talent.
The Belgian attacker was instrumental in PSV’s title-winning campaign in 2023-24, contributing 12 goals and nine assists en route to helping his club end its five-year league title drought.
Bakayoko is an electric inside forward who primarily plays off the right and loves to take on defenders 1v1. Likening him to his Belgian compatriot Jeremy Doku could be mistaken for a lazy comparison. Still, the two share many similarities, and much like Doku, I expect Bakayoko to make the switch to a European superpower after the 2024-25 season, where he has already started with two goals in his first two games.
Amad Diallo, 22, Manchester United/Cote d’Ivoire
Towards the end of the 2023-24 season, Amad Diallo forced his way into Erik ten Hag’s team when little expected him to have much say in proceedings. His winning goal in the FA Cup against Liverpool looked to be his springboard, but the subsequent suspension after he earned a second yellow for celebrating slowed him down.
However towards the end of the season, his performances saw a significant upward trend, and he ended with a string of brilliant performances. Throughout United’s preseason, he was their best player, and comfortably so. His deceptive quickness is a huge threat to defenders 1v1, but his greatest asset could well be his decision-making in the final third. You rarely see the Ivorian pick the wrong pass, or overcomplicate the game with an eagerness to shoot.
In Manchester United’s first two games of the season, he’s started both and scored their only goal away against Brighton. With his only competition on the right side seemingly the estranged Antony, there could be nothing between him and a wonderful season as the Red Devil’s first-choice right winger.
Morgan Rogers, 22, Aston Villa/England
This past weekend saw Arsenal travel to Aston Villa in the prime time match of the Premier League’s game week two. While the Gunners came away victorious, the name on everyone’s lips after the match was Villa’s forward Morgan Rogers.
His performance was exemplary, and he popped up all over the pitch, winning duels, creating chances, and being the main source of his team’s momentum. If his start to this season is any indication to go on, Villa have a real gem on their hands.
After joining the team last season in the winter transfer window, he showed flashes of brilliance and bagged three goals and an assist in just 11 league appearances. Under the tutelage of Unai Emery, and with the brightest lights of the UEFA Champions League to come, I expect Rogers to put Europe on notice.
Ousmane Diomande, 20, Sporting CP/Cote d’Ivoire
Ousmane Diomande joined Sporting midway through the 2022-23 season and it didn’t take the then 18-year-old long to establish himself as a mainstay in the starting XI.
Now 20, Diomande is a true modern-day center back. His passing range is exceptional, he is comfortable under pressure, and has an understanding of the game that’s quite advanced for someone his age.
The longer his partnership with Gonçalo Inácio grows, the higher both players’ stocks will rise, and it won’t be long before Diomande is considered among Europe’s best defenders.
The Hidden Gems
Sverre Nypan, 17, Rosenborg/Norway
Sverre Nypan became Rosenborg’s youngest-ever player to debut in the first team in 2022 at 15, and has long since been drawing comparisons to his countryman Martin Ødegaard.
He is an exceptional playmaker, possessing a preternatural eye for a killer pass coupled with supreme technical security and a high football IQ.
So far in the 2024 Norwegian top-flight season, Nypan has 10 direct goal contributions in just 18 games. His performances have drawn the eye of several European giants, including Manchester United, who Nypan stated previously would be a “dream come true to play for.”
George Ilenikhena, 18, AS Monaco/Nigeria
Keen-eyed fans of UCL football will remember the name George Ilenikhena. He played last season at Royal Antwerp and came off the bench in their group-stage game to bag the winner against Barcelona. It was Antwerp’s first-ever Champions League victory.
In terms of current levels, Ilenikhena is the furthest from the final product on this list. The just-turned-18-year-old forward is still incredibly raw and has much to work on in the mental and technical aspects of his game. However, there are occasions where watching a player, even briefly, makes it evident that they possess immense talent.
Ilenikhena heavily favors his left foot but has a noticeable venom in his strikes. He’s frighteningly quick and utilizes his frame excellently when he dribbles at defenders. The physical tools are there in abundance, and his transfer to Monaco this summer will do wonders for his development. It’s now just a waiting game to see if he can polish his game across the board to take that next step.
