Every few years, exceptional teenagers emerge in the world of football. These exciting talents go on to produce memorable moments that last a lifetime.
Courtesy of the great football academies and clubs that nurture talented youngsters, football fans never get a reason to complain of a lack of surging talent. Players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe testify to the previous claim.
It’s the 2022 summer transfer window, and there are some teenagers who are showing signs of future greatness. Big clubs and scouts all over Europe are keeping an eye on the following young prospects:
#4 - Benjamin Sesko
The 19-year-old RB Salzburg striker seems to be on the radar of a few European clubs. The departure of Haaland, Patson Daka, and Karim Adeyemi has seen him step up for the Austrian side. The 6ft 4-inch striker is a very good presser, confident while leading the line, and has great link-up play.
His intelligence in and around the box has also been commended. Sesko often finds himself in the right place at the right time, eagerly anticipating a parry or a pass. The teenager is a Slovenian international with 13 caps to his name.
His 2021-2022 season is worth looking at to understand more about the player. He registered 11 goals and 7 assists in 37 games while playing for RB Salzburg. He featured in the side’s Champions League run, but was unable to register a goal or an assist in 6 UCL games.
The teenager is already gaining attention from clubs like Manchester United and Newcastle United. As of writing this article, Chelsea is in talks with the Slovenian forward.
#3 - Mathys Tel
Mathys Tel is a talented forward who formerly played for French club Rennes before moving to Bayern Munich this summer for 30 million euros, as reported by Sky Germany. He registered 9 goals in 18 appearances for Rennes last season but failed to get much game-time in the league.
The 17-year-old is fast and agile with a blistering pace. He has high energy and engages in presses and likes to win the ball high up the pitch. His quick feet render him deadly on the wings.
The French forward has also played for the France U-17 team. It is unknown what Bayern’s plans are for the young French talent. Tel might be too young and inexperienced of a teenager to fill any vacuum in their team and might just be one for the future.
#2 - Calvin Ramsay is a highly-touted teenager
The 18-year-old right-back Calvin Ramsay moved to Liverpool in June this year for a total of 6.5 million euros. Liverpool are confident that they have signed a talented wing-back from Scottish outfit Aberdeen.
The teenager is deft with both of his feet. His quickness and vision allow him to play the ball into dangerous spaces. He’s also good at set-piece deliveries. Although he has still much to learn, his tendency to dribble his way out of trouble shows poise and courage.
In one of Aberdeen’s worst seasons, the teenager managed to register 4 assists and 1 goal in 21 league appearances. He is a creative full-back, similar to Trent Alexander-Arnold. As an understudy to Alexander-Arnold, he’s sure to grow by leaps and bounds.
#1 - Yunus Musah
Born in the US, Musah is capable of playing as a central midfielder as well as a right-winger. The 19-year-old plays for Valencia down the right flank. He is pacey and dribbles the ball very well - classic winger attributes.
Musah has good passing but it can use some polishing. After playing for the Arsenal youth academy, he made his move to Valencia in 2020. At Valencia, he has often been deployed in the first team.
The teenager prefers to play in the box-to-box midfield role. He also scored a goal in 29 appearances last season.