9 months ago
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Euro 2024 is almost upon us, with Europe's finest players descending on Germany.
Cristiano Ronaldo may have one last hurrah, while Harry Kane will desperate to win a trophy with England when the tournament begins in June and Kylian Mbappe needs a European Championship to complete an impressive double with France having already won the World Cup.
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However, the Euros will also be a chance to catch the next generation in action or future Golden Boy winners to follow in the footsteps of Jude Bellingham.
The 20-year-old capped a whirlwind year by winning the prize awarded to Europe's best young player and he is likely to be in the running for the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
Here, talkSPORT.com looks at the best young players under the age of 21 who could shine at Euro 2024 if given a chance.
Bellingham is not on the list given he is currently the best player in the world at the best team in the world. Neither is Jamal Musiala, who is an established Bayern and Germany star.
So the question is, who is looking to follow them and become one of the best players under 21 at Euro 2024?
From Kane and Musiala's teammate to a player impressing Bellingham, fans will be in for a treat when the competition starts.
Antonio Silva (20, Benfica and Portugal)
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Silva has quickly become one of the top talents in defence around Europe after coming up through Benfica's famous academy, which has produced several stars over the years including Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and Joao Felix.
The 20-year-old broke into the first-team in 2022 and was instantly made a first-team regular, making 44 appearances last season and continues to be the bedrock of Roger Schmidt's side and has been linked with moves to Tottenham and Liverpool.
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Composed in possession, strong in the air and quick on the ground, Silva has all the hallmarks of becoming the latest top star off the Benfica conveyor belt and could help Portugal go all the way this summer.
Benjamin Sesko (20, RB Leipzig and Slovenia)
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Once labelled the new Erling Haaland for his goal scoring prowess and the fact he also used RB Salzburg as a springboard to the Bundesliga.
However, while he might not have the monstrous strength and pace like the Manchester City superstar, his finishing in front of goal is still frighteningly good with many teams already keeping tabs on the 20-year-old, now of RB Leipzig.
The goals have not quite flowed so far at Leipzig where he has nine goals in 26 appearances but he is already the main man for Slovenia with 10 goals for his country.
England will have to watch out with Sesko set to face Gareth Southgate's side in the group stage, with Slovenia one of three countries they will face.
Warren Zaire-Emery (17, PSG and France)
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France's midfield has always been their strength, especially under coach Didier Deschamps, where Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni and Blaise Matuidi have been huge players.
And Les Bleus already have their successor in Zaire-Emery, whose astonishing rise even at the age of 17, is jaw-dropping having become a key player at PSG under Luis Enrique.
Not only can the midfielder do the dirty work but his skill and touch is exquisite and he has an eye for goal, scoring on his France debut against Greece last year.
Deschamps has some brilliant options in midfield including Aston Villa's Boubacar Kamara and OGC rising star Khephren Thuram but Zaire-Emery could be the one to stand out from the rest.
Cole Palmer (21, Chelsea and England)
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It might be easy to forget that England are still a young side under Southgate with Bellingham seen as the nation's poster boy.
But there are some top stars looking to break into the side, including Palmer, who signed for Chelsea in the summer from City for £45m despite barely featuring under Pep Guardiola.
While many stars have failed to live up to their transfer fees at Stamford Bridge, that cannot be said of Palmer, who has quickly become a key star under Mauricio Pochettino and arguably their best player this season.
His spot in England's squad looks almost certain with 14 goals and seven assists this season, the most for any player aged 21 or under in the Premier League and making history at Chelsea.
Johan Bakayoko (20, PSV Eindhoven and Belgium)
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Earmarked as one of the best dribblers in Europe, Bakayoko has been PSV Eindhoven's shining light so far in an astonishing campaign where they lead the Eredivisie.
Despite losing key players like Cody Gakpo and Noni Madueke in recent years, Bakayoko has stepped up and more goals and assists in as PSV take the league by storm.
For Belgium, he has one goal and two assists, while there is plenty on his shoulders for a nation that has seen Eden Hazard depart and are looking for that dynamo winger to lead them to glory.
The 20-year-old has been looked at by clubs across Europe like Liverpool and Man United and a fine Euros alongside Jeremy Doku, Leandro Trossard and Kevin De Bruyne, could be what earns him a big move.
Lamine Yamal (16, Barcelona and Spain)
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There are no words to describe this 16-year-old, who looks fearless on one of the biggest stages of all at the Nou Camp and regularly provides magic.
While it has been a difficult season for Barcelona with Xavi announcing his departure ahead of the end of the season, the emergence of Yamal could be what sets the club up for the next decade and further.
Blessed with a left foot and operating on the right-wing, the comparisons with Lionel Messi were bound to come soon - especially after coming up through La Masia while he already has broken records for Spain.
And if La Roja can have a player half as good as the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, they might just be able to compete for the big prizes once again.
Xavi Simons (20, RB Leipzig and the Netherlands)
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There have been a lot of eyes on Simons for some time now and it is hard to believe that he is still just 20 but he might be the best player to come out of the Netherlands in years.
The attacking midfielder is having a fine campaign at RB Leipzig where he has seven goals and nine assists while his highlight reel already includes some jaw-dropping strikes.
Able to operate across the frontline, the Dutch have lacked a player of such attacking quality for some time now while he is already a key player with 11 caps to his name.
PSG exercised a buyback clause to sign him from PSV last summer after an incredible year where he scored 22 times and made 12 assists and he could arrive back at the Parc des Princes as their main man next season.
Aleksandar Pavlovic (19, Bayern Munich and Germany)
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As the hosts of the tournament, there is added pressure on Germany after a dismal few years but the answer to their woes might lie in defensive midfielder Pavlovic.
The 19-year-old is yet to be capped by Die Mannschaft but he has broken into Bayern Munich's side and quickly become a key player at an important time, who also knows all about Kane after helping him break records.
So much so that manager Thomas Tuchel is prepared to sideline plans to sign Joao Palhinha from Fulham and place of all his trust in the Bayern academy star, who has also managed goals and assists from a deeper role.
Midfield has been a major issue for Germany, especially in the No. 6 role where Joshua Kimmich's form has fallen off and the other options are too attacking.
Having a player of Pavlovic's ilk, who despite being 19 looks as mature as anyone, could help bring some much-needed solidity to a side that will be under pressure.
Destiny Udogie (21, Tottenham and Italy)
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It has gone somewhat under the radar how well Udogie has adapted to the Premier League in a position that was a huge worry before the start of the season for Tottenham.
Aged just 21, the left-back has fitted into Ange Postecoglou's side seamlessly after returning from loan at Udinese last summer and looks like he will be their main man there for years to come.
And that is also the case for Italy, where he has two caps and looks set to take over Emerson Palmieri's position, with his dynamism in attack and willingness to get forward.
Italy have some war wounds to repair after missing out on the World Cup and some new blood might be the answer while Udogie is joined by Giorgio Scalvini and Wilfried Gnonto as fellow young Italians looking to make their mark.
Arda Guler (18, Real Madrid and Turkey)
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A cruel start to life at Real Madrid might have led people to forget how talented Guler truly is after a stunning campaign at Fenerbahce last season.
He was so good, in fact, that he was given the No. 10 shirt at the age of 17 and took Mesut Ozil's spot in the side, proving to be much more effective before earning a dream move to the Bernabeu last summer.
Injuries have stopped him from becoming an instant hit at Madrid, like his fellow summer acquisition Bellingham, who said of his teammate: "Arda Guler is a phenomenon, we see him training and we are delighted with him."
The teenager has been called 'the Turkish Messi' as he plays remarkably similar, using his left-foot on the right-hand side, scoring some beauties but also executing decisive passes, as well as being a tricky customer when it comes to dribbling.
Notable mentions: Rasmus Hojlund (20, Manchester United and Denmark), Josh Doig (21, Sassuolo and Scotland), Petar Ratkov (RB Salzburg, 20 and Serbia)
