The step up to professional football is not easy for every young star player. In the domestic game there appear to be less and less opportunities for good young players. You basically have to be exceptional and hit the ground running.
The gold standard is obviously once in a life time footballers like Messi and Ronaldo (both) then you have exceptional teenagers like Rooney, Stevie G and Cesc who just made the transition look easy.
Watching Saka this season I tried to come up with a list of players aged 20 or less that you watch and think maybe. I struggled to come up with a list so I had to add 21 year olds to get to 10 players . Thats how pathetic things are.
Nevertheless this is a top 10 list I could come up with , including age and what I think is their best position.
1) Bukayo Saka - 18 years - Winger
2) Gabriel Martinelli - 18 years - Box Striker
3) Phil Foden - 19 years - Box to Box Midfielder
4) Pedro Neto - Winger
5) Ryan Sessegnon - 19 years - Left back
6) Mattéo Guendouzi - 20 years - Not sure
7) Christian Pulisic - 21 years - Left sided attacker
8) Alexander Arnold - 21 years - Right back
9) Mason Mount - 21 years- Attacker
10) Ismaïla Sarr - 21 years- Forward
Its scary how thin the talent on the ground is as premier league clubs spend more and more on ready made talent to maintain PL status.
Best Young Players in the League
posted on 17/2/20
Oh i'm always open to others opinions.
Even if you said he has been average I would have conceded. But it just seems you do not know what you are talking about.
On this very thread i've said I rate Reece James higher out of all our youth players too.
It's just wrong. But each to their own.
posted on 17/2/20
So you would have agreed he's been average but cannot fathom how someone else could say he's been poor/not lived up to expectations.
I do agree with the Reece James shout, very good player and going to get even better.
posted on 17/2/20
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 38 minutes ago
comment by (kash) I'm the Mané - 6 Times Baby (U1108)
posted 18 minutes ago
comment by Giröulski Alt-153 and Alt-160 forever (U14971)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Giröulski Alt-153 and Alt-160 forever (U14971)
posted 0 seconds ago
Arsenal currently have nine young players who might genuinely make the grade (Nketiah, Willock, Saka, Nelson, Guendouzi, Balogun, Martinelli, Saliba and Emile Smith-Rowe). Of those, there are at least 3 with genuine world class potential. I'd argue 4, if Nelson can finally begin to kick on. Chelsea have a similar number.
Youth is being handled better than a decade ago, with much less focus on hype and early lucrative contracts and 18 year old super Jack's playing 45 games in a season. Doesn't mean the talent isn't there.
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Lol I actually forgot Ainsley Maitland-Niles. 10. We have 10 players who should make the grade. And that's ignoring the talents lower in the youth ranks like Azeez.
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What grade are you referring to as other than Martinelli and perhaps Saka no one else will get in a PL CL team squad.
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Stupid comment.
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Have to agree. I'd add Guendouzi and remove Saka, he's awful.
posted on 17/2/20
comment by There'sOnlyOneRed's (U1721)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 38 minutes ago
comment by (kash) I'm the Mané - 6 Times Baby (U1108)
posted 18 minutes ago
comment by Giröulski Alt-153 and Alt-160 forever (U14971)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Giröulski Alt-153 and Alt-160 forever (U14971)
posted 0 seconds ago
Arsenal currently have nine young players who might genuinely make the grade (Nketiah, Willock, Saka, Nelson, Guendouzi, Balogun, Martinelli, Saliba and Emile Smith-Rowe). Of those, there are at least 3 with genuine world class potential. I'd argue 4, if Nelson can finally begin to kick on. Chelsea have a similar number.
Youth is being handled better than a decade ago, with much less focus on hype and early lucrative contracts and 18 year old super Jack's playing 45 games in a season. Doesn't mean the talent isn't there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lol I actually forgot Ainsley Maitland-Niles. 10. We have 10 players who should make the grade. And that's ignoring the talents lower in the youth ranks like Azeez.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What grade are you referring to as other than Martinelli and perhaps Saka no one else will get in a PL CL team squad.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Stupid comment.
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Have to agree. I'd add Guendouzi and remove Saka, he's awful.
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Have never respected your opinion, and you have just cemented the fact you are are as clueless as they come
posted on 17/2/20
comment by (kash) I'm the Mané - 6 Times Baby (U1108)
posted 1 hour, 18 minutes ago
comment by Giröulski Alt-153 and Alt-160 forever (U14971)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Giröulski Alt-153 and Alt-160 forever (U14971)
posted 0 seconds ago
Arsenal currently have nine young players who might genuinely make the grade (Nketiah, Willock, Saka, Nelson, Guendouzi, Balogun, Martinelli, Saliba and Emile Smith-Rowe). Of those, there are at least 3 with genuine world class potential. I'd argue 4, if Nelson can finally begin to kick on. Chelsea have a similar number.
Youth is being handled better than a decade ago, with much less focus on hype and early lucrative contracts and 18 year old super Jack's playing 45 games in a season. Doesn't mean the talent isn't there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lol I actually forgot Ainsley Maitland-Niles. 10. We have 10 players who should make the grade. And that's ignoring the talents lower in the youth ranks like Azeez.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What grade are you referring to as other than Martinelli and perhaps Saka no one else will get in a PL CL team squad.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I suppose you've watched a lot of Arsenal's games at a senior level as well as having followed the youth players for years in the development squads and you've been keeping up to date with the likes of Leeds, Huddersfield, Saint Ettiene and Hoffenheim?
Or perhaps you're just posturing. Hard to tell.
posted on 17/2/20
comment by Giröulski Alt-153 and Alt-160 forever (U14971)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by (kash) I'm the Mané - 6 Times Baby (U1108)
posted 1 hour, 18 minutes ago
comment by Giröulski Alt-153 and Alt-160 forever (U14971)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Giröulski Alt-153 and Alt-160 forever (U14971)
posted 0 seconds ago
Arsenal currently have nine young players who might genuinely make the grade (Nketiah, Willock, Saka, Nelson, Guendouzi, Balogun, Martinelli, Saliba and Emile Smith-Rowe). Of those, there are at least 3 with genuine world class potential. I'd argue 4, if Nelson can finally begin to kick on. Chelsea have a similar number.
Youth is being handled better than a decade ago, with much less focus on hype and early lucrative contracts and 18 year old super Jack's playing 45 games in a season. Doesn't mean the talent isn't there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lol I actually forgot Ainsley Maitland-Niles. 10. We have 10 players who should make the grade. And that's ignoring the talents lower in the youth ranks like Azeez.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What grade are you referring to as other than Martinelli and perhaps Saka no one else will get in a PL CL team squad.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I suppose you've watched a lot of Arsenal's games at a senior level as well as having followed the youth players for years in the development squads and you've been keeping up to date with the likes of Leeds, Huddersfield, Saint Ettiene and Hoffenheim?
Or perhaps you're just posturing. Hard to tell.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No need to get touchy. If we had hopes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles making the grade in my team I would be very worried.
Brewster in a month has already matched Nketiah championship goal tally while playing for Swansea.
posted on 17/2/20
Brewster - 186 mins per championship goal
Nketiah - 165 mins per championship goal
posted on 17/2/20
comment by Christopher (U20930)
posted 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
Brewster - 186 mins per championship goal
Nketiah - 165 mins per championship goal
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and?
posted on 17/2/20
comment by (kash) I'm the Mané - 6 Times Baby (U1108)
posted 35 minutes ago
comment by Giröulski Alt-153 and Alt-160 forever (U14971)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by (kash) I'm the Mané - 6 Times Baby (U1108)
posted 1 hour, 18 minutes ago
comment by Giröulski Alt-153 and Alt-160 forever (U14971)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Giröulski Alt-153 and Alt-160 forever (U14971)
posted 0 seconds ago
Arsenal currently have nine young players who might genuinely make the grade (Nketiah, Willock, Saka, Nelson, Guendouzi, Balogun, Martinelli, Saliba and Emile Smith-Rowe). Of those, there are at least 3 with genuine world class potential. I'd argue 4, if Nelson can finally begin to kick on. Chelsea have a similar number.
Youth is being handled better than a decade ago, with much less focus on hype and early lucrative contracts and 18 year old super Jack's playing 45 games in a season. Doesn't mean the talent isn't there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lol I actually forgot Ainsley Maitland-Niles. 10. We have 10 players who should make the grade. And that's ignoring the talents lower in the youth ranks like Azeez.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What grade are you referring to as other than Martinelli and perhaps Saka no one else will get in a PL CL team squad.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I suppose you've watched a lot of Arsenal's games at a senior level as well as having followed the youth players for years in the development squads and you've been keeping up to date with the likes of Leeds, Huddersfield, Saint Ettiene and Hoffenheim?
Or perhaps you're just posturing. Hard to tell.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No need to get touchy. If we had hopes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles making the grade in my team I would be very worried.
Brewster in a month has already matched Nketiah championship goal tally while playing for Swansea.
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If there is an other good youth prospect playing for another club, that means there are no other youth prospects in world football.
And Amn has an awful lot going for him. The biggest question is finding his position and letting him grow into it.
posted on 19/2/20
comment by (kash) I'm the Mané - 6 Times Baby (U1108)
posted 1 day, 13 hours ago
comment by Michael Edwards FC {Proud owner of the 5 000 0... (U2720)
posted 1 minute ago
Trent is the only one that's proved himself at the highest level...the rest are still pretty much raw potential.
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Trent is the best in the world in his position. No other player can say that on this list.
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Behave, he can’t defend. Tonight proved that, he was fecking shocking, as was his pall on the other side.