With the season more than halfway over, rumors are starting to swirl as supporters fantasize about the potential future superstars that could be coming to their club. This article examines the top defenders and midfielders in Europe under the age of 24, who have a good chance of being bought this summer.

Defenders

Ryan Sessegnon – LB/LM/LW, 17, Fulham

Ever heard of a 17-year-old leading his team in goals? Well, meet Ryan Sessegnon. This electric teenager has arguably been Fulham’s best player this season. This is even more remarkable when you consider that he’s played at left-back for most of the season, however with Fulham bringing in Matt Targett on loan in January, he’s been playing in a more advanced role recently.

Sessegnon can play every position down the left-hand side of the field, but regardless of where he plays, he has the pace and stamina required to be involved in the attack, and still get back to help and defend. I fully expect Fulham to cash in on him big time this summer.

Also, if you’re interested in a more in-depth tactical analysis of Sessegnon, check out this video from Tifo Football.

Kieran Tierney – LB, 20, Celtic

Tierney has really broken out this season and established himself as a staple in Brendan Rodgers’ back line, which has allowed just 18 goals this season in the Scottish Premiership. As left back is such a sparse position, I fully expect a Premier League club to snatch him up this summer. His pace allows him to get up the field and beat opposing full-backs with ease, and he has great vision to pick out a pass from the left wing, which is why he’s currently leading Celtic in the assists category.

Alejandro Grimaldo – LB, 22, Benfica

Grimaldo was never able to get the call-up to the first team at Barcelona, so he was sold to Benfica for 1.5 million euros in January of 2016. Since then, he’s been nothing short of incredible. The young left-back was given the starting role in the 2016-17 season, and he took it and ran with it (literally). He loves to use his pace to bomb forward and get himself involved in the attack, but also has the ability to track back and help defend.

I’d like to see how he fares on the defensive side against superior competition in a better league, but he definitely has all the tools to become a fantastic player. He’s been linked with a move to Napoli this summer for around 30 million euros, which would be pretty good business for Benfica considering what they bought him for.

Alvaro Odriozola – RB, 22, Real Sociedad

It’s not every day you find a 22-year-old leading his team in minutes played, but when you’re as integral to your team’s success as Alvaro Odriozola is, you can understand why. He’s everything you’d expect from a Spanish right-back. He’s very quick, great in possession, and rarely gives the ball away. The attack-heavy football that Sociedad play allows him to express himself as an attacker – He’s constantly bombing forward, using his pace to make overlapping runs to get into dangerous positions. The big Spanish clubs have already been linked to him, so it’s only a matter of time before he leaves for greener pastures.

Frenkie de Jong – CB, 20, Ajax

Frenkie de Jong is the most unique center-back prospect in Europe right now. He’s a decent defender, but he does most of his damage making runs into the midfield. He’s always looking to move the ball forward, and if there’s space in front of him, he’s going to take it. If he does move on this summer, I’d expect his new manager to use him more as a defensive midfielder than a center-back.

Issa Diop – CB, 21, Toulouse

Issa Diop sounds more like a rap lyric than a soccer player, but he’ll soon become a household name around Europe. He just celebrated his 21st birthday in January and has already been given the captain’s armband at Toulouse, making 73 Ligue 1 appearances over the last 3 seasons. His defending is a big reason that Toulouse are currently sitting above the relegation zone. There’s no doubt that bigger clubs looking for a center-back will be eyeing him up this summer.

Emanuel Mammana – CB, 22, Zenit

Mammana is one of the highest-rated young center-backs in Europe, so his transfer from Lyon last year raised some eyebrows when he decided to join Zenit St. Petersburg, instead of a bigger club in a top-5 league. As expected, he’s been dominating Russian football, sitting at the heart of a Zenit defense. If he gets into the Argentina squad and impresses at the World Cup this summer, I would expect any club looking for a young center-back to make Mammana their number one target.

Midfielders

Leander Dendoncker – DM, 22, Anderlecht

At just 22 years old, Dendoncker has already received the captain’s armband at Anderlecht, and leads the team in starts with 23. His name began popping up in transfer rumors last summer, but with another year in Belgium under his belt, he’s proven that he’s more than ready to make that next step to a bigger club. He’s everything you could ask for in a defensive midfielder – Tall, physically strong, and can run for days, giving him the ability to constantly be able to break up play in the midfield and win balls in the air. On the offensive end, he won’t get forward much, but he can dictate play with his solid passing from deeper positions. These qualities have turned him into arguably the best player in the entire Belgian League, and I think the question now is “How much will he go for?”, rather than “Will he go this summer?”

Leandro Paredes – CM, 23, Zenit St. Petersburg

Leandro Paredes has had an interesting career. A highly rated prospect at Boca Juniors, he went to Italy and joined Roma in 2014. He struggled to get playtime early on, but after a relatively successful loan spell at Empoli, he returned to Roma and became a regular in the first team.

Then, last summer he shocked the world (or at least Europe) by moving to Zenit.

He hasn’t even played a full season in Russia yet, but he’s already emerged as a top-10 player in the Russian Premier League. He’s already shown that he has the ability to be a star in a mediocre league, and now it’s time to prove it elsewhere. Bigger clubs in need of a center-mid will no doubt be looking at him this summer, and if he wants to further his career, he needs to go back to a Top-5 league.

Rodri – DM, 21, Villarreal

Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, or simply known as “Rodri”, has gone from being just some academy kid last year to being one of the first names on Javier Calleja’s team sheet this year. There’s not really that much hype around him because he doesn’t score or assist, but he’s an absolute metronome in the midfield and very solid on the defensive end.

There are reports that he could be set for a move to Atletico Madrid this summer. If so, that is a fantastic, under-the-radar purchase.

Mateo Kovacic – CM, 23, Real Madrid

It’s easy to see that Mateo Kovacic has greatly improved under the development of Real Madrid’s coaching staff since arriving at the Bernabeu in 2015. The real highlight of his game is his ability to shred opposing midfields and defenses with his precision passing and creative dribbling. However, regardless of how much he’s grown, it’s next to impossible to get on the field when you’re competing for playtime with the likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. With that being said, it’s probably time for the Croatian international to consider leaving Madrid and heading somewhere that he can be a consistent starter week in week out.

There aren’t many clubs in Europe that wouldn’t have a spot for him, so I expect a lot of top clubs to be in on him this summer.

Jakub Jankto – CM, 22, Udinese

Jakub Jankto is one of three very bright young Serie A midfielders on this list. After a loan to Ascoli in 2015-16, he returned to Udinese and has been impressing Serie A viewers with his creativity and passing ability. He’s also surprisingly good in front of goal for a center-mid. Udinese has a good track record for player development (see Alexis Sanchez, Juan Cuadrado, Samir Handanovic, etc.), and you should be able to add the Czech midfielder to that list in a few years.

Jankto was reportedly heavily pursued by many top clubs in January, but the Udinese board was able to stave them off. However, Udinese is ultimately a selling club, so I don’t think they’ll be able to resist if a team comes in with a good enough offer this summer.

Lucas Torreira – CM, 22, Sampdoria

Lucas Torreira stands at just 5’6” and only weighs 140 pounds, but don’t let that distract you from the fact that the he’s already one of the most complete box-to-box midfielders in Serie A. In just his second season at Sampdoria, the 22-year-old has already emerged as their best player.

I think it’s safe to say he can do it all, and that’s why so many top European clubs will be putting in bids for him this summer. I really hope he gets a spot on Uruguay’s World Cup roster as well, because I would love to see him terrorize opposing midfields in Russia.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – CM, 22, Lazio

The third and final Serie A midfielder on this list is probably the most well-known of the three. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is only 22, yet he’s already been linked to some of Europe’s biggest clubs and been given a rather large price tag by Lazio. Another fantastic box-to-box midfielder, he has the tools to become a top player in every aspect. He’s dangerous on the attacking end.

Milinkovic-Savic has also been successful on the international level, leading Serbia to a U-20 World Cup championship in 2015, and winning the Bronze Ball award in the process. He has the rare potential to become a jack of all trades, master of most, and he’ll fit nicely in any midfield in Europe.

Attackers

Hirving Lozano – LW, 22, PSV Eindhoven

Hirving “Chucky” Lozano is the most hyped prospect to come out of Mexico since Chicharito, and he’s already at that level at just 22 years old. Last year at Pachuca, Lozano was being looked at by big European clubs, but decided to head to the Netherlands to refine his game and get a season of European competition under his belt.

In just over 6 months, Lozano has already established himself as one of the best players in the Eredivisie, and arguably the best player at PSV.

On top of all that, he is so fun to watch. Seriously, watch Mexico at the World Cup this summer and try to keep your eye on the blur that will be sprinting down the left-hand side of the field, terrorizing opposing defenders. I guarantee you’ll see his name on the scoresheet at least a few times.

It’s evident that Lozano has already outgrown the Eredivisie, and he will most likely be headed to one of Europe’s elite clubs this summer.

Malcom – RW, 20, Bordeaux

Malcom’s situation is very similar to Lozano’s. A highly rated young prospect from the Americas transferring to a relatively smaller club/league, who has now emerged as arguably the best player on his team, and arguably one of the better players in the entire League.

Malcom has been getting Bordeaux fans off their seats with his dazzling displays since he arrived on deadline day of the winter window in 2016. This season, he leads his team in pretty much every offensive category.

The numbers don’t lie, and like Lozano, Malcom has clearly outgrown Bordeaux, and he’ll end up on an elite European club this summer, especially if he gets picked for Brazil’s World Cup squad and impresses in Russia.

Leon Bailey – RW/LM, 20, Bayer Leverkusen

After a successful spell in Belgium with Genk, Bailey was sold to Leverkusen in January of 2017 for 20 million euros. He didn’t feature much in his first half-season, and everyone kind of forgot about him.

This year, he’s broken out into stardom after getting significant minutes. He’s also been drawing comparisons to Arjen Robben because of his blistering pace and his tendency to cut in from the right onto his left foot.

I’d love to see him stay at Leverkusen so they can develop that young core and challenge for the Bundesliga title, but if he really wants to leave, someone will come in with enough money to persuade the board to sell.

Federico Chiesa – RW/ST/AM, 20, Fiorentina

The latest Fiorentina academy product is Federico Chiesa. He’s a very versatile player who can play any of the “front four” positions who broke into the first team last season as a 19 year-old, getting 3 goals and 2 assists in just under 1500 Serie A minutes. This season, he has the team’s second-highest goal tally (5) and starts nearly every match for La Viola. His dribbling and ability to beat defenders makes him exciting to watch, and he’ll presumably keep getting better with each passing season.

It’s a shame Italy missed the World Cup, because I would have loved to see him in Russia this summer. I don’t know if he would have gotten a spot on the plane for sure, but he would have made Ventura think long and hard about it.

Chiesa just signed a new contract last summer, but that isn’t stopping the biggest Italian clubs from eyeing him up, and he’ll be a great buy for whoever ends up being the highest bidder.

Justin Kluivert – LW/RW/AM, 18, Ajax

Justin Kluivert, son of Dutch legend Patrick Kluivert, is living up to all the hype that comes with being the son of such a great player. At just 18 years old, Kluivert is already a top player at Ajax, netting 6 goals and 4 assists this season.
Kluivert is versatile, as he can play on either wing or through the middle, but he starts most games for Ajax on the left wing, and then uses his quickness to cut in to his favored right foot to either create or take a shot on goal.

Kluivert has already been linked to seemlingly every major team in Europe this year, so it will be interesting to see where he lands this summer, if he decides to move abroad.

David Neres – RW/LW, 20, Ajax

On the other wing for Ajax sits the 20 year-old Brazilian David Neres. Kluivert has been having a fantastic year, but Neres has been even better. If you look at the numbers, Neres is arguably a top-3 player in the Eredivisie, with 9 goals and 9 assists so far this season (assist total is tied for most in Eredivisie).

He’s been a pivotal aspect of Ajax’s attacking success, who leads the Eredivisie with 66 total goals scored this season. We probably won’t see him in Russia playing for Brazil, given their abundance of attacking talent, but I think he’s proved himself enough in the domestic league, and someone will certainly try to snatch him up.

Also, if you’re looking for a more in-depth analysis of David Neres, check out this thread from @finalthrd on Twitter.

Pione Sisto – RW/LW, 23, Celta Vigo

Unless you’re Danish or a close follower of Spanish soccer, you’ve probably never even heard of Pione Sisto, but the Celta Vigo winger has been tearing up La Liga this season.

He’s part of a front three that is quietly one of the best in Spain, featuring Sisto, Maxi Gomez, and Iago Aspas, who have combined for 31 goals and 15 assists in La Liga this season. Sisto has been flying under the radar, probably due to the fact that Celta Vigo is currently 11th in the table.

I would assume that a few bigger clubs have taken note of his creativity, and he could be out the door this summer.

Raphinha – LW/RW, 21, Vitoria de Guimaraes

Another player you’ve probably never heard of is Raphinha from Portugal’s Vitoria de Guimaraes. I’ll be honest – I didn’t either until I started writing this article. But after doing some research and watching his highlights, it’s easy to see why he’s one of the biggest Portuguese prospects.

While he’s under the radar to the rest of the world because he plays for such a small club, I’m sure the 3 Portuguese giants are eyeing him up, and one of them is sure to snatch him up this summer.

Mikel Oyazrabal – RW/LW, 20, Real Sociedad

Mikel Oyarzabal has been a regular in Sociedad’s first team since he was just 18 years old. He’s still only 20 years old, but you wouldn’t know that by watching him play.

He’s very skillful and carries himself like a seasoned veteran. Regardless of which wing Mikel plays on, he’s always using his creativity to make incisive passes and create chances for his teammates.

Richarlison – LW, 21, Watford

Richarlison joined Watford just 6 months ago from Fluminense, but he has already caught the eye of many other Premier League clubs following his scintillating start to the season. There’s no doubt that he has the quality to play for someone better than Watford. If he can re-find his form between now and the end of the season, a few bigger clubs may come knocking come this summer.

Moussa Dembele – ST, 21, Celtic

Last but not least, and surprisingly the only true striker on this list, is the young Frenchman Moussa Dembele. Dembele made his name in the Championship with Fulham before making a move to Celtic in 2016. In that same season, he set the Scottish league on fire with a whopping 30 goals in all competitions. He missed a good chunk of the 2017-18 season with an early hamstring injury, but still has 9 goals and 6 assists in all competitions.

Overall, he’s just a great finisher that may be getting a little too big for the Scottish League, a reality that was almost realized in January before his move to reported move to Brighton fell through. He’s very one-footed, and can be inconsistent at times, but if he finishes out the season strong, there will be clubs a lot bigger than Brighton putting in bids for him in the near future.

As a huge fan of European soccer, I usually stray away from watching the MLS because the difference in quality is so noticeably vast. However, this year I’ll be making an exception by trying to tune in to watch as many Atlanta United games as I possibly can.

Last year, Atlanta United became the third-ever MLS expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in their inaugural season. Stacked with an abundance of young attacking talent, they emerged as one of the most exciting offensive teams in MLS, scoring the second-most goals in the league with 70.

A big reason they were able to acquire all of that young talent was due to the hiring of former Barcelona and Argentina manager Tata Martino. He has plenty of experience with talented attackers, as he’s coached the likes of Leo Messi, Neymar, Angel di Maria, Paulo Dybala, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Mauri Icardi and many more. With Martino’s resume and South American roots, it’s easy to see how he’s been able to assemble a front four that is already looking to lead Atlanta to a MLS Cup in just its second season.

Let’s have a look at that front four, shall we?

Ezequiel Barco

First up is Atlanta’s big-money signing Ezequiel Barco, who started playing for the Independiente first team just a few months after his 17th birthday. In his first full season, he accumulated 4 goals and 3 assists while making 30 appearances for the Argentinian side.

He quickly became one of the most sought-after prospects in all of South America with many top European clubs keying in on him. However, Atlanta United shocked many when they paid an MLS-record $15 million for Barco, snatching him away from the bigger European clubs. This really speaks volumes about Martino’s influence, as he was able to convince a big prospect to join MLS instead of heading to Europe.

It is important to note, however, that Ezequiel Barco suffered a quad injury in preseason and will be out for 4-6 weeks, but when he returns, it won’t be long before he’s turning heads all over the country. He’s very fast, a wonderful dribbler, and appears to be a genuine two-footed player. This adds another dimension to his game, as he can either cut in from the left wing or try to beat a defender down the line and fire a ball into the danger area. The season hasn’t even started yet, and MLS fans are already eagerly anticipating his return.

Miguel Almiron

Miguel Almiron was bought last year for $8 million from Argentinian side Lanus, whom he helped lead to a league title in 2016. In his first year with Atlanta, the attacking midfielder racked up an impressive 14 assists, which was tied for 4th-most in all of MLS, and also contributed 9 goals.

In just his first MLS season, Almiron was voted to the All-Star team, was a finalist in the MVP race, won the MLS Newcomer of the Year award, and was ranked #1 on the MLS “24 Under 24” list. Almiron is also considered to be one of the top young Paraguayan talents along with Real Betis striker Antonio Sanabria.

Almiron is a quality dribbler with blazing speed, but his best trait is his creativity. If all goes well, he could be at the top of the assist leaderboard this season, and I’m very excited to see how he builds off of last year’s stellar campaign now that he has a successful year in the US under his belt.

Josef Martinez

If Almiron can lead the MLS in assists, then Martinez could absolutely lead the league in goals. He scored 19 of them last year in just 17 starts, the 4th-most in MLS. He’s already arguably the best finisher in the league, so if he starts 30+ games this season, we could be looking at a record-breaking number of goals especially with the service that he’ll be getting from the players behind him.

Tito Villalba

Last but not least, we have Hector “Tito” Villalba. Like the other three members of the front-four, Villalba is blessed with incredible pace and is able to blow by opposing defenders. A staple in the starting XI, he started every single match for Atlanta last year registering 13 goals and 11 assists, 2nd and 3rd-most on the team, respectively.

He also loves scoring in style, as he won MLS Goal of the Week 3 times, including an incredible strike against Orlando in the 86th minute that not only won the game, but also won MLS Goal of the Year.

Honorable Mention: Andrew Carleton and Julian Gressel

If all that wasn’t enough, Atlanta actually has two more promising youngsters that will feature a lot this season off the bench. Julian Gressel is the reigning MLS Rookie of the Year, an award he won by a landslide. Gressel appeared in all but two matches last season, and was able to rack up 9 assists, which is 3rd-most by any rookie in MLS history. He also finished with 5 goals, giving him the most combined goals and assists among rookies.

Then you have Andrew Carleton, who is one of the most hyped American prospects in the MLS. He’s still only 17, but he should find himself getting significant minutes after making just one appearance last season. Carleton also had 2 goals and 3 assists for the United States at the U-17 World Cup in India last year, meaning that he was directly involved in almost half of the USA’s goals throughout the tournament.

Both are very exciting young players who should see significant playing time early on due to Barco’s absence.

With six young and exciting attacking talents at their disposal, this is a team that’s already been tipped as one of the favorites to win the MLS Cup, and I’m excited to see some fast-paced, electrifying soccer from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta kicks off its season on Saturday (March 3) against Houston at 3:30pm EST, live on Univision.

SEE MORE: Schedule of MLS games on US TV and streaming