JULIAN BRANDT
20 / Germany / Bayer Leverkusen
Analysis: One of Brandt’s main strengths is his passing ability, which he showed with a wonderful assist against Leipzig. He ran down the through ball, and placed his pass between two defenders across the box to an open Kevin Kampl.
Besides his passing, the twenty-year-old is also a good dribbler of the ball. Brandt showcased his dribbling ability against Stuttgart last season, with a couple of moves around a defender before he ran through the open field and got the assist. Part of the reason why Brandt picks up so many assists is his ability to free himself with his dribbling.
Another main strength of the German’s as a player is his pace. This aspect of his game is why he’s often alone when he scores, since he runs by the defense. His goal against Darmstadt demonstrated his pace, as he ran down a long ball and put away the easy finish. That goal displayed Brandt’s ability to get in behind the opposition, and it’s part of the reason why he scored in six consecutive games last season. Most top class wide players have pace to burn, and Brandt fits that profile.
Looking Ahead: Brandt continues to make a name for himself with his fine displays in the Bundesliga as his future is incredibly bright. His passing, dribbling and pace make the 20-year-old a can’t miss prospect for football fans. Brandt’s international future is also very bright with Loew finally giving him a shot with the senior squad. People in Germany see him as the next Marco Reus, and Brandt certainly has the talent to live up to that billing.
FRANCK KESSIE
20 / Ivory Coast / Atalanta
Analysis: Possessing great technique and an imposing physique, Franck is a tank in midfield, fully capable of passing and keeping the ball. He picked a few tricks of the trade while on loan at Cesena last season under the tutelage of Massimo Drago, who moved him into midfield from defence, forming a midfield partnership with Stefano Sensi and making thirty-five appearances. Having previously played as a centre back, his tackles and aerial duels (one and one won respectively on average) are quite impressive, with five goals this season he has shown that he’s capable of finding the back of the net as well setting up goals (one assist) and creating chances (twleve) but it’s his versatility and ability to combine brute power with surgical technique that has stood out the most. Consistency is key at the top level and Franck has shown he can perform steadily at just about any level. Able to slot in anywhere in central midfield as well as centre-back – a position he played in upon arrival – he has proven to be a very valuable piece of Gianpiero Gasperini’s formation. His ability to read the game is brilliant for his age and his decision making has been spot on despite the occasional recklessness that is expected from someone of his age.
Looking Ahead: The midfielder will be playing alongside Yaya Toure at the African Cup of Nations, a player Kessie accepts he looks up to. He’s also shown a willingness to learn and improve, highlighted by his loan spell at Cesena under Massimo Drago where he was moved into midfield and his ability to nail down a regular first team spot under the tactically and physically demanding setup of Gasperini shows how hard he’s working. Already an Ivorian international – he made his debut aged 17 – the future looks bright for La Dea’s next big thing.
VIKTOR KOVALENKO
20 / Ukraine / Shakhtar Donetsk
Analysis: Kovalenko’s style of play is suited for modern football. Adept at passing, dribbling, shooting and quick off the blocks, Kovalenko has the dynamism and versatility a modern footballer requires. The youngster is more attack minded and plays as a number ten with the Ukrainian’s vision another aspect of his game that enables him to be so effective as an attacking midfielder. Impressively, in the 2015-16 season, he had six assists in the Europa League as a central midfielder, showing his capability to pick out a pass and make right decisions in the heat of the game.
Kovalenko’s impressive finishing is a hugely attractive part of his game. The midfielder has the instinct to time his runs to perfection and appear in goal-scoring positions more often than not. An excellent performance in the UEFA Youth League against Anderlecht showed the same when he scored a hat-trick. The goals he brings from the midfield are very important to any team he plays for and he has the clinical nature of a striker.
Kovalenko stands at 5 ft 11. This makes him strong on the ball and harder to muscle off. His strength is useful especially in a deeper role as he links defense to attack, while at the same time providing the physicality while making attacking runs towards opponents.
Looking Ahead: Kovalenko needs to make the attacking midfield role at Shakhtar his own. But what’s most exciting is the impact he could have at the national level. With only Konoplyanka and Yarmolenko particularly strong attacking figures in the national team, Kovalenko could be an important piece of the puzzle and help lift the national side out of mediocrity. Viktor Kovalenko should ascertain his place as a starter for both Shakhtar and Ukraine so that he can gain experience and grow in stature.
RUBEN NEVES
19 / Portugal / Porto
Analysis: Neves dictates the rhythm and direction of his team’s offensive movements. He is able to ally all of his technical and passing quality (his dribbling and first touch skills are incredible) with a rare calmness and intelligence when conducting the ball. Thus, when he is playing he provides dynamism to his team’s build-up, connecting all the team’s sectors more efficiently. Also, he shows an extraordinary long-range pass accuracy which helps the ball to quickly go from one side of the field to another, posing difficulties to any defensive organisation. In addition, he is not afraid of taking his chances when it comes to finishing (his first goal for Porto scored against Marítimo shows just that, as he was making his debut and did not shy away from trying to score a goal from afar).
Being a No.6 midfielder, Neves just has to improve his defensive positioning without the ball to attain the consistency required of any player in his position. A possession-driven side like FC Porto surely benefits from the dimension Rúben Neves can offer to the game, bringing every player of the team together and turning the offensive manoeuvres into a constant and asphyxiating trend in Porto’s style of play.
Looking Ahead: Despite the two “fairy-tale” seasons Neves went through, 2016/2017 brought him a new challenge he had never faced during his professional career: he started the season on the bench, in the shadow of Danilo Pereira, one of the recent European Champions (playing only nine matches, almost none in the line-up). If he can equal the defensive assurance Danilo gives the team he will surely regain a starting spot in Nuno Espírito Santo’s line-up. He cannot let the success he has already achieved rush his development. Being a fan favourite (he’s played at Porto since he was eight), one of the captains and having a solid contract until 2019, he has already the perfect place to complete his evolution, which will surely bring him to the global spotlight sooner or later.
these are a few talented youngsters but whether they would cope with the prem is unknown