TOP 10 U-23 PLAYERS IN EUROPE 2022/2023 SEASON PT.1
- okechioji
- Jun 4, 2023
- 3 min read
The 2022/23 season was one dominated by the younger generation of players, title races were carried and decided by some of the best young players in world football. In this article I’ll look 10 of the best under 23 performers across Europe’s top 5 leagues. My criteria for selecting these players was not solely based on stats but how much these players contributed to the success of their various clubs.
When I first had the idea for this post I thought it was going to be easy selecting the best 10, but after doing my preliminary research I discovered a lot of players who performed excellently and made huge contributions to their respective clubs. Irrespective of that I’ve managed to narrow it down to 10, these are the best young players in Europe 2022/23 season (in no particular order).
Xavi Simons (20)
It is no secret that Xavi is one of my favorite footballers at the moment, he is an incredibly versatile player with great technical ability. He joined PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2022 from PSG because of first team opportunities and he proved that he is indeed ready to be a starter, he scored 19 goals and provided 9 assists as PSV finished 2nd behind Feyenoord in the Eredevisie as well as contributing to 3 goals (1 goal, 2 assists) on the way to winning the Dutch cup. His excellent performances all season saw him make his international debut at the world cup in December. With recent rumors linking him with a move back to PSG and Arsenal reportedly interested, he can only go up from here.
Bukayo Saka (21)
It was an impressive season on a personal level for Bukayo Saka despite the disappointment of not winning the league, he registered 14 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League. He was directly involved in 28% of Arsenal’s goals in the league this season, as well as goals against Manchester United and Liverpool alongside other impressive performances. His directness and creativity was a constant threat to opposition defenses all season. His impressive performances have seen him earn a new bumper contract keeping him at the Emirates Stadium till 2027.
Gabriel Martinelli (21)
Another player responsible for Arsenals’ surprising title charge was Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian winger displayed impressive performances throughout the league campaign which saw him score 15 goals and provide 5 assists equaling the most goals scored by a Brazilian in a Premier League season. Martinelli was an important piece of the Arsenal puzzle with his ability to beat his man and score with either foot, he was an ever-present threat down the left. Martinelli and Saka showed this season that age doesn’t really matter, you just have to be good enough.
Jude Bellingham (19)
Jude Bellingham has been one of the best young players across Europe for a few years now, at 19 years of age he plays like a seasoned veteran. His performances for Dortmund this season were very crucial to their title charge, he contributed to 13 goals (8 goals, 5 assists) from midfield as Dortmund finished level on points with Bayern but fell behind due to an inferior goal difference. Clearly a leader as he occasionally captained Dortmund, including during their Champions League game against Chelsea. He also put up good outings at the World Cup in December and now with a supposed move to Real Madrid on the horizon Jude Bellingham can go on to be one of the best players of his generation.
Jamal Musiala (20)
Jamal “bambi” Musiala was one of the players that spearheaded Bayerns’ Bundesliga success. Nicknamed bambi because of his incredible dribbling ability, the 20 year old German international contributed to an amazing 25 goals in 33 league appearances scoring 12 times and directly creating 13 goals. Most of Musialas appearances came from midfield which is his natural position and he showed that by producing stellar performances both with and without goal contributions. He’s one of Europe’s brightest talents and no doubt a future superstar. Ps I advice you click on the link below, 10 minutes of pure talent.
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