10 Champions League wonderkids from outside Europe’s top five leagues you need to watch this season

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The Champions League is where Europe’s elite congregate, separating the continents best players from the rest.

It is also a place for young players to prove their ability, particularly those outside of Europe’s top five leagues: England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France.

After highlighting ten wonderkids you need to watch for Europe’s highest-ranked leagues – links to which you will see throughout this article – we thought for our Champions League list was a chance to highlight the incredible talent across the rest of the continent.

Youngsters in the Netherlands, Portugal and Ukraine are often noticed and subsequently poached as a result of their performances in the Champions League.

So we’ve picked out ten names you might be seeing plenty of during this season’s competition.

1. Steven Bergwijn

Age: 20

Club: PSV Eindhoven

Position: Winger

2017/18 Champions League appearances: 0

On the scoresheet in PSV’s final qualifying win over BATE Borisov, Steven Bergwijn is an exciting young winger who could make a breakthrough in Europe this year.

The Netherlands Under-21 international made six Champions League appearances in 2016/17 but wasn’t given the chance to impress on the biggest stage last term as PSV failed to qualify. He’ll be hoping to score his first Champions League goal this season.

2. Hirving Lozano

Age: 23

Club: PSV Eindhoven

Position: Winger

2017/18 Champions League appearances: 0

PSV’s squad is full of big prospects, especially in the attacking positions. Hirving Lozano is arguably at the top of that list after his impressive World Cup with Mexico, during which he scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Germany.

Lozano scored in both legs against BATE Borisov and looks set for a big season both domestically and in Europe.

3. Matthijs de Ligt

Age: 19

Club: Ajax

Position: Centre-back

2017/18 Champions League appearances: 0

Linked with the likes of Barcelona and Tottenham over the summer, De Ligt is one of the most promising young defenders in Europe. In 2017, he became the youngest ever finalist in a European final as Ajax lost to Man Utd. This year, he will now be hoping to reach the latter stages of the Champions League.

Good performances in the competition could finally convince his many suitors to instigate a move abroad, although Ajax will hope they can convince him to stick around until he has matured further.

4. Frenkie De Jong

Age: 21

Club: Ajax

Position: Central midfielder

2017/18 Champions League appearances: 0

Another Ajax wonderkid reportedly being targeted by Barcelona, Frenkie De Jong has everything it takes to make it to the very top. An impressive showing in the Champions League this term may help him to achieve that goal sooner rather than later.

Squawka writer Mohamed Moallim recently labelled De Jong as “a blend of Kaka and Sergio Busquets,” so there is certainly a lot be getting excited about when it comes to the midfielder.

5. Henry Onyekuru

Age: 21

Club: Galatasaray (on loan from Everton)

Position: Forward

2017/18 Champions League appearances: 6

Everton signed Henry Onyekuru in the summer of 2017, immediately sending him on loan to Anderlecht where he made six Champions League appearances last season.

The Nigeria international didn’t score or assist a single goal in those six matches, but he could prosper from playing in a slightly more exciting Galatasaray side this term. Indeed, he has already scored two goals in three Super Lig games since joining the Turkish giants.

6. Viktor Kovalenko

Age: 22

Club: Shakhtar Donestsk

Position: Winger

2017/18 Champions League appearances: 5

Part of the talented young Shakhtar side that beat Manchester City in this competition last season, Kovalenko is highly rated in Ukraine and could play a key role if Shakhtar move beyond the group stages once again this term.

At 22, Kovalenko has already made 125 appearances across all competitions for Shakhtar and played for his country, Ukraine, 18 times.

7. The Miranchuks

Age: 22

Club: Lokomotiv Moscow

Position: Central midfielder (Anton), Attacking midfielder (Alexey)

2017/18 Champions League appearances: 0

Anton Miranchuk has played far fewer matches (46) for Lokomotiv Moscow than his twin brother Alexey (148), but the pair have both emerged as important players for club and country over the last couple of years.

The Miranchuks were both included in Russia’s World Cup squad, something that may give them the confidence to continue their rise for Lokomotiv in Europe. Just don’t count on us to tell them apart for you.

8. Diogo Leite

Age: 19

Club: Porto

Position: Centre-back

2017/18 Champions League appearances: 0

After an impressive season for Porto’s B team last season, Diogo Leite has played every minute for the senior side in the heart of defence so far in 2018/19; the Guardian claims Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City all have a long-standing interest in the teenager.

Leite was part of Portugal’s Under-17 European Championship-winning side in 2016, earning a place in the Team of the Tournament for his displays.

Fast forward two years, he’s been rewarded with a place in Squawka’s list of Champions League wonderkids.

9. Joao Felix

Age: 18

Club: Benfica

Position: Attacking midfielder

2017/18 Champions League appearances: 0

Joao Felix has only shown glimpses of what he can provide this season, making substitute appearances in the league and in Champions League qualifiers for Benfica.

The 18-year-old scored seven goals in 29 appearances for Benfica B before being promoted to the senior set-up, where he will be aiming for more minutes throughout the European campaign.

10. Gedson Fernandes

Age: 19

Club: Benfica

Position: Central midfielder

2017/18 Champions League appearances: 0

With a goal and an assist in qualifying, Gedson Fernandes may be an even more exciting prospect than Joao Felix.

The quick and skilful 19-year-old, rumoured to be a Manchester United target, has featured in all three of Benfica’s opening league games so far this season and, for a teenager, he looks set to play a big role in 2018/19.

Restricting the number of players from each side means that only two exciting talents from Benfica have been included in our list of Champions League wonderkids. However, it’s worth keeping a much closer eye on the team as a whole given their record when it comes to developing young players.

The post 10 Champions League wonderkids from outside Europe’s top five leagues you need to watch this season appeared first on Squawka News.



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