The trend of top clubs competing for up-and-coming young talent is not a new phenomenon, but the activity in this transfer window has seen more focus on the future than usual.
With Chelsea still in full-send mode (their latest Brazilian talent, Estêvão Willian, arrives next summer when he turns 18 for an initial €29 million), Brighton & Hove Albion have signed no less than four under-23 players, while Tottenham landed exciting prospects such as Archie Gray (18) and Wilson Odobert (19). The same tendency is very much in fashion on the continent, too, with Paris Saint-Germain leading the way as a prime destination for rising prodigies.
Here, we take a closer look at the top U23 signings so far across Europe this summer and rank them in order of potential success.
10. Antonio Nusa, 19, FW — Club Brugge to RB Leipzig (€21m)
Having been reportedly courted by Chelsea and Spurs — and seen his move to Brentford collapse at the 11th hour in January — the Norway winger finally secured a move to RB Leipzig last week.
Two years ago, Nusa attained some notoriety when he became the second-youngest player to score in the UEFA Champions League. Last weekend, he opened his Leipzig account with a stunning individual effort just 74 seconds after coming on for his debut in their cup win over Essen.
Modelling himself on Neymar, Nusa sets himself up wide on the left wing before advancing diagonally by way of swift, mesmerising dribbles. While consistency is still a work in progress, Nusa is unlikely to find a better stepping stone to advance his promising career than Leipzig.
9. Maximilian Beier, 22, FW — TSG Hoffenheim to Borussia Dortmund (€29m)
After letting Niclas Füllkrug move to West Ham United, Dortmund upgraded their frontline this summer by adding Beier along with goal-scoring sensation Serhou Guirassy from VfB Stuttgart.
While the latter’s arrival might have attracted the most attention, Beier is a solid signing, though he might have to contend with playing a slightly different role than the roaming centre-forward position he excelled in at Hoffenheim.
His relentless pressing, knack for finding space between the lines, and high-speed runs in transition will prove an asset to Dortmund — even if he’s more likely to receive the ball out wide on the left. Considering his age, Beier brings remarkable consistency and always puts in a shift for his team.
8. Joshua Zirkzee, 22, ST — Bologna to Manchester United (€43m)
The Netherlands international could hardly have hoped for a better debut: he only needed half an hour to grab the winning goal as Manchester United saw off Fulham 1-0 in their Premier League opener.
With young Rasmus Højlund ruled out through injury, Zirkzee will be an intriguing replacement as his skill set differs from that of the Denmark international. As opposed to the direct and penetrative runs of Højlund, Zirkzee is more of a playmaking No. 9 who excels in link-up play from deeper positions, clever movement, and has a fine understanding with his teammates around him. Those qualities should prove useful in a side that looked disjointed in the final third last season.
While a partnership with Højlund up front might seem implausible given Erik ten Hag’s single-striker formation, their technical profiles do appear compatible and Zirkzee’s goal-scoring abilities are improving fast.
7. Désiré Doué, 19, AM — Rennes to Paris Saint-Germain (€50m)
After Benfica midfielder João Neves and Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Willian Pacho, Doué became the third young star to join PSG this summer.
Another graduate from the impressive Rennes academy, the Olympic silver medalist (with France) was on the radar of many elite clubs this summer, but PSG struck first despite concerns over his decision-making. Though he might be prone to overdoing his time on the ball, few players match his one-on-one abilities in attack, and he drifts past opponents as if no effort was required.
Doué is also hard to dispossess, and he navigates tight spaces brilliantly thanks to his first-class close control and balance. Watching him is exciting, and he will surely be a fan favourite as the club’s Champions League campaign kicks off.
6. Amadou Onana, 23, DM — Everton to Aston Villa (€60m)
While Onana is not known for his goal-scoring abilities, it only took him four minutes to get his Aston Villa record up and running as he found the net with a towering header in the 2-1 win at West Ham.
Aside from the goal, Villa fans also got a broad introduction to Onana’s qualities in that match as he was safe in possession, made crucial interceptions, won 70% of his duels, and was arguably the best player on the pitch. Some of Villa’s rivals for the Champions League spots this season might regret not giving the club more competition in signing the powerful and reliable midfielder.
5. Michael Olise, 22, AM — Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich (€53m)
It was only a matter of time before Olise moved on to bigger things (with all due respect to Crystal Palace), but a move to Germany did not seem to be on the cards for a player who was ostensibly linked with Premier League powerhouses like Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool.
Perhaps convinced by new Bayern boss Vincent Kompany that he wouldn’t solely be used as an out-and-out winger, the France U21 international should find a home in a more central, playmaking role. He is so smooth on the ball, brilliant at quick interchanges, and he has a work ethic more akin to a No. 8. Indeed, Olise is such a versatile, all-round threat in the final third that even his inflated transfer fee seems like a shrewd investment by Bayern.
4. Riccardo Calafiori, 22, CB/LB — Bologna to Arsenal (€45m)
The most puzzling aspect of the Italy international’s move to Arsenal is not a matter of quality — after all, Calafiori was one of the best defenders in Serie A last season and one of Italy’s top performers at Euro 2024 — it’s the fact it presents such a selection problem for Mikel Arteta.
With Arsenal’s defence already the tightest in the Premier League, it’s hard to see anyone breaking up the central defensive partnership between William Saliba and Gabriel any time soon. And while there might more competition for the left-back slot, it’s hard to imagine Calafiori signing a five-year deal just to forfeit his favourite role for the foreseeable future.
Aggressive, excellent on the ball, and possessing an outstanding ability to drive forward, Calafiori plays with an aura, alertness and confidence that is rare for a 22-year-old.
3. Leny Yoro, 18, CB — Lille to Manchester United (€62m)
Manchester United beat off competition from Real Madrid to land the highly rated Lille centre-back in mid-July, but Yoro only showed glimpses of his immense talent before he suffered an ankle injury in a preseason friendly that could see him sidelined for months.
Though he’s still on crutches, United have every reason to feel content with securing the top teenage centre-back in Europe. Having made his Ligue 1 debut at age 16, Yoro has looked increasingly comfortable with senior football and had an outstanding season in the heart of the Lille defence last season (in which he clocked the most minutes of the entire first-team squad.)
At this point in his development Yoro functions best as a covering centre-back, yet his pace and quick thinking can also see him take the more proactive role in the partnership.
2. Endrick, 18, ST — Palmeiras to Real Madrid (€72m)
A year after the transfer was first announced, Endrick is finally in Madrid. Few players have created so much excitement months before their arrival as the 18-year-old, and perhaps by the end of this year we’ll know whether the hyperbole was justified.
Based on his performances in Brazil, his natural talent is undisputed. As one would expect from a player who has represented his country 10 times before he turned 18, Endrick possesses some thrilling technical skills and strikes the ball particularly well with his left foot.
For a predominately flair-based player, he also sports good timing in the air and doesn’t switch off when out of possession. Many expected him to make his official Real Madrid debut at the weekend but, as the champions struggled their way to a 1-1 draw at Mallorca, manager Carlo Ancelotti evidently wanted to pick a less pressured moment for the youngster to get his first minutes.
1. João Neves, 19, CM — Benfica to Paris Saint-Germain (€60m)
One of the hottest young players in Europe, it was something of a surprise that Benfica allowed Neves to leave for only half of his €120m release clause — a fee that appeared to have most elite clubs in Europe hesitating to make their move. Yet, with well-established links between the two clubs, PSG managed to snap up the gifted all-round midfielder, who combines grit and flair so well, with Renato Sanches moving in the opposite direction).
Neves (who came 12th in ESPN’s annual U21 rankings) needed little time to make an impact in his new surroundings. Coming off the bench at half-time in the 4-1 win over Le Havre in Ligue 1 this weekend, he helped turn the game for the French champions — providing two assists (one a delicately chipped cross for Randal Kolo Muani’s header) and instantly took charge of the playmaking responsibilities, with an impressive 53 touches in one half.
