Mbappe finishes 2018 as the best WhoScored rated youngster in Europe
With 2019 fast approaching, now is the perfect time to assess the best performing youngsters in Europe’s top five leagues over the last 12 months. Here, we reveal the best rated XI comprised of players aged 21 and under to have made at least 10 appearances this calendar year, with additional information about their Football INDEX share prices.
Goalkeeper: Alex Meret (SPAL & Napoli) - 7.00 rating
Alex Meret established himself as SPAL’s first choice goalkeeper in the second half of last season and then earned a high profile move to Napoli over the summer. The 21-year-old has been forced to be patient at Napoli this season but finished 2018 with six clean sheets in 17 Serie A appearances. Furthermore, of goalkeepers that made at least 10 league appearances in Serie A this year, Meret ranks fifth for saves per game (3.5) and also have an impressive save success rate of 76.6% in that period.
Left-back Achraf Hakimi (Real Madrid & Borussia Dortmund) - 7.26 rating
Achraf Hakimi always seemed to impress when given the chance to play for Real Madrid last season, which made it slightly bewildering when the Spanish side sanctioned his loan move to Borussia Dortmund over the summer. It’s been made to look even more peculiar given all the injuries Madrid have suffered in defence this season. The versatile 20-year-old has played a key role in Dortmund’s title challenge this season, playing a direct hand in four league goals in 12 appearances. He also scored one goal in five league appearances during the second half of last season for Madrid.
Centre-back: Jordan Torunarigha (Hertha Berlin) - 7.20 rating
After flirting with Hertha Berlin’s first-team during the 2016/17 campaign, Jordan Torunarigha has been forced to wait until 2018 to really make his mark in the Bundesliga. The 20-year-old made 16 Bundesliga appearances this year and is now firmly knocking on the door for a regular starting berth behind Niklas Stark and Fabian Lustenberger. Torunarigha is Hertha’s third-joint top scorer in the Bundesliga this season with two goals. Furthermore, of players aged 21 or under in Europe’s top five leagues that made at least 10 appearances in 2018, only four averaged more clearances per game than Torunarigha (4.7).
Centre-back: Nordi Mukiele (Montpellier & RB Leipzig) - 7.10 rating
Nordi Mukiele caught the eye for French side Montpellier last season and RB Leipzig won the race for his signature in the summer. His acquisition has already proved an astute piece of business from the Bundesliga side less than six months into the season. Mukiele, who can play centre-back and right-back, has featured in eight league appearances this season and is impressively completing 1.6 dribbles and 2.0 tackles per game. Leipzig are unbeaten in the league when Mukiele has started this season, compared to a record of four defeats in 10 league games when he has not featured from the off.
Right-back: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace) - 7.32 rating
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been a revelation for Crystal Palace since making his first-team debut in February. Manchester City have already been linked with a summer move for the 21-year-old and it would not be a surprise if he made a big money move sooner rather than later. Wan-Bissaka is one of the first names on the Palace team-sheet now, emphasised by the fact the youngster has completed the most tackles and interceptions combined in the Premier League this season (118). His Football INDEX share price is £2.32 but will only rise more if he continues to turn in eye-catching performances in the build-up to the summer
Left midfield: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona) - 7.38 rating
Ousmane Dembele has dominated the papers this season and mainly for all the wrong reasons but his performances on the pitch have actually been brilliant and hugely decisive for Barcelona, particularly this season. Despite the fact five of his 16 league appearances this season have come from the bench, Dembele has still been directly involved in 10 goals (seven goals, three assists). Expanding on that, the 21-year-old has scored or assisted every 102 minutes of action in La Liga in 2018, having netted 10 times and registered 8 assists across 31 league appearances. His Football INDEX share price has increased more than 80p in December alone and will only continue to increase once La Liga resumes next month.
Centre midfield: Houssem Aouar (Lyon) - 7.23 rating
Lyon have developed into a factory for producing young talent in the last few decades and Houssem Aouar looks primed to be the next big-money departure in the near future. Aouar has already matched his league tally for goals from the entirety of last season in the first half of this campaign (six goals). Furthermore, only three Lyon players have been directly involved in more Ligue 1 goals in 2018 than Aouar (13). His Football INDEX share price has decreased more than 2% in the last seven days of trading but will pick back up after the winter break in France comes to an end next month.
Centre midfield: Ibrahim Sangare (Toulouse) - 7.28 rating
Ibrahim Sangare has not featured for Toulouse since October after picking up a year-ending injury after bizarrely slipping on a bar of soap in the shower. Nevertheless, 2018 has been hugely successfully for the young midfielder. Despite missing Toulouse’s final nine league games of 2018, Sangare has still completed the most tackles of any player aged 21 and under in Europe’s top five leagues (105) this calendar year. Furthermore, only Nicolo Barella (133) has won possession in the middle third more times than Sangare in 2018 (118). His Football INDEX share price is only £1.64 and worth monitoring.
Right midfield: Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) - 7.24 rating
Jadon Sancho has emerged as one of the brightest young talents in Europe this year and is the only teenager in our best rated XI in 2018. The 18-year-old has scored seven goals and provided 11 assists in 27 league appearances for Dortmund this year, playing a decisive part in a goal every 93.8 minutes of action in that period. Sancho’s form has even convinced Dortmund to dispense with Christian Pulisic, who was previously touted as the next big star in Europe. Only Sebastien Haller (8) has provided more assists than Sancho (7) in the Bundesliga this season and Dortmund are confident he will be a £100m-plus player in the near future. Football INDEX traders also believe that, affirmed by his current share price of £8.52.
Striker: Allan Saint-Maximin (Nice) - 7.22 rating
Allan Saint-Maximin is still looking to add consistency to his game but the 21-year-old has always been a real menace with the ball at his feet. The Nice youngster is the only player aged 21 and under in Europe’s top five leagues that has managed to complete more than 100 dribbles in 2018 (129). The 21-year-old has returned a respectable 11 goals and assists in 32 league appearances in that time and is certainly one to watch out for in the future on Football INDEX. The versatile Nice forward is currently trading at £1.72 and that will only increase if he can deliver end product on a more consistent basis.
Striker: Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) - 7.51 rating
Saving the best to last, Kylian Mbappe rounds off our best rated XI as the highest rated player aged 21 or under in 2018 in Europe’s top five leagues. Mbappe has grown from strength to strength this year and only reaffirmed his position as the best young player in the world. Mbappe played a direct hand in 22 goals in 25 league appearances in 2018, while also winning the WhoScored Man of the Match award at least two more times than any other player aged 21 and under (6). There are only four players on Football INDEX that have a higher share price than Mbappe at the moment (£13.53).
