Revealed: The best rookies to Europe’s top 5 leagues this season - part II

Continuing our look at the best rookie stars of 2018/19, we’re into the top five in this second instalment.

A reminder that the rankings are based on our WhoScored.com ratings from Europe’s top five leagues, considering only those that had played fewer than 1000 top-flight minutes in any of said divisions prior to this season. Age is not a factor, but players must have made 20 or more appearances in the current campaign to make the grade.

5. Joelinton (Hoffenheim) - WhoScored.com rating 7.29

Attracting plenty of interest ahead of the summer, Joelinton has been an important player for Hoffenheim since returning from loan with Rapid Wien last summer. The Brazilian certainly isn’t prolific but he is unselfish and hard-working from the front, as well as being capable of playing across the line of attack. Something of a jack of all trades at the age of just 22, if the forward can master one then he should reach the very top.

There’s a reason Julian Nagelsmann has stuck with Joelinton when he hasn’t been scoring after all, as he brings others into play so well. With seven goals and five assists to his name he has chipped in a respectable amount but it’s the 1.5 tackles and 2.1 dribbles per 90 that have proven invaluable in the club’s pursuit of another Champions League finish.

4. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace) - WhoScored.com rating 7.30

While the full-back showed plenty of promise upon breaking into the Palace side at the tail end of last season, making seven appearances, no-one would have predicted quite how impressive and consistent the youngster would be this time around. The 21-year-old has made the right-back berth his own at Selhurst Park and emerged as the Eagles’ best performer in his first full campaign in senior football.

Many were left disappointed at the defender being left out of both the latest England squad and recent PFA Young Player of the Year shortlist, proving the reputation he has built as one of the country’s top prospects. Third in the league for tackles (124) - having been dribbled past just ten times - and second in interceptions (82), as well as completing the second most dribbles of all defenders (61), it’s only a matter of time before one of the top six comes calling.

3. Youcef Atal (Nice) - WhoScored.com rating 7.47

An example of superb scouting on Nice’s part, and not for the first time in recent years, other than a short spell in Belgium with Kortrijk, Atal had played all of his football in his native Algeria. The right-back’s pace and trickery down the flank has been a real outlet for Patrick Vieira’s side this season, and the 22-year-old has weighed in with six goals across 20 Ligue 1 starts, including match-winners against Nimes and Strasbourg, along with a hat-trick against Guingamp at the weekend.

Of players to make at least 20 appearances in France’s top-flight only Hatem Ben Arfa and teammate Allan Saint-Maximin have completed more dribbles per 90 minutes (4). Meanwhile, an average of 2.8 tackles per 90 is the most for Nice this season, as Atal has proven a very promising replacement for Ricardo Pereira.

2. Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) - WhoScored.com rating 7.53

Regaining the outright lead in assists in Europe’s top five leagues at the weekend, taking his tally to 14 for the season in the Bundesliga, it’s easy to forget that Sancho - who turned 19 last month - had started just seven top-flight matches prior to this campaign. The latest in his catalogue of assists was an absolute beauty in the Revierderby, with the teenager arguably Dortmund’s most important player to their title tilt.

The winger has 11 goals to his name after all, making him one of just eight players in Europe’s top five leagues to reach double figures in both goals and assists. Said contributions have directly earned BVB 21 points, and to say the youngster has been one of the brightest talents on the continent this season would be an understatement. Among the top ten players for key passes per 90 in Germany’s top-flight this season (2.4) and out in front for successful dribbles per 90 (3.9), superstar status looks imminent for the England international.

1. Teji Savanier (Nimes) - WhoScored.com rating 7.84

Having not made a single top-flight appearance come the start of the season, at the age of 26 Savanier wasn’t expected to be one of the star performers in Ligue 1, let alone Europe’s top five leagues this season. Nevertheless, the Nimes star has proven to be the definitive all action midfielder, and it will be interesting to see the calibre of club, if any, that makes a move for the Frenchman this summer.

Savanier’s statistics both in the defensive and offensive third are outstanding, with his ability over a set piece helping to reach tallies of six goals and 12 assists, the latter of which is a record in Ligue 1 this season. His tireless work rate both with and without the ball has seen the middle man rank among the top players in France’s top tier for accurate crosses (73 - first), key passes (76 - third), fouls won (86 - third), tackles (87 - ninth) and dribbles (68 - 11th).