European Golden Boy 2020: The best young players in Europe, rated and reviewed

Tuttosport have confirmed their 20-player shortlist for the 2020 Golden Boy award and are set to announce the winner in December. But just who are the next crop of brilliant youngsters set to dominate elite football?

Even with some of the biggest names in European football on this list there may be some players you don’t know as much about, or perhaps you haven’t seen as much as you would have liked.

Never fear, however. Using the power of the Eurosport network, we have rated and reviewed each player using our local experts in each major league.

Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix won the award last season as the best Under-21 player in Europe and his successor will be determined via a vote conducted by 40 top football journalists across the continent.

Hasn’t kicked on since his explosive England debut in March 2019 and probably needs a move to fulfil his potential after Chelsea’s crazy summer of spending. But he has that rare knack for skinning full-backs, and having just turned 20, still has plenty of time to fulfil his undoubted potential. (Analysis from Ben Snowball)

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There’s still a disparity between the hype around Foden and his performances, but the two are closing. Great carrying the ball and intelligent off it, this season will tell us everything about him – is he ready to take over from David Silva in the Man City midfield or is he just a very good, but not great, central midfielder? (Ben Snowball)

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An enigma. Undoubtedly talented but there are reports that his application in training is causing United concern. He finished last season with aplomb, proving United’s attack could survive without Jadon Sancho, but he has suffered a dip in form since the restart. Still, he’s brilliant with both feet and can score inside and outside the box, suggesting he has the game to turn this mini-slump around. (Ben Snowball)

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Torres is the third youngest player (after Haaland and Mbappe) to score in four consecutive Champions League games. You almost forget about him given he cost just €23m, but don’t be fooled – this kid has serious talent. (Ben Snowball)

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Saka is starting to make the left flank his own, capable in attack and defence, and boasts a wand of a left foot. Arsenal fans do have a tendency to over-hype their players, but Saka does appear to be the real deal. He’s consistent, always seems to be a step ahead of his opponent and carries the ball beautifully. Could be the difference in Arsenal’s quest for a top four finish this season. (Ben Snowball)

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Very hard to predict. He’s been restricted to substitute appearances in the Premier League and doesn’t appear to have impressed the Wolves chiefs at all. (Ben Snowball)

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Currently Ansu Fati is injured for the next four months, but at 18 years of age he is the new leader of FC Barcelona. The successor to Lionel Messi as FCB legend, you might say. He has all the skills to be a world class player: speed, attitude, intelligence and he is hungry for glory. (Adrian Garcia)

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Vinicius could be a top player, but his performances seem stagnant. In his third season in the Real Madrid first-team squad, there is a lot of pressure above him but the Brazilian is not meeting expectations. He should improve his skills, specially his one-on-ones in the final third. He is rarely able to make the best decision with the ball. And of course he is not a starting player for Zinedine Zidane. (Adrian Garcia)

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Similar to his compatriot Vinicius. Rodrygo is not ready yet to be a star in the Real Madrid squad. He hasn’t got had regular appearances but at least he scored a decisive goal for Real against Inter in the UCL. Maybe Rodrygo and Vinicius need more experience on loan with other teams. Both have a lot of pressure and poor numbers. (Adrian Garcia)

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Dest is the new sensation at the Camp Nou with four appearances in La Liga and having made a very good impression thus far. It's too early to judge him, but he seems a perfect player to develop a good career at a top club like FC Barcelona. Dest needs to improve his attacking skills, as with Jordi Alba or Daniel Alves in their best days. (Adrian Garcia)

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Just ask Nelson Semedo what he thinks of Bayern’s left-back. The Barcelona defender got humiliated by the young Canadian during the historic Champions League match back in August. He just couldn’t keep up with Davies, while the 20-year-old did what he does best: attack. Davies is not your typical defender, as he is constantly taking part in attacking play. His speed and gift to create chances has made him a vital part of the treble-winning Bayern team after coach Hansi Flick took over in November 2019. His next challenge will be to recover from the first big injury of his career. (Tobias Hlusiak)

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The attacking midfielder came to Dortmund when he was 16 years old, ultimately making his Bundesliga-debut when he was 17. In three years of top-level play he established himself as one of the best and most spectacular players in Germany. He was a vital part of Dortmund’s 18/19 and 19/20 teams, scoring 29 goals and assisting 34 goals combined. After his transfer to Manchester United collapsed last summer, his performances took a little bit of a hit. He will be back to full strength soon, that’s for sure. But will he reduce all the drama he is creating off the pitch? (Tobias Hlusiak)

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What can you say about Erling Haaland? Well, he is a goalscoring machine. One could praise his strength, speed, football-IQ or unlimited will to win. None of that would be as impressive as his pure stats. At 20 years old the striker has played in 113 competitive matches for Molde, Salzburg, Dortmund and the Norwegian national team, scoring a crazy total of 82 goals. He hit the net 14 times in his first 11 Champions League matches – an all time record. If Haaland doesn’t get injured he will be Europe’s best number 9 for the next decade. (Tobias Hlusiak)

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Szoboszlai is the next hot prospect coming out of Salzburg. They’re doing it every few months. The Hungarian quietly became one of Europe’s most scouted youngsters in the past few years. Now, he is doing it on the big stage, making headlines by scoring (wonderful) goals in the Champions League. The 20-year-old can play every position across the midfield and has great composure in front of goal. Look out for him getting transferred to a bigger club (Leipzig, Arsenal, etc.) as early as January 2021. (Tobias Hlusiak)

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When you can combine technical qualities and power, you have a ‘big deal’. That’s the rule in modern football. And Dejan Kulusevski is definitely the next big deal. Juventus paid a lot of money for him, but it already seems worth it. When he can find spaces to run into, he looks like a player that is very difficult to stop. And there’s a plus: he also looks like the kind of player that can adapt to different positions: winger, attacking midfielder, behind the two strikers, second striker. Again: quality and adaptability. And power. (Simone Eterno)

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It is still hard to fully understand his potential. Sandro Totali is a central midfielder with pretty clear qualities: short passes, long passes, good technical skills, but none of these fall under the ‘outstanding’ category. And the best proof is probably the fact that since he’s joined AC Milan last summer, he was unable to take the places of Ismail Bennacer and Frank Kessie. He’s still quite inexperienced at this level and he probably needs some more time to fully grown and adapt to a big club. (Simone Eterno)

He has not lived up to the hype since joining Lille, where he's still looking for his first goal after two impressive years in Belgium with 48 goals and 20 assists in 95 games. But the potential is clearly there for the 20 year old Canadian. The fact that he played more as a No.10 with two forwards in front of him at Gent could explain why it is taking some time for him to adapt at Lille, where he is used as a striker. But he's a complete player, very good at reading the space, and he might overcome his weaknesses sooner rather than later. (Vincent Bregevin)

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It's really surprising to see him on this list, despite the fact that he kind of stepped up since the start of the season due to Juan Bernat's injury and Laywin Kurzawa's suspension. He has been useful offensively, showing quality in taking up spaces and accuracy with his crosses. He has not made big defensive mistakes as well. But overall, I haven't seen the potential for a top left back in the making. (Vincent Bregevin)

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The real deal. Camavinga has everything, showing leadership, technical and athletic skills, making the right choice at the right time and always being well positioned on the pitch. He also got the ability to be decisive in front of goal despite playing in a defensive midfielder role. His work rate is incredible and he plays like an elite experienced player despite being fairly new to the top level. By the way, Rennes are really struggling without playing with their 18 year-old wonderkid. (Vincent Bregevin)

Gravenberch is the next hot prospect coming out of the Ajax Academy. The central midfielder made his debut against PSV in 2018 and became the youngest ever Ajax player in the Eredivisie at 16 years and 130 days. Just three days later he also became the youngest goalscorer in club history, scoring in a cup match. This season, Gravenberch has become an important player in Ajax’s XI, and he has started every game he has been available for. (Josse van Bakkel)