The role model should be clearly defined: Kai Havertz (22), who trained at Bayer Leverkusen, became the match winner for Chelsea in the Champions League final a few weeks ago. The native of Aachen had left the Bundesliga the previous summer after four seasons as the most expensive German player of all time. Clubs like Leverkusen, Borussia Mönchengladbach or BVB have made names for themselves across Europe as training centers for highly talented youngsters. Here the top talents can gain experience at the highest level and mature into superstars. Jude Bellingham, Jadon Sancho and Florian Wirtz are just three examples of the Bundesliga talent factory. The next young professionals will have the opportunity to present themselves in the 2021/22 season. The SPORTBUZZER presents ten talents who could achieve this in the 2021/22 season.
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Tanguy Nianzou (FC Bayern, central defender, * 7 June 2002)
Tanguy Nianzou, who came to Munich on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2020, has not yet really been able to prove his skills in the Bundesliga. From September to November, the 19-year-old was incapacitated by a thigh injury. At the end of November, the central defender made a short appearance against VfB Stuttgart in the German House of Lords (21 minutes). The native Parisian was then absent for almost four months due to a torn muscle bundle. Three game days before the end of the season, after coach Hansi Flick Nianzou had made several short appearances, the defender caused a sensation with a curious red card: With a score of 5-0, he cleared Gladbach’s Breel Embolo with an emergency brake five minutes after his substitution. In the coming season, however, the Frenchman’s sporting breakthrough is expected – especially since David Alaba and Jerome Boateng are no longer there.
Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig, central defender, * 23.1.2002)
RB Leipzig secured the services of Josko Gvardiol in September 2020. The 19-year-old Croatian has been an official player in the Bundesliga since July 1st. The newcomer starts training with a little delay. Gvardiol is a five-time Croatian national player and was on the pitch in all four European games. The central defender only missed a total of 20 minutes. With his hometown club Dinamo Zagreb, Gvardiol has already won two Croatian championships (2020 and 2021) and cup winners in 2021. Its market value is loud transfermarkt.de 19 million euros.
Brian Brobbey (RB Leipzig, center forward, * 1.2.2002)
Soumaïla Coulibaly (Borussia Dortmund, central defender, * October 14, 2003)
In March, BVB signed Soumaila Coulibaly on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain and signed a contract until 2024. The 17-year-old central defender has not yet played a professional game, but the French-born player has already gained a lot of training experience with the PSG Champions League team. What could delay or even prevent the breakthrough in the coming season: In February Coulibaly tore a cruciate ligament during training and will be out until autumn.
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Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen, right defender, * December 10, 2000)
Right-back Jeremie Frimpong comes from the youth of Manchester City and moved to Scotland in September 2019 for just € 380,000. Bayer Leverkusen transferred around eleven million euros to Celtic when they signed in January. “In Jeremie Frimpong we were able to win over a player with a great potential for development and thus once again achieved a forward-looking transfer for Bayer 04,” said Bayer’s sporting director Simon Rolfes at the time. Since then, the native of the Netherlands has made ten appearances in the Bundesliga and eight games in the Europa League (three assists). In the coming season – also due to the end of the career of the Bender twins and the departure of Aleksandar Dragovic – there will probably be some for the 20-year-old.
Emrehan Gedikli, (Bayer Leverkusen, Mittelstürmer, *15.4.2003)
In the summer of 2020, Emrehan Gedikli made the leap into the professional squad of Bayer Leverkusen. In November and December, the then Werkself coach Peter Bosz helped the now 18-year-old to three short appearances in the Europa League. Born in Oberhausen, he had to wait until the last match day for his Bundesliga debut when he was substituted on against Borussia Dortmund 24 minutes before the end. In the U17 Bundesliga, however, Gedikli made a total of 40 appearances for Leverkusen between 2018 and 2020 – and scored 42 goals!
Bright Arrey-Mbi (FC Bayern, central defender, born March 26, 2003)
Bright Arrey-Mbi was allowed to play in the Champions League: On December 1, coach Hansi Flick put the then 17-year-old against Atletico Madrid from the start – not in his traditional position in central defense, but in the left midfield. The German-Englishman, who was born in Kaarst, was trained in the youth teams of Norwich City and Chelsea FC before becoming the German record champions in 2019. Arrey-Mbi is still waiting for Bundesliga appearances. The 18-year-old should get that under the coach Julian Nagelsmann, who is known as a talent promoter.
Kouadio Koné (Borussia Mönchengladbach, central midfield, * May 17, 2001)
Kouadio Koné has actually been a player for Borussia Mönchengladbach since January. At that time, the Gladbach company paid nine million euros. The club from the Lower Rhine agreed with the releasing FC Toulouse, however, to loan him directly to the French second division club. Koné’s market value did this decision well: It’s loud transfermarkt.de since then increased by two million euros to seven million now. The 20-year-old has already played a total of 14 appearances in Lique 1 and 36 in Lique 2 (three goals, one assist). Under the new coach Adi Hütter, Koné, who is taking over the shirt number 17 from Oscar Wendt, could now make his breakthrough in the Bundesliga.
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Aster Vranckx (VfL Wolfsburg, central midfield, * 04.10.2002)
The 18-year-old Aster Vranckx has been with VfL Wolfsburg since July 1st. He came for a transfer fee of eight million euros from KV Mechelen, where he had already made a name for himself with 38 games (five goals, four assists) in the Belgian first division. “I’m a player who likes to play physically”, explained Vranckx at his presentation in Wolfsburg. “I like to defend, but I also like to be active on the offensive – and sometimes I score a goal,” said the midfield all-rounder, who should immediately become a serious factor at Lower Saxony. A muscle injury in the right calf initially slows the 18-year-old down for weeks. Once this has been cured, Vranckx should quickly come to the train.
Angelo Stiller (1899 Hoffenheim, Defensive Midfield, * 04/04/2001)
1. FC Düren (in the DFB Cup), Atletico Madrid and Lok Moscow (each in the Champions League) – these are the three teams that Angelo Stiller played against with the professionals of FC Bayern. This summer he made a free transfer from Bayern II to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (market value 2.5 million euros). Since 2019, the 20-year-old has made 50 appearances in the third division, delivering one goal and eight assists. “Angelo is certainly one of the most exciting German talents in the central midfield and has already gained professional experience at FC Bayern despite the extremely high competition“, said TSG sports director Alexander Rosen when announcing the commitment of the youngster in January. In Hoffenheim he should finally start in the Bundesliga.
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