Top Young International Talent
Six Premiere Football Star Prospects Emerging Around World
Oct 3, 2009
Football always comes up with top notch young talent which excite the world and give fans of their home nation plenty to look forward to in the future. The past couple of years has been no different in churning out superstars-to-be - many of them coming from the talent factory Brazil. Here is a breakdown of six of the top youngsters ready to explode onto the season.
Name - Age - Current Club
Keirrison - 20 - Benfica (On Loan From Barcelona)
Football fans should write this name down. The Brazilian forward's name is a bit of an odd story as his father is a big fan of the rock singer Jim Morrison as well as an affinity for the letter K. The 20-year-old was the Brazilian Serie A's leading scorer in 2008 with 21 goals for Palmeiras Sao Paulo.
Keirrison plays with both feet, is a strong dribbler, quick and clever in front of the goal. Besides he moves well and is creative in tough situations. Some observers say he reminds them of Liverpool's Fernando Torres.
Barcelona signed him in July 2009 to a five-year contract for 14 million euros and a bonus of up to 2 million euros. Less than a week after the signing he was sent on loan to Portuguese side Benfica.
Douglas Costa - 19 - Gremio Porto Alegre
The Brazilian attacking midfielder has only played 20 games for Gremio's first team. But the teenager used his star performances with the Brazilian youth national teams to come up with such lofty expectations as being the "new Ronaldinho" in Brazil and the "next Cristiano Ronaldo" in England.
Costa is a left-foot winger who comes from the midfield but also attacks the goal and is a free-kick specialist. He is also extremely quick and uses his speed to break down his defenders. He still has a big ego, preferring too often fancy dribbling instead of the safe pass.
Among the teams rumored to be interested in Douglas Costa are Manchester United, Juventus Turin, Real Madrid and Barcelona. The main problem is that Gremio reportedly wants a transfer fee of nearly 25 million euros.
Eden Hazard - 18 - Lille OSC
The Belgian attacking midfielder/winger is known for his decisive speed, amazing technical ability and big right-foot shot. Hazard debuted in the Belgian senior national team at just 17 years of age and is considered the successor to the legendary Enzo Scifo. And Hazard's club Lille have already produced stars such as Eric Abidal and Kader Keita.
Hazard is rumored to be wanted by top clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Arsenal. But he has turned them all down saying he wants to stay at Lille where he still has a lot to learn.
Diego Buonanotte – 21 – Club Atletico River Plate
The Argentinean attacking midfielder is diminutive at just 1.57m (5-foot-2), but he is also moves extremely well, plays with both feet and has a hard, well-placed shot. Buonanotte mainly comes from the left side and can also play in the attack, playing a game which remind many of Pablo Aimar.
In 2007, World Soccer Magazine including Buonanotte among the 50 most exciting teenagers in the world game. In 2008, he helped Argentina to the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, scoring a free-kick goal against Serbia.
Among the clubs interested in Buonanotte are Benfica Lisbon, Galatasaray, Spartak Moscow and FC Porto.
Rasmus Elm – 21 – AZ Alkmaar
The Swedish midfielder is considering by many to be the next Michael Ballack. He is very strong and effective in challenges with an excellent technique and good instincts. Elm comes from a football family as one brother David plays for Fulham and Viktor kicks for Heerenveen. Rasums is the youngest of the three talented Swedish brothers but has already earned 11 caps for the Swedish senior side, scoring one goal.
Elm transferred in August to Dutch Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar on a four-year contract after four and a half years with Swedish club Kalmar FF. Among the teams who were interested in him were Fulham, Hoffenheim, Heerenveen and Ajax Amsterdam.
Sofiane Feghouli – 19 – Grenoble Foot 38
The French midfielder of Algerian descent is a creative force – quick, robust and technically very strong as an offensive all-arounder. Feghouli has made a name for himself in France for his dribbling and perfect crosses, drawing plenty of comparisons as the next Zinedine Zidane.
Though he has played for France in the youth ranks, Feghouli is eligible to play for both Les Bleus and Algeria. The Algerian national team coach and team captain have both contacted Feghouli about playing for the African nation.
France’s top clubs Olympique Marseille and Olympique Lyon are also hot after the youngster, who appears ready to stay in Grenoble for one more year.
