10 years of NXGN: Ansu Fati, Ryan Gravenberch and where 2021's best wonderkids are now

2021: Having been likened to Paul Pogba at La Masia, Moriba had broken into the Barcelona first team at the start of 2021 and was impressing under Ronald Koeman.

2022: A contract dispute in the summer of 2021 led to Moriba joining RB Leipzig for €16m, though game time was hard to come by in Germany, and he was loaned to Valencia in January in a bid to earn more minutes.

2023: Moriba did enough for Valencia to extend his loan for another season, though he started just 10 league matches over the course of the campaign.

2024: The midfielder did not make an appearance for Leipzig during the first half of the 2023-24 season, and was loaned to Getafe in January, where he was a rotational figure.

2025: Moriba is again back in Spain after joining Celta Vigo on loan for the current campaign, where he has mostly been a starter.

2021: The Japanese starlet had already been called-up to train with the Real Madrid first team on more than one occasion having caught Zinedine Zidane's eye.

2022: Nakai continued to develop with Madrid's Under-19s side, with hopes still high that he will make the grade at Santiago Bernabeu.

2023: The midfielder made his debut for Real Madrid Castilla in October 2022, but that was one of only two appearances at that level in 2022-23.

2024: Nakai was loaned to third-division side Rayo Majadahonda for the following campaign, but was largely a substitute.

2025: More lower-league loans have followed over the past 12 months, with Nakai taking in spells at Amorebieta and Rayo Cantabria.

2021: The youngest goalkeeper in Champions League history, Vandevoordt was establishing himself as the undisputed No.1 at Genk, following in the footsteps of his hero, Thibaut Courtois.

2022: Vandevoordt remained one of the most highly-rated shot-stoppers in world football, and RB Leipzig decided to jump to the front of the queue to sign him by agreeing a deal of around €10m to bring him to Germany in 2024.

2023: Vandevoordt continued to impress for Genk, as he conceded just 37 goals in 34 league matches.

2024: As he entered the final months of his time in Belgium, Vandevoordt remained a top performer for Genk, and finished the season with 13 clean sheets in the Jupiler League.

2025: Vandevoordt is the No.2 'keeper at Leipzig, and has had had limited opportunities during his first season in Germany.

2021: Previously likened to Jadon Sancho, Braaf had joined Udinese on loan in January 2021 as he looked to kickstart his career after suffering from injuries and a dip in form.

2022: The ex-Ajax youngster's time in Italy was cut short after he suffered a serious knee injury, and he did not make an appearance for City in 2021-22 before he was released and picked up on a free by Borussia Dortmund.

2023: Braaf did not feature for Dortmund's first team before joining Hellas Verona on loan in January 2023, where he made just two Serie A starts. However, that didn't put the Italian side off from making his move permanent at the end of the campaign.

2024: The winger didn't make an appearance for Verona in the first half of the season, and was loaned to Eredivisie side Fortuna Sittard in January, but was only on the pitch for 43 minutes during his spell back in the Netherlands.

2025: Braaf was sent out on loan again to Serie B side Salernitana, but he has fallen down the pecking order over the course of the campaign.

2021: Taylor was edging his way into the Ajax senior squad, with the Toni Kroos-esque midfielder having been hailed for both his technical ability and his leadership.

2022: A regular in Erik ten Hag's matchday squad, Taylor only made sporadic first-team appearances in 2021-22, though he did manage to net his first top-flight goal.

2023: After Ryan Gravenberch left to join Bayern Munich, Taylor took his place in the Ajax line-up, and enjoyed a decent season, scoring nine goals from midfield.

2024: While Taylor remained a regular and surpassed 100 games for Ajax, his performances were criticised amid the Dutch giants' fall from grace.

2025: Taylor has enjoyed a resurgence over the past 12 months and is now a key figure in Amsterdam having already reached double figures for goals in all competitions this season.

2021: Nicknamed 'the Romanian Van Dijk', Dragusin had made appearances in both Serie A and the Champions League for Juventus.

2022: Dragusin joined Sampdoria on loan ahead of the 2021-22 season, and despite breaking into the team around the turn of the year, had his stay cut short so he could instead sign for Salernitana for the remainder of the campaign.

2023: The centre-back was again loaned out for the 2022-23 season, joining Serie B outfit Genoa, who made his move permanent for €6m in March as he helped them earn promotion.

2024: Dragusin put in a number of impressive performances upon his return to Serie A, and that convinced Tottenham to pay €25m to sign him in January amid competition from Bayern Munich.

2025: Having initially been a back-up option at Spurs, Dragusin was pressed into service amid an injury crisis and put in some mixed performances before suffering a serious knee injury in February.

2021: Arsenal were among the elite European clubs who were being linked with Joelson, who made his first-team debut for Sporting towards the end of the 2019-20 season.

2022: The winger joined FC Basel on a two-year loan deal ahead of the 2021-22 season, but was largely limited to appearances off the bench.

2023: Joelson's loan in Switzerland was cut short in September 2022, and he spent the rest of the campaign playing for Sporting B in the third tier of Portuguese football.

2024: Having joined Turkish side Hatayspor in the summer of 2023, Joelson played regularly in the Super Lig, albeit mostly from the bench.

2025: After a fast start to the season, Joelson has established himself as a starter in his second season in Turkey, albeit for a team who are battling against relegation.

2021: Zeballos had been linked with both Barcelona and Manchester City after impressing the likes of Daniele De Rossi with his ability and confidence, having stepped up to the Boca first-team squad.

2022: The winger earned a first Argentina call-up in November, and impressed in the opening weeks of the campaign before a broken leg suffered in August 2022 ended his campaign.

2023: Zeballos was being linked with a move to a top European club at the start of 2023, but he suffered three serious knee injuries over the course of the year to stall his progress.

2024: The forward didn't make his first appearance of 2024 until July, and - perhaps understandably - didn't quite have the impact many might have hoped upon his return.

2025: Now back fully fit, Zeballos will be hoping to show more of what he can do as the 2025 campaign begins to crank up.

2021: The Golden Boot winner at the 2019 U17 World Cup, Hansen had been linked with a move to Manchester City before signing a new deal at Ajax following his first-team debut.

2022: Injuries and family issues hit Hansen's mental health hard in the final months of 2021, but having opened up about his struggles, he began to hint at a return to form with Jong Ajax.

2023: Hansen remained a key part of the Jong Ajax squad, earning experience in the second tier of Dutch football before he left the club to join NEC.

2024: The forward's first full season of Eredivisie football saw him establish himself as a starter in the top flight, and he managed to finish the campaign with 12 combined goals and assists.

2025: Hansen hasn't been as productive this time around as he continues to develop in the Dutch league.

2021: Heralded for his skills and tricks, Talles had been linked with Liverpool and Real Madrid after becoming a regular in the Vasco da Gama line up over the previous 12 months.

2022: In May 2021, the forward joined New York City FC in a $12m deal and scored some crucial goals as they won the MLS Cup. He backed that up by becoming one of the top young forwards in MLS in 2022, providing eight goals and eight assists.

2023: Talles' form dropped off in 2023, as he netted just four goals over the course of the MLS season.

2024: After making just three substitute appearances through the first five months of the MLS campaign, Talles was sent back to Brazil in July 2014 as he joined Corinthians on a 12-month loan.

2025: Talles was initially a rotational piece at Corinthians, but has made a good start to 2025 as he looks to establish himself as a regular starter going forward.

2021: A striker with a rocket of a left foot, Colombo had averaged a goal every 33 minutes for Milan's U19s in 2019-20 before earning his first-team debut. He was spending the second half of the 2020-21 campaign on loan in Serie B with Cremonese.

2022: Colombo remained in the second tier, playing on loan at SPAL, where he started well, but scored the last of his six league goals in October 2021.

2023: The striker spent 2022-23 on loan at newly-promoted Serie A side Lecce, where he scored some key goals as they avoided relegation.

2024: Colombo was again out on loan in Serie A during the following campaign, this time at Monza, but he managed just four league goals over the course of the season.

2025: Back out on loan yet again, Colombo finds himself at Empoli, where he continues to be a sporadic goal-scorer in Italy's top flight.

2021: The youngest debutant in La Liga history after making his bow as a 15-year-old against Real Madrid in June 2020, Romero had been dubbed 'The Mexican Messi', despite opting to represent Argentina over the land of his birth.

2022: Lazio paid a minimal fee to sign Romero in the summer of 2021 and he made a handful of Serie A appearances during his first season in Italy.

2023: Romero did not make his first Serie A appearance of the season until November, and only made one league start all season as Maurizio Sarri's side secured Champions League qualification. That didn't put AC Milan off from signing him on a free transfer ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

2024: Having made just four substitute appearances for the Rossoneri in the first half of the season, Romero was loaned out to Spanish strugglers Almeria, for whom he scored three goals but couldn't help them avoid relegation from La Liga.

2025: Romero returned to Spain when he was loaned to Alaves ahead of the 2024-25 season, but he managed just two league starts during the first half of the season. Milan then took the opportunity to move him on permanently as Mexican side Cruz Azul signed the playmaker in January.

2021: Having captained France at youth level, Pembele had broken into the PSG first-team squad, and even scored his first Ligue 1 goal.

2022: The versatile defender joined Bordeaux on loan for the 2021-22 season, and was an almost ever-present at right-back before suffering a serious knee injury in April that ruled him out for the reminder of 2022.

2023: Pembele made his return to action in January 2023, but started just four Ligue 1 games as PSG won the title.

2024: The defender joined Sunderland on the final day of the 2023 summer transfer window, but didn't make his first Championship appearance until December due to injury, and only made three league starts before the season was out.

2025: Pembele returned to France on loan as he joined Le Havre in August, but he has fallen down the pecking order for the Ligue 1 side since the turn of the year.

2021: Able to play in any position across the defence, Rensch had become a fixture in the Ajax first-team squad over the course of the 2020-21 season.

2022: After making his Netherlands debut in September 2021, Rensch appeared regularly over the course of the season, albeit mostly as a substitute.

2023: Rensch established himself in the Ajax line-up over the course of 2022-23, becoming the club's starting right-back.

2024: A veteran of over 130 Ajax games despite being just 21, Rensch remained a regular starter in Amsterdam while showcasing his versatility.

2025: Rensch's performances convinced Roma to swoop for him in January, as the Italian side paid €5m to bring him to Serie A.

2021: Teams in England, Spain and Italy were all reported to be keeping tabs on Quaresma after he had impressed during his first few appearances in the Sporting first team.

2022: The centre-back joined Tondela on loan for the 2021-22 season, where he was in and out of the line up for the Primeira Liga outfit. He was then loaned out again in the summer of 2022, joining Hoffenheim.

2023: Quaresma struggled to establish himself in Germany, and played just four Bundesliga games, while he wasn't even included in the matchday squad for the final three months of the campaign.

2024: The defender was initially out of favour upon his return to Sporting, but forced his way into Ruben Amorim's line up following the turn of the year as the Lisbon outfit won the league title.

2025: Quaresma has been in and out of the team in 2024-25 as Sporting aim to defend their crown.

2021: Manchester City beat Barcelona to the signing of Couto in the winter of 2020, paying £5m for his services before sending him on loan to Girona for the 2021-22 season.

2022: Having been named in the Segunda Division Team of the Season, the right-back spent the 2021-22 campaign in Portugal, playing regularly for Braga in the top-flight.

2023: Couto returned on loan to Girona in the summer of 2022, but was in and out of the line-up in La Liga.

2024: Back for his third loan spell at Girona, Couto enjoyed a superb campaign for the surprise title-challengers, providing 10 assists from right-back, while his performances earned him his first Brazil caps.

2025: Couto joined Borussia Dortmund on loan in August, before the German side triggered his €30m release clause two months later. However, the full-back has struggled for starting opportunities in the Bundesliga.

2021: Kalimuendo was spending the 2020-21 season on loan at Lens, where he was thriving, scoring seven goals and laying on five assists in Ligue 1 over the course of the campaign.

2022: The striker returned to Lens in August 2021 and netted 12 Ligue 1 goals, with that form convincing Rennes to pay €20m to sign him from PSG the following summer.

2023: Kalimuendo was Rennes' first-choice striker in 2022-23, and scored seven Ligue 1 goals in all for his new club.

2024: He backed that up with 15 goals in all competitions the following season as he continued to prove himself as a dangerous operator in the French top-flight.

2025: Kalimuendo has already reached double figures for goals for a fourth-successive season, leading to reports of interest from Juventus and Roma.

2021: Despite becoming the youngest player to represent Liverpool in the FA Cup as a 16-year-old, Hoever had found further opportunities hard to come by at Anfield, before joining Wolves for £9m in the summer of 2020. At Molineux, he was being used as a rotational member of the defence.

2022: The ex-Ajax youngster performed a similar role under Bruno Lage, who criticised Hoever for a lack of preparation that led to a mid-season injury. The defender was then loaned to PSV ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

2023: PSV cut Hoever's loan short in January after he made just seven first-team appearances in Eindhoven. He was then loaned to Championship side Stoke City in January 2023, where he quickly forced his way into the line-up.

2024: Hoever returned to Stoke on loan for the 2023-24 season, and was the Potters' starting right-back in the Championship throughout the campaign, while he contributed some key goals and assists in the final weeks of the campaign as they avoided relegation.

2025: Auxerre became Hoever's latest loan stop when he joined them in August, and he has started regularly in Ligue 1.

2021: The third-youngest player in Partizan history, Man City had agreed to pay £6m to sign Stevanovic late in 2020, before sending him on loan back to his boyhood club for the remainder of the campaign.

2022: The forward spent the 2021-22 campaign on loan at Heerenveen, but scored just once in Eredivisie as he fell out of favour in the second half of the season.

2023: Stevanovic was next sent on loan to Santa Clara in Portugal, but failed to make an impact as he made just seven league appearances.

2024: Eredivisie outfit RKC Waalwijk proved to be Stevanovic's next loan stop, but after scoring in a couple of early-season wins, he quickly fell out of favour in the Netherlands.

2025: Having never made an appearance for City, Stevanovic was sold to fellow City Football Group (CFG) side Lommel last summer, but he is enduring a forgettable campaign in the Belgian second division.

2021: Calafiori had recovered from a potentially career-ending injury suffered in 2018 to force his way into the first-team picture at Roma, and he had already announced himself with a stunning goal in the Europa League.

2022: Having only made a handful of appearances during the first half of the 2021-22 season, the left-back joined Genoa on loan in January, but only made three appearances for them due to injuries.

2023: Calafiori joined Basel on a permanent deal in the summer of 2022, and was a regular starter for the Swiss side before returning to Italy as Bologna paid €4m for his services at the end of the campaign.

2024: Thiago Motta developed Calafiori into an excellent centre-back who was key to Bologna's qualification for the Champions League, and he carried that form into an impressive Euros with Italy.

2025: Arsenal spent £42m to bring Calafiori to north London ahead of the 2024-25 season, but he is yet to nail down a regular role amid some niggling injuries.

2021: Brobbey was likened to Romelu Lukaku during his youth career due to his physical stature and ability in front of goal, and RB Leipzig had already agreed to sign him in the summer of 2021 after he rejected a new deal at Ajax.

2022: The striker struggled to make an impact in Germany and returned to Ajax on loan in January, where he scored seven goals in 11 league appearances before making the move permanent in a €16m deal.

2023: Brobbey was in and out of the Ajax line-up in 2022-23, but still managed 13 goals in the Eredivisie, and was linked with a move to Manchester United.

2024: Another prolific season followed for Brobbey, as he scored 22 goals in all competitions while providing 12 assists despite Ajax struggling for consistent form.

2025: Brobbey's form has dropped off considerably in 2024-25 despite him having started to establish himself in the Netherlands line up.

2021: A star for France at the 2019 Under-17 World Cup, Lihadji had been linked with Manchester United before leaving Marseille for Lille in the summer of 2021 following a contract dispute.

2022: Lihadji continued to make sporadic appearances in 2021-22 and managed to score his first professional goal in January 2022.

2023: After not making a first-team appearance during the first half of the 2022-23 season, Lihadji left Lille to join Sunderland, but made just six substitute appearances for the Black Cats, and they in turn sold him to Qatari champions Al-Duhail.

2024: Lihadji was largely a substitute in 2023-24 as he looked to get his career moving in the right direction.

2025: The winger has earned more starts in the current campaign, but he is struggling to deliver on his potential right now.

2021: Madueke left Tottenham in 2018, rejecting a move to Manchester United to join PSV in a bid to earn first-team minutes. It was a move that was paying off, too, as he scored nine goals and laid on eight assists in his first full Eredivisie season.

2022: The England U21 international made a fast start to the 2021-22 season, scoring some stunning goals, only for a recurring muscle injury to rule him out of action on multiple occasions throughout the campaign.

2023: An ankle injury meant that Madueke only played five times in the first half of the Eredivisie season, but that did not put off Chelsea from spending £28.5m to sign him in January.

2024: Madueke struggled to establish a permanent role at Stamford Bridge under Mauricio Pochettino until the final weeks of the season, when he finally began to hold down a starting spot.

2025: Enzo Maresca has shown much more faith in Madueke as he has developed into a dangerous Premier League attacker while also breaking into the England squad.

2021: Released by Bayern Munich at an early age, Adeyemi opted to join Salzburg over Chelsea when he turned 16, and he was gradually earning more and more first-team minutes while contributing both goals and assists off the bench.

2022: Break out he has this season, earning himself a Germany debut in the process after scoring 23 goals in all competitions. That convinced Borussia Dortmund to pay €38m to sign him to help replace the departing Erling Haaland.

2023: After a slow start to the season, Adeyemi found some rhythm in the second half of the campaign, finishing with nine goals in all competitions.

2024: Adeyemi only made 10 league starts in 2023-24 as he has struggled to find his best form, scoring just five times in all competitions.

2025: The forward has already bettered his goal total from the previous campaign despite missing two months of action due to injury.

2021: After becoming the youngest player in Premier League history in the spring of 2019, Liverpool moved quickly to sign the Fulham youngster that summer. Elliott was spending the 2020-21 season impressing on loan at Blackburn Rovers in the Championship.

2022: The midfielder forced himself into Liverpool's line-up to start the season, only for a horrific ankle injury to rule him out for five months. Upon his return, he scored his first goal for the club in February.

2023: Elliott was in and out of the line-up during a difficult season for Liverpool, but he looked set to be a staple of the team as the Reds planned for a squad overhaul.

2024: Able to play either in midfield or a wide attacker, Elliot emerged as a key rotational piece for Jurgen Klopp, and made some important contributions off the bench.

2025: Elliott was expected to kick on again under Arne Slot, but an injury suffered early in the season saw him fall down the pecking order, and he remains on the fringes at Anfield.

2021: One of the stars of Italy's run to the Under-17s European Championship final in 2019, Esposito had already scored his first goal for the Inter first team after becoming their youngest-ever player in European competition. He was spending the second half of the 2020-21 season on loan at Venezia, after struggling at SPAL in late 2020.

2022: Esposito made a brilliant start to live in Switzerland, scoring in four of his first five league appearances, but a series of injuries made putting a run of consistent games together difficult.

2023: The forward spent the first half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Anderlecht, but scored just one league goal before returning to Italy to join Serie B side Bari, again on loan.

2024: Esposito again dropped down to Serie B after joining recently-relegated Sampdoria on loan, and managed 12 combined goals and assists despite an injury-hit campaign.

2025: Back in Serie A and out on loan Empoli, Esposito has enjoyed a breakout season, and has already secured his best ever goal-scoring campaign despite the step up.

2021: Sarmiento had earned comparisons to Lionel Messi in his native Argentina after thrilling Estudiantes fans with his dribbling ability during his early appearances for the club.

2022: Manchester City swooped in to pay an initial £5.2m to sign Sarmiento in the summer of 2021, before loaning him to Girona for the season. Injuries, however, limited him to just nine league appearances.

2023: Sarmiento returned to City having spent the first half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Montevideo City Torque, though he failed to make an appearance in Uruguay due to injury.

2024: The winger remained on the books at City, but he never got close to a first-team breakthrough and was eventually sold back to Argentina as he joined Tigre in July 2024.

2025: After making his first senior appearances in almost three years during the second half of 2024, Sarmiento is aiming to kick on over the next 12 months.

2021: The left-back had already become the youngest player to start a match for Sporting since Cristiano Ronaldo and was playing a key role as Ruben Amorim's side closed in on the Portuguese title.

2022: Mendes got his title-winner's medal, before agreeing a move to Paris Saint-Germain that was initially a loan before PSG agreed to pay €40m to make the deal permanent in the summer of 2022.

2023: Though his pace and direct style remained a problem for opposition defenders, injuries plagued Mendes throughout his second season in France, and his campaign was halted prematurely in April due to a hamstring problem.

2024: That injury ended up ruling Mendes out for 10 months, and he only returned to action in late February 2024, meaning he only made 14 appearances in all competitions that season.

2025: Mendes has re-established himself as one of the best young full-backs in Europe this season, and signed a new contract in February.

2021: Aouchiche made headlines in the summer of 2019 after scoring nine goals in just four games at the Under-17s European Championship, but found opportunities at Paris Saint-Germain limited, leading to him running down his contract and joining Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2020.

2022: Aouchiche was largely a substitute during the 2021-22 campaign as they suffered relegation from Ligue 1, before he was allowed to join Lorient ahead of the following season.

2023: The midfielder struggled to establish himself in his new surroundings, as he made just a solitary league start in 2022-23.

2024: Aouchiche joined Sunderland on the final day of the 2023 summer transfer window, but was largely been a substitute for the Championship outfit.

2025: After initially becoming an afterthought at the Stadium of Light, Aouchiche managed to force his way back into contention during the first half of the season before joining fellow Championship side Portsmouth on loan in January.

2021: Already a full Czech Republic international, Hlozek was in the midst of a season that would see him finish as the Fortuna Liga's top scorer, despite him missing over four months with a broken foot.

2022: Despite being linked with teams in England and Germany, Hlozek stayed with Sparta for 2021-22, and reached double-figures for both goals and assists before finally leaving to join Bayer Leverkusen in a €13m deal.

2023: After a slow start to life in Germany, Hlozek looked back to his best around the turn of the year, and nailed down a role in Xabi Alonso's line-up.

2024: Hlozek was predominantly a substitute for Alonso's all-conquering team in 2023-24, as Florian Wirtz's form kept him on the fringes of the team.

2025: The forward was sold to Hoffenheim in August and has been a regular staretr in the Bundesliga, though he is currently recovering from ankle surgery.

2021: RB Leipzig had already agreed to pay €19m to sign Gvardiol in the summer of 2021, so impressed were they by the Dinamo Zagreb teenager's assured performances in a variety of defensive roles.

2022: The Croatia international was a shining light for Leipzig in his first Bundesliga season, quickly developing into one of the league's best young centre-backs.

2023: Gvardiol's performances at the World Cup, coupled with him taking another leap at Leipzig, convinced Manchester City to pay £77m and make him the second-most expensive defender of all-time.

2024: Pep Guardiola moved Gvardiol between centre-back and left-back during his first season at the Etihad Stadium until it became clear that he was best suited to the latter role, and he began to chip in with some important goals towards the end of the campaign as City secured the Premier League title.

2025: Gvardiol has continued to pose a threat in attack for City, but his defensive deficiencies have been laid bare amid the club's fall from grace.

2021: United raised eyebrows when they agreed to pay up to £37m to sign Amad from Atalanta in October 2020, but the Red Devils were keen to tap into the potential of a player who had become the youngest to ever score on their Serie A debut.

2022: Amad found first-team opportunities hard to come by in his first 12 months at Old Trafford, and he joined Rangers on loan in January 2022, but made just 13 appearances in all competitions.

2023: The forward spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Sunderland, where he was one of the top young performers in the Championship, scoring 14 goals as the Black Cats reached the play-offs.

2024: A knee injury suffered in pre-season meant Amad missed the entire first half of the following campaign, but he showed glimpses of his potential when given opportunities by Erik ten Hag.

2025: Amid the darkness that has surrounded Old Trafford, Amad has emerged as a shining light in 2024-25, and was one of few players who was thriving under Ruben Amorim until he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in February.

2021: Having played a key role in Santos' run to the 2020 Copa Libertadores final, Kaio was earning admiring glances from a host of top European clubs.

2022: Juventus won the race to sign the striker in the summer of 2021, paying €3m to bring him to Turin, but he made just nine Serie A appearances before suffering a season-ending knee injury in February 2022.

2023: That injury meant he missed the entire 2022-23 season, too, and he was sent on loan to Frosinone to gain Serie A experience ahead of the next campaign.

2024: Kaio was in and out of the line up for the Serie A strugglers as they suffered relegation. He was then sold back to Brazil as he joined Cruzeiro in June 2024.

2025: The striker scored seven goals as Cruzeiro reached the Copa Sudamericana final in late 2024, and he is now gearing up for the new Brasilerao campaign.

2021: Both the youngest player and goalscorer in Porto history, Silva was earning comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo in his homeland before Wolves paid a club-record £35m to sign him in the summer of 2020.

2022: With Jimenez back available, Silva tended to be used off the bench in 2021-22, and ended the campaign without a first-team goal, leading to him being loaned to Anderlecht in the summer of 2022.

2023: Silva scored 11 goals in the first half of the season in Belgium, but was recalled by Wolves so he could instead be sent on loan to PSV in January to help replace the departed Cody Gakpo. He managed just five goals for the Dutch side, however.

2024: The striker fell out of favour under Gary O'Neil in the first half of the 2023-24 season, and he joined Rangers on loan in January. He managed six goals during his stint at Ibrox.

2025: Silva was sent on loan to Las Palmas for the current campaign, and has chipped in with regular goals in La Liga, including strikes away at both Real Madrid and Barcelona.

2021: Described as the "greatest talent in Europe in his position" by Oliver Kahn, Bayern had signed Nianzou in the summer of 2020 after he decided to run down his contract at Paris Saint-Germain.

2022: Injuries ruined Nianzou's first season in Germany, and though he managed to stay relatively fit in 2021-22, the defender was almost exclusively a substitute under Julian Nagelsmann.

2023: Sevilla paid €16m to sign Nianzou in August, and he grew into a regular starter at the Spanish side, though injuries did disrupt his debut campaign.

2024: Nianzou suffered from recurring hamstring injuries over the course of the 2023-24 campaign, meaning he made just three La Liga starts.

2025: Injuries have continued to plague Nianzou, and he hasn't featured for Sevilla since October.

2021: Moukoko had been spoken about as a potential superstar for years, having scored freely for both the St. Pauli and Dortmund youth teams, despite playing three or four years above his actual age. When he finally graduated to the first team in late 2020, he became the youngest player and goalscorer in Bundesliga history, as well as the Champions League's youngest-ever debutant.

2022: Injuries have continued to plague Moukoko throughout the 2021-22 season as he started just once in the Bundesliga all campaign.

2023: Moukoko enjoyed the best season of his career to date in 2022-23, for which he was rewarded with a World Cup call-up in December and a new contract in January amid interest from Chelsea and Barcelona. He ended the campaign with seven Bundesliga goals, despite starting just 11 games.

2024: The striker slipped down the pecking order at Signal Iduna Park, and managed to make just four Bundesliga starts over the course of the 2023-24 campaign.

2025: Moukoko joined Nice on a season-long loan deal in a bid for more minutes, but he has not settled in France, and has barely featured in Ligue 1.

2021: Previously a target for Liverpool, Doku shone after breaking through at Anderlecht, which in turn led to Rennes paying €26m to sign him in October 2020.

2022: Doku's pace and power caught the eye while playing for Belgium at Euro 2020, but hamstring and knee injuries meant he missed the majority of the 2021-22 season.

2023: The winger again had to deal with injury problems in 2022-23, though he did enjoy a strong finish to the campaign, and that may have been what convinced Manchester City to pay £55m to bring him to the Etihad Stadium that summer.

2024: Doku made an electric start to life at City, and though he slowed down as the campaign wore on, he remained an important player for Pep Guardiola.

2025: The Belgian has been in and out of the City team amid their disappointing run of form, and headline-grabbing moments have been hard to come by.

2021: Signed from the Arsenal academy in 2019, Musah had broken into the Valencia first team during the 2020-21 season, while also making his United States debut, despite representing England as a youth.

2022: Musah continued to appear regularly at Mestalla, though he was not always a starter.

2023: The midfielder regained his place in the Valencia line up in 2022-23, and did enough to earn a €20m move to AC Milan at the end of the campaign.

2024: Musah was a regular starter at San Siro during the first half of his debut season, but fell out of favour following the turn of the year.

2025: The USMNT star remains a rotational piece for the Rossoneri, with his performances continuing to be mixed for the most part.

2021: The Golden Ball winner at the 2019 Under-17 World Cup, Veron had already broken into the Palmeiras first team and played a key role in their run to win the 2020 Copa Libertadores, even if injury ruled him out of playing in the final.

2022: The winger continued to be in and out of the Palmeiras team in the early weeks of the 2022 campaign, before Porto agreed to pay €10.25m to sign Veron.

2023: Veron made just two league starts during his first season in Portugal as he got to grips with the rigours of playing in Europe.

2024: Having fallen out of favour completely at Porto, he was loaned to Cruzeiro on a year-long deal in December 2023. He struggled with injuries at times, but was mostly a starter when he was available.

2025: Veron has returned to Brazil for the 2025 season having signed for Santos on loan in February.

2021: Already the youngest goalscorer in Lyon history, Cherki was beginning to make waves in French football having been touted as a potential generational talent throughout his youth career.

2022: Though he found form in the Europa League and for France Under-21s, Cherki was not having the breakout season a number of fans were expecting before a broken foot ended his campaign early in February.

2023: Cherki fared better in 2022-23, even if his attacking numbers didn't reflect some of the excellent performances he produced under Laurent Blanc.

2024: Lyon's poor form in the first half of the following season led to Cherki losing his place in the side, and was largely a substitute in the final months of the campaign, which led to reports he could leave.

2025: Despite interest from Borussia Dortmund, Cherki remained at Lyon, and has enjoyed a productive campaign where he has cemented himself as one of the most creative players in Ligue 1.

2021: The latest teenager to swap Brazil for the Bernabeu, Madrid paid €35m in January 2020 to sign the Flamengo playmaker, who had been likened to Kaka in South America. In the summer of 2020, he joined Borussia Dortmund on a two-year loan deal, but was struggling to make an impact in Germany.

2022: Things did not improve for Reinier, as the Brazilian started just once in the Bundesliga during his second season at Dortmund, and he was sent on loan to Girona upon his return to Spain in the summer of 2022.

2023: Injuries kept Reinier on the sidelines for much of the first half of the 2022-23 season, and he made just five starts in La Liga.

2024: Reinier is spent the following campaign on loan at Serie A side Frosinone, and though he made an encouraging start to life in Italy, his form has dropped off as the club suffered relegation.

2025: Out on loan again, this time with Segunda Division side Granada, Reinier has mostly been a starter, though recently suffered an injury.

2021: One of Europe's best teenage creative midfielders, Ihattaren shone in the 2019-20 season, only to fall out with new PSV boss Roger Schmidt at the beginning of the following campaign.

2022: Ihattaren never played a game in Serie A, and there were even reports that he would retire after he returned to Netherlands mid-season. He was signed on a year-long loan by Ajax in January 2022, but fitness issues meant that he played just four minutes in the first team before the end of the campaign.

2023: Ajax cut short Ihattaren's loan amid reports he was being targeted by organised crime groups, and he was arrested both in November 2022 and February 2023, the latter on suspicion of assault. Juventus eventually released him in July 2023, before a move to Turkish side Samsunspor fell through.

2024: Ihattaren joined Slavia Prague in December, but failed to make an appearance before being released four months later.

2025: After over two years without playing a competitive first-team match, Ihattaren joined Eredivise strugglers RKC Waalwijk in September, and looks to be finally enjoying football again as he looks to inspire an unlikely escape from relegation.

2021: Signed from Chelsea in the summer of 2019, Musiala had become the youngest player to ever represent Bayern in the Bundesliga around a year later and was impressing whenever he was given the chance to play for the German champions.

2022: Musiala remained a key member of the Bayern squad and began to prove himself on the international stage after opting to represent Germany rather than England.

2023: Musiala exploded in 2022-23, scoring 16 goals - including the goal that sealed the Bundesliga title on the final day - and providing 16 assists while becoming Germany's key attacker after an impressive World Cup.

2024: The forward didn't quite hit the same levels amid Bayern's struggles under Thomas Tuchel, but he did impress at yet another major international tournament as Germany hosted Euro 2024.

2025: Musiala has been back to his best at the Allianz Arena as the Bavarians look to regain the Bundesliga title, and he was rewarded with a bumper new contract in February.

2021: After becoming Ajax's youngest-ever player in September 2018, Gravenberch was a regular in Erik ten Hag's side, a full Netherlands international and was being compared to Paul Pogba.

2022: Though he was not always at his best in 2021-22, Bayern Munich made the decision to spend an initial €19m on the midfielder in the summer of 2022.

2023: Gravenberch struggled to force his way into the line-up in Munich, as he earned just three Bundesliga starts. He was then sold to Liverpool, who paid €40m for his services.

2024: The midfielder was largely a rotational piece for Jurgen Klopp at Anfield as he struggled to find a permanent role in the Reds' line up.

2025: Gravenberch has been a revelation since the arrival of Arne Slot to replace Klopp, developing into one of the best holding midfielders in European football.

2021: Signed from Koln in January 2020, Wirtz had made an excellent start to life in the Leverkusen team, and was briefly the youngest goal-scorer in Bundesliga history.

2022: Wirtz went to a new level in 2021-22, registering some of the best numbers for combined goals and assists of any player in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues before a serious knee injury suffered in March ruled him out for the remainder of 2022.

2023: The playmaker returned to action in January 2023, and returned 12 direct goal contributions through the second half of the season as he looked back to his best almost immediately.

2024: Wirtz was sensational for Xabi Alonso's side in 2023-24, as he was directly involved in 38 goals across all competitions as Leverkusen won their first Bundesliga title as well as the DFB-Pokal.

2025: Though Leverkusen haven't quite hit the same level this time around, Wirtz has continued to excel and establish himself as one of the best attacking midfielders on the continent.

2021: Perhaps the most complete midfielder produced by England in 20 years, the ex-Birmingham City star was settling into life at Dortmund following his €25m move to Signal Iduna Park in the summer of 2020.

2022: Bellingham went from strength to strength over the course of 2021-22, upping his goal and assist numbers considerably while becoming a leader on the pitch for the Bundesliga giants. Was named the winner of NXGN 2022.

2023: The midfielder took his game to another level yet again, becoming a starter for England and a vice-captain for Dortmund while scoring 14 goals in all competitions. Real Madrid eventually won the race for his signature, paying €103m to bring him to the Bernabeu.

2024: Bellingham made a record-breaking start to life at Madrid and was regarded as the early front-runner for the 2024 Ballon d'Or before eventually finishing third as Los Blancos won both La Liga and the Champions league. As well as being a star man at club level, he also produced some moments of magic to help lead England to the Euro 2024 final.

2025: After a slow start to the campaign, Bellingham has rediscovered his best form in recent months, and is regarded by many as the best midfielder in world football right now.

2021: Pedri was making waves at Barcelona in his first season at Camp Nou following his €5m move from Las Palmas, with his relationship with Lionel Messi bearing plenty of fruit for the Blaugrana.

2022: Pedri's hectic schedule, which also included the Olympic Games, eventually caught up with him, as a hamstring injury ruled him out for three-and-a-half months during the first half of the 2021-22 season. He returned in fine form, but suffered another similar injury in April that ended his campaign early.

2023: The midfielder starred as Barca won La Liga, though he missed much of the second half of the campaign with another hamstring injury.

2024: Pedri continued to be plagued by injuries, as he endured three separate spell on the sidelines amid fears that fitness issues could ruin a hugely promising career.

2025: Fortunately, Pedri has avoided any fitness issues as yet in 2024-25, and has been sensational at times for Barca as they enjoy a renaissance under Hansi Flick.

2021: As a young American learning his trade at Dortmund, it was only natural that Reyna would earn comparisons to Christian Pulisic, but the forward was living up to the hype.

2022: The forward made just 10 Bundesliga appearances as his 2021-22 season was book-ended by muscle injuries.

2023: Reyna made headlines when, after a disappointing World Cup, he was caught in the middle of a huge row between his family and the United States coaching staff. He shook it off, though, by producing from the bench in the second half of the Bundesliga campaign.

2024: After making just one league start in the first half of the season, Reyna was loaned to Nottingham Forest in January 2024, but barely featured in the Premier League as he started just twice.

2025: Reyna has returned to Dortmund but continues to find opportunities hard to come by, and is almost certainly set to leave this summer.

2021: Camavinga became an overnight star in August 2019 after a highlights clip went viral of the then-16-year-old putting in a dominant performance against Paris Saint-Germain. He was soon linked with a host of top European clubs, most notably Real Madrid, as he continued to shine in Ligue 1 while becoming a France international.

2022: After scoring on his Madrid debut, Camavinga was largely a substitute during his first season in Spain, though he made some key contributions off the bench as Los Blancos won both La Liga and the Champions League.

2023: Camavinga was in and out of the Madrid line up in 2022-23, and was even pressed into duty at left-back for both club and country.

2024: Back in his favoured midfield role, Camavinga was mostly starter at Santiago Bernabeu as they secured a La Liga-Champions League double.

2025: Injuries have limited Camavinga's impact during the current campaign, leading to some frustration around his performances.

2021: Fati broke countless goalscoring records, including becoming the youngest ever player to find the net in the Champions League, after being promoted to the Barca first team in 2019. His performances earned him a first Spain cap, with many expecting him to be a star of Euro 2020 for La Roja.

2022: Fati made just 10 league appearances the following year, as a hamstring injury kept him out of action for six months in the middle of the campaign.

2023: Finally free of injuries, Fati contributed 10 goals in all competitions in 2022-23, but he was far from a regular starter, and thus took the decision to join Brighton on loan ahead of the following campaign.

2024: Fati only made three Premier League starts amid more injury problems and under-par performances at the Amex Stadium.

2025: The forward is back at Barca, but is well down the pecking order, with his time in Catalunya seemingly coming to an end, with a departure this summer likely.