10 years of NXGN: Bukayo Saka, Rodrygo and where 2020's best wonderkids are now

2020: Having scored more than 200 goals at youth level for Barcelona, teenage forward Moreno was beginning to make a similar impact in Turin, while having also earned a place on the first team's bench during the 2019-20 campaign.

2021: Moreno joined Manchester City in a swap deal in the summer of 2020, before being sent on loan to Girona. He managed 26 appearances in the Spanish second tier, scoring twice.

2022: The forward was loaned back to Girona for a second successive season, but struggled for game time, starting just once in the league all campaign. He left City to join Portuguese side Maritimo in the summer of 2022.

2023: Moreno made 22 appearances across all competition in 2022-23, but failed to find the net as Maritimo suffered relegation. His contract was terminated, and he returned to the Spanish second division with FC Andorra.

2024: The attacker started just one league game through the 2023-24 campaign as he continued to struggle in getting his career going.

2025: Moreno joined Osasuna B in the Spanish third tier over the summer, but he has yet again failed to make any kind of positive impact.

2020: Already a Malaysia Under-23s international at the age of 18, Hakim had seen a move to Belgian side KV Kortrijk be put on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions.

2021: Hakim eventually arrived at Kortrijk in the summer of 2020, but made just one appearance in his first season with the club. He did, however, make his full international debut in May 2021.

2022: The forward failed to make a first-team appearance in 2021-22 as reports began to swirl that he might return to Malaysia in a bid to earn minutes at the senior level.

2023: Hakim did manage two appearances for Kortrijk in the first half of 2022-23, but was loaned to Icelandic second division side Njardvik on a year-long deal in February 2023.

2024: In January 2024, Hakim joined Japanese third-tier side YSCC Yokohama in a bid to gain regular first-team minutes.

2025: Those minutes weren't forthcoming, as Hakim made just one league start during the 2024 season, and he is now back at Kortrijk as he contemplates his next move.

2020: Having been snapped up from Bochum in 2016, Germany youth international Unbehaun was working his way through the youth ranks at Dortmund.

2021: The first-choice goalkeeper for Dortmund's reserve side, Unbehaun did make the first-team bench on a number of occasions.

2022: Unbehaun missed a lot of the 2021-22 season with a hand injury, but remained the No.1 for Dortmund's reserves, who played in the German third tier.

2023: The goalkeeper's wait for a first-team debut at Dortmund went on, though Unbehaun was named on the bench for a number of Champions League matches. At the end of the season, he left BVB having never made a first-team appearance, joining third-division side SC Verl.

2024: Unbehaun was first-choice at Verl as he looked to finally get his career moving in the right direction.

2025: A move to the Dutch second tier followed for Unbehaun, as he joined FC Emmen ahead of the 2024-25 season, and he has been the club's first-choice goalkeeper through the campaign.

2020: Having become Ajax's youngest-ever goalscorer at the age of 16, Unuvar was being tipped to eventually replace Hakim Ziyech in the first team, despite reports linking him with Barcelona.

2021: Unuvar endured a difficult campaign, as he struggled to kick on in Amsterdam, and played solely for Jong Ajax in the second division.

2022: Unuvar performed much better for Jong Ajax in 2021-22, racking up double-figure totals for both goals and assists, while also earning a couple of first-team appearances.

2023: The winger spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Turkish champions Trabzonspor, but he started just one league match for the club. Ajax then sent him back out on loan, this time to Twente, in the summer of 2023.

2024: Unuvar started just two Eredivisie games for Twente, though he enjoyed a couple of eye-catching cameos over the course of the season. He was then sent on loan to Espanyol in Spain during the summer that followed.

2025: Having managed just two substitute appearances in La Liga, Unuvar's loan was cut short, and Ajax cancelled his contract in January. Twente picked him up shortly after, and he has taken up a similar role as an impact substitute since his return to Grolsch Veste.

2020: Had recently made his Serie A debut for the Rossoneri, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Cesare, and father, Paolo, in representing the seven-time European champions.

2021: Maldini picked up another 10 first-team appearances over the course of 2020-21, but largely remained on the fringes at San Siro.

2022: The attacking midfielder marked his first Serie A start with a goal early in the 2021-22 season, but that proved to be one of just two times he was named in the line up as Milan won the Scudetto. He was then loaned out to Spezia ahead of the following campaign.

2023: Maldini only made four Serie A starts in 2022-23 as Spezia suffered relegation, but he did make headlines when he scored against his parent club Milan.

2024: After spending the first half of the following season on loan at Empoli, Maldini had that year-long deal cut short and instead joined Monza in January, where he chipped in with a handful of key goals. Those performances proved enough for Monza to make his move permanent.

2025: Maldini enjoyed a strong first half of the season despite Monza's struggles, and made his Italy debut in October 2024. His performances convinced Atalanta to spend €13m to sign him in the winter transfer window.

2020: After stunning Barcelona with his decision to leave La Masia in the summer of 2019, Simons was beginning to impress for PSG's Under-19s side.

2021: Simons made his first-team debut in February 2021, while appearing on the bench for the first team on a number of occasions.

2022: One of the stars of the 2021-22 UEFA Youth League, Simons also appeared sporadically at senior level. PSG expected him to sign a new deal in Paris and join PSV on loan at the end of the season, but Simons instead moved to Eindhoven on a permanent deal.

2023: Simons was one of the stars of the Eredivisie season, and finished as the league's top scorer with 19 goals, while he also provided 12 assists in all competitions. That form led to the 19-year-old being called-up to the Netherlands' World Cup squad in late 2022, before PSG paid the €6m buy-back clause in his contract and sent Simons on loan to RB Leipzig for the 2023-24 campaign.

2024: The playmaker managed the step up in quality well, and established himself as one of the best creative players in the Bundesliga as he laid on 12 league assists to go with eight goals. Leipzig then agreed to take him on loan for a second successive campaign.

2025: Simons missed three months of action due to ankle injury, but he has again been impressive when he has been fit, and Leipzig eventually agreed to pay an initial €50m to make him their club-record signing in January.

2020: While still only 15, Moukoko wasalready being spoken about as a potential superstar, having scored freely for both the St. Pauli and Dortmund youth teams, despite playing three or four years above his actual age.

2021: Moukoko became both the youngest player and goalscorer in Bundesliga history, as well as the youngest player in Champions League history, before his season was ended in March by a ligament injury.

2022: Injuries 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.

2020: Having been given the seal of approval by Zlatan Ibrahimovic during the Swede's time in MLS, Alvarez was beginning to earn more minutes for the Galaxy first team.

2021: Alvarez made his Mexico debut in March 2021, before growing into a regular starter for the Galaxy over the course of the year.

2022: The playmaker made a fantastic start to the 2022 MLS season, scoring a 30-yard screamer against Charlotte FC in early March, but slowly fell down the pecking order despite enjoying his best season to date in terms of his output in the final third.

2023: Alvarez made just 10 MLS appearances in 2023 before he was sold to Liga MX side Club Tijuana in September of that year.

2024: The Mexico international worked his way into the Tijuana line-up over the course of 2024, and finished the year as a regular starter.

2025: Alvarez remains an important figure for Tijuana, though they began the Liga MX Clausura with som poor results.

2020: Riccardi was attracting interest from Juventus, having made his senior debut for Roma in late-2019, with some hopeful he would fill the void left by Francesco Totti at Stadio Olimpico.

2021: The attacking midfielder spent the 2020-21 season on loan at Pescara, but made just nine appearances for the Serie B outfit.

2022: Riccardi made it clear that he wished to leave Roma, meaning he was left out of the club's plans at all levels in 2021-22 before leaving to join Serie C side Latina at the end of the season.

2023: Having dropped down the levels, Riccardi played regularly during his first season in the third tier, albeit not always as a starter.

2024: Riccardi established himself as a starter at Latina in 2023-24 having been dropped into a slightly deeper role than he played as a teenager.

2025: The midfielder began the current campaign as a key figure at Latina, but has fallen out of favour somewhat since the turn of the year.

2020: The first player born in the 21st century to score in La Liga, Gil was spending the second half of the 2019-20 season on loan at Leganes in a bid to gain experience at senior level.

2021: Gil joined Eibar for the following campaign and proved to be one of La Liga's most exciting wingers, despite playing in a team that would ultimately be relegated. That earned him an international debut for Spain, and a £21.6m summer move to Tottenham.

2022: Having failed to start a Premier League game during the first half of the season, Gil was loaned to Valencia in January 2022, for whom he started more often than not.

2023: Gil showed flashes of his ability during the first half of the 2022-23 season, but the arrival of Arnaut Danjuma in January led to him being loaned back to Sevilla in January, and he helped his boyhood club win the Europa League.

2024: The winger started just two Premier League games over the course of the following campaign as he failed to impress Ange Postecoglou.

2025: Gil again returned to Spain for 2024-25, joining Girona on loan, and he has predominantly been a starter in Catalunya.

2020: Already a full Ireland international, Parrott had committed his future to Spurs after being handed his Premier League debut by Jose Mourinho midway through the 2019-20 campaign.

2021: Loaned to Millwall for the 2020-21 season, Parrott's deal was cut short after failing to find the net for the Championship side. From there, he joined Ipswich Town for the remainder of the campaign, for whom he scored his first professional goals.

2022: Parrott remained in League One for 2021-22 as he went on loan to MK Dons, for whom he scored 10 goals in all competitions as they reached the play-offs.

2023: The striker was again out on loan in 2022-23, this time in the Championship at Preston North End, where he was in and out of the line-up as he struggled for goals.

2024: Parrott joined Eredivisie side Excelsior on loan for the following season, and he found some form, scoring 17 goals despite eventually suffering relegation. However, he would remain in the Dutch top flight after he completed a permanent move to AZ at the end of the campaign.

2025: Yet again one of the most impressive forwards in the Netherlands, Parrott is shining in Alkmaar for his new club.

2020: Having been at La Masia since 2012, there were fears that De la Fuente could be set to leave Barcelona amid interest in the United States U20 international from the Bundesliga.

2021: De la Fuente made both his first-team and international debut in November 2020, but the former would be the first of only three appearances he made for Barca before he was sold to Marseille in the summer of 2021.

2022: After providing assists in two of his first three Ligue 1 games, De la Fuente fell down the pecking order before injuries meant that he missed the final four months of the season.

2023: De la Fuente joined Olympiacos on loan ahead of the 2022-23 season, but only made five appearances before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

2024: The winger spent the following campaign on loan at Spanish second-division side Eibar, but made just two league starts.

2025: The American joined Swiss side Lausanne in the summer of 2024, and has mostly been a substitute during his debut campaign at the club.

2020: Having starred for France at the 2019 U17 World Cup, Lihadji had been frozen out at Marseille after refusing to sign a new contract, with Manchester United and Chelsea among those being linked with his signature.

2021: Lille eventually won the race for the winger, as Lihadji made 15 Ligue 1 appearances for the eventual French champions.

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.

2020: The first Real Sociedad player to skip the club's B team and go straight into the first team since Antoine Griezmann, Barrenetxea had already found the net against Real Madrid in his fledgling senior career.

2021: The winger's first full season in the senior squad was a good one, with Barrenetxea impressing in his 31 league appearances, earning himself a new, six-year contract in the process.

2022: Barrenetxea made just 11 La Liga appearances as a number of injuries, including a season-ending thigh problem suffered in January, stalled his progress.

2023: Injuries continued to plague Barrenetxea in 2022-23, meaning he was unable to lock down a regular starting spot in San Sebastian.

2024: Barrenetxea surpassed 150 appearances for La Real as he earned more starts than in the previous campaign, and was even linked with Arsenal and Tottenham during the January transfer window.

2025: It has been another frustrating campaign for Barrenetxea this time around, as he has been in and out of Real Sociedad's XI.

2020: Barcelona had already seen a bid for Portugal youth international Paulo rejected, with the striker having become a regular in the Fluminense first team.

2021: Paulo allowed his contract to run down before joining Atletico Madrid on a free transfer in the summer of 2021. He was immediately loaned out to Famalicao by the Rojiblancos.

2022: The forward failed to find the net for the Portuguese side before being dropped into their U23s for the second half of the season. He was then loaned out again in the summer of 2023, joining second-division Spanish team Mirandes.

2023: After scoring just twice in the first half of the 2022-23 campaign, Paulo's loan was cut short, and he instead returned to Brazil in January, joining Sao Paulo on a year-long loan. He managed to score just four goals, however, before knee surgery cut his season short in September.

2024: The striker didn't make a senior appearance during the 2023-24 European season as he continued his recovery, before agreeing a loan move to Belgian second-division side RWD Molenbeek in the summer.

2025: Paulo made just two appearances in Belgium before having his loan deal cut short. He then agreed a permanent return to Brazil, joining lower-league side Boavista in January.

2020: After moving to San Siro from Sochaux in the summer of 2019, France U17s captain Agoume was earning comparisons to Paul Pogba following his Inter debut.

2021: Agoume joined newly-promoted Spezia on loan for the 2020-21 season and made 12 appearances in Serie A as they avoided relegation.

2022: The midfielder was back in France for 2021-22, playing on loan for Brest, where he was a regular starter. His form convinced Troyes to take him on loan for the following campaign.

2023: Having shaken off a hamstring injury that ruled him out for three months, Agoume established himself in the starting line-up for the Ligue 1 side, though he couldn't keep them from suffering relegation.

2024: After making just one Serie A appearance in the first half of the 2023-24 season, Agoume was loaned to Sevilla in January. Despite missing some action with a thigh injury, he impressed enough for the Spanish side to make his move permanent in the summer.

2025: Agoume has been in and out of the line up in La Liga thus far in 2024-25 as he looks to establish himself in top-level football.

2020: The Golden Ball winner at the 2019 U17 World Cup, Veron had already broken into the Palmeiras first team, scoring twice on just his second senior appearance.

2021: Veron went on to play an important part in 2020 Palmeiras' Copa Libertadores triumph, which was sealed in early 2021, and he was linked with a host of top European clubs. He missed four months of action with a hamstring injury, however, and struggled to force his way back into the line-up in 2021.

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 over €10m 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.

2020: The former Rangers academy star was earning rave reviews at Chelsea after putting in dominant displays against both Liverpool and Everton, shortly before football went into its coronavirus-enforced shutdown.

2021: A serious knee injury saw Gilmour miss six months of football in the latter half of 2020, and he struggled to re-establish himself following Thomas Tuchel's arrival at Stamford Bridge. In the summer of 2021, he joined Norwich City on loan.

2022: Perhaps not a player with the skills required for a relegation-threatened team, Gilmour was criticised at times by Norwich fans, though he grew into being a regular starter as the season wore on. Those performances convinced Brighton to pay £9m to sign him in the summer of 2022.

2023: Gilmour struggled to force his way into the line-up at the Amex Stadium given the form of Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister ahead of him.

2024: With Caicedo and Mac Allister gone, Gilmour stepped up to the plate under Roberto De Zerbi and became a regular for the Seagulls. His performances convinced Napoli to spend £12m to sign him in the early weeks of the following campaign.

2025: After initially earning a starting spot, Gilmour has fallen out of favour in Naples, with minutes proving hard to come by.

2020: Having become the youngest Liverpool player to appear in the FA Cup when making his debut at 16, defender Hoever was getting further opportunities to prove his worth to Jurgen Klopp in cup competitions.

2021: Hoever joined Wolves in a £9m move in the summer of 2020 and made his first 12 Premier League the following campaign, acting predominantly as a back-up for Nelson Semedo.

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.

2020: Centre-back Badiashile was earning comparisons to Samuel Umtiti, having quickly become a regular in the Monaco line-up after making his first-team debut in November 2018.

2021: Having generated interest from Manchester United, Badiashile played all-but three league games for Monaco in 2020-21 as they went close to winning the French title under Niko Kovac.

2022: The 20-year-old struggled with hamstring injuries over the course of the 2021-22 campaign, but still performed well whenever available.

2023: Having previously been linked with Manchester United, Badiashile did move to the Premier League in January 2023 when he joined Chelsea in a £35m move.

2024: A hamstring injury meant Badiashile's first full season at Stamford Bridge didn't get going until November, and fitness issues persisted through the campaign, though he did eventually lock down a starting role during Mauricio Pochettino's final weeks in charge.

2025: Badiashile lost his place in the line up upon Enzo Maresca's arrival, before he suffered a serious hamstring injury in December that has kept him out of action ever since.

2020: Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan all showed an interest in Marin before he signed his first professional contract with Dinamo in 2017, and the playmaker had begun to make his mark in the first team in Zagreb.

2021: He joined AC Monza on loan for the 2020-21 season but, after making just seven appearances in Italy, Marin cut his stay short and joined Lokomotiva for the remainder of the campaign in January 2021.

2022: Marin spent the 2021-22 season on loan at HNK Sibenik, and he enjoyed an encouraging season, providing a combined 15 goals and assists in the top flight.

2023: The winger struggled to force his way into the Dinamo team upon his return, and was loaned out again, this time to HNK Rijeka, in January 2023.

2024: Marin's contract in Zagreb was terminated in January 2024, and he joined Slovenian champions NK Olimpija. However, after he scored twice in his second game for the club, he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

2025: After returning to action in November, Marin is slowly working his way back into contention for a starting spot.

2020: Tavares started five of Benfica's six Champions League group games in 2019-20, with the Portugal U19 international already a key member of the senior squad at Estadio da Luz.

2021: Having joined Alaves on loan in the summer of 2020, Tavares made just five appearances for the Spanish side before the deal was cut short in January. From there, he joined Farense, where he was a regular starter in the Portuguese top flight.

2022: The full-back spent the 2021-22 season on loan at Basel, where he racked up 28 appearances before suffering a torn ACL in the final weeks of the campaign.

2023: Tavares' injury meant that he did not feature again in 2022 before completing a permanent move to Spartak Moscow in January 2023, and he established himself as a starter for the Russian outfit.

2024: The defender suffered yet another ACL tear while training with Portugal U21s in the summer of 2023, and thus started just once over the course of the following campaign.

2025: Tavares was loaned to Austrian side LASK ahead of the 2024-25 season, but he started one game before that deal, as well as his Spartak contract were terminated mid-season. He has since returned to Portugal and joined Primeira Liga strugglers AVS.

2020: Already a full international and goalscorer for Belgium, 'the new Eden Hazard' was a regular in the Anderlecht line-up.

2021: A three-month absence with an ankle injury, coupled with an early finish to the season due to Covid-19, meant that Verscharen made just 16 league appearances in 2020-21, though he still managed to score five times.

2022: An established starter, Verschaeren set personal bests for goals and assists in a single season under Vincent Kompany.

2023: Verschaeren's attacking output regressed in 2022-23, but that was in part due to him playing slightly deeper, and he was earning Luka Modric comparisons before he tore his ACL in April 2023.

2024: The midfielder returned to action in January, but a further hamstring injury meant his impact on the campaign was limited.

2025: Now a veteran of over 200 Anderlecht appearances, Verschaeren has worn the captain's armband at times through the 2024-25 campaign.

2020: Already something of a cult hero in the eyes of Liverpool fans after scoring a stunning winner against Everton in the FA Cup, as well as the deciding penalty in a Carabao Cup shootout victory over Arsenal earlier in the 2019-20 season.

2021: Jones began to earn comparisons with Steven Gerrard as he went from strength to strength over the course of the 2020-21 season.

2022: After missing two months with an eye injury, Jones struggled to re-establish himself in the Liverpool midfield, though he continued to make the odd appearance for Jurgen Klopp's side.

2023: Despite Liverpool's midfield struggles, Jones failed to lock down a spot in the Reds' line-up until the final months of the 2022-23 campaign.

2024: Jones took his game to new levels in the following season, and some called for him to be brought into the England squad before he suffered an ankle injury that stalled his momentum.

2025: The midfielder eventually made his Three Lions bow in November, and has impressed at times under Arne Slot having established himself as a key figure at Anfield.

2020: Traore impressed during his first 12 months in Amsterdam following his move from Ajax Cape Town, with the Burkina Faso international having found the net on his debut for Erik ten Hag's side in December 2019.

2021: The striker made headlines in October 2020 when he netted five goals in Ajax's record-breaking 13-0 win over VVV-Venlo, but he scored just twice more in the Eredivisie in 2020-21 as he fell down the pecking order, leading to Shakhtar Donetsk paying €10m to sign him in the summer transfer window.

2022: Traore made a brilliant start to life in Ukraine, scoring nine goals in his first 14 Shakhtar appearances, only to suffer a season-ending knee injury in September.

2023: The striker opted to remain at Shakhtar amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but was in and out of the line-up during the 2022-23 season, as he netted just six goals in all competitions.

2024: A tendon injury meant Traore missed four months during the first half of the 2023-24 season, and he was largely limited to substitute appearances following his return.

2025: Traore has been in and out of the Shakhtar line up this time around, and has largely struggled for goals.

2020: Watford moved quickly to sign Joao Pedro before he had even made his Fluminense debut and, after catching the eye with his performances in Brazil, he eventually made the switch to Vicarage Road in January 2020.

2021: The forward did not get a run of games under his belt until the Hornets found themselves in the Championship, but once he was in the team, it proved difficult to get him out of it, as he scored nine goals to help fire Watford to promotion.

2022: Joao Pedro was in and out of the Watford line-up but scored only three goals as the Hornets were relegated from the Premier League. Despite that, Newcastle had two bids for the forward rejected in the summer of 2022.

2023: Back in the Championship, Joao Pedro scored 11 league goals, which convinced Brighton to make him their club-record signing when they spent £30m on the striker in May 2023.

2024: Joao Pedro enjoyed an excellent first campaign for the Seagulls, and ended it with 20 goals in all competitions.

2025: The forward hasn't been quite as prolific in his second season at the Amex, but he has enjoyed some eye-catching moments in the Premier League.

2020: Released by Bayern Munich at an early age, Adeyemi opted to join Salzburg over Chelsea when he turned 16, and had just made his debut for the Austrian champions.

2021: Despite not being a regular starter, Adeyemi reached double-figures for both goals and assists in 2020-21, marking him out as Salzburg's next breakout star.

2022: Break out he did, 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 and 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.

2020: 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 after becoming the youngest goalscorer in DFB-Pokal history.

2021: Reyna became a key part of Dortmund's attacking unit in 2020-21, providing seven goals and eight assists in all competitions while also establishing himself in the U.S. men's national team.

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.

2020: Having scored decisive goals in each of his first two Bayern Munich appearances, Netherlands U19 international Zirkzee was settling into his role as the Bavarians' main back-up for Robert Lewandowski.

2021: Zirkzee fell out of favour during the opening months of the 2020-21 season and was loaned to Parma in January. He managed just four appearances in Italy, as a knee injury ended his season early, before he joined Anderlecht on loan for the new campaign.

2022: The striker was a revelation in Belgian football, scoring 18 goals and providing 13 assists in all competitions. That form convinced Bologna to pay €8.5m to sign him from Bayern.

2023: Zirkzee struggled to get going in Serie A, and scored just two league goals.

2024: The following campaign went much better for Zirkzee, as he scored 11 goals in Serie A for a Bologna side who secured Champions League qualification. His displays persuaded Manchester United to pay £36.5m to sign him in July 2024.

2025: Despite scoring the winning goal on his debut, Zirkzee has struggled to establish himself at Old Trafford, and is already being linked with a return to Italy.

2020: Both the youngest player and goalscorer in Porto history, Silva was earning comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo in his homeland after enjoying a superb youth career.

2021: Wolves paid a club-record £35m ($47m) to bring the striker to Molineux in the summer of 2020, and though he became the club's youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer, he struggled at times after being required to deputise for the injured Raul Jimenez.

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.

2020: Boadu was well on his way to finishing the 2019-20 season with 20 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, and having already played and scored for the Netherlands, he looked destined for a big-money summer transfer.

2021: That move did not come, and Boadu made a slow start to the following season, before eventually finding his form to finish the campaign with 15 goals. That convinced Monaco to pay €17m to sign him in the summer of 2021.

2022: Boadu struggled in his role as Wissam Ben Yedder's back-up at the Stade Louis II, as the goals dried up upon his arrival in Ligue 1.

2023: The striker began the 2022-23 season with foot injury that meant his campaign did not begin until October, and he struggled for minutes thereafter, as he managed just three Ligue 1 goals.

2024: Boadu didn't start a league game in the first half of the following campaign, and was thus loaned to Twente in January. However, he made just two league starts back in the Eredivisie.

2025: Bundesliga side took Boadu on loan for the 2024-25 season, and he has enjoyed a return to form in front of goal, albeit his season has been impacted by injury issues.

2020: Almada was being heavily linked with a move to Manchester City after continually putting in performances for Argentine side Velez that belied his tender years.

2021: A nine-goal season followed for the playmaker in 2021, as he continued to be linked with a move to either Europe or MLS.

2022: Atlanta United made Almada the most expensive signing in MLS history, paying $16m in February 2022 to bring him to Georgia, and he rewarded them by producing a Newcomer of the Year-worthy season.

2023: After becoming the first MLS player to lift the World Cup following his late call-up to the Argentina squad for Qatar 2022, Almada enjoyed another superb campaign, tallying 27 combined goals and assists.

2024: Almada made a decent start to the 2024 MLS season before joining Botafogo for a Brazilian-league record €19.5m fee in July.

2025: The Argentine helped Botafogo win a Brasilerao-Copa Libertadores double before joining Lyon on loan for the remainder of the Ligue 1 campaign in January.

2020: The young midfielder already knew he would be leaving Las Palmas for Barcelona at the end of the season, with the Blaugrana having paid an initial €5m to sign a player likened to Andres Iniesta.

2021: The breakout star of the 2020-21 La Liga season, Pedri played all-but one of Barca's league games as he struck up a superb relationship with Lionel Messi. He went on to be named Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2020, and the Golden Boy and Kopa Trophee winner for 2021.

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.

2020: After becoming the youngest player in Premier League history in the spring of 2019, Liverpool moved quickly to sign the Fulham starlet that summer, before handing him first-team opportunities in the early weeks of the following campaign.

2021: Elliott spent the 2020-21 season on loan at Blackburn Rovers and he proved to be one of the Championship's star attractions, providing a combined 18 goals and assists at Ewood Park.

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.

2020: Aouchiche made headlines in the summer of 2019 after scoring nine goals in just four games at the Under-17s European Championship, and the midfielder backed that up by finding the net in one of his first appearances for the PSG first team.

2021: Having let his PSG contract run down, Aouchiche joined Saint-Etienne, and played all-but four of their Ligue 1 games in his first season at the club.

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.

2020: After being given opportunities to impress under Unai Emery, the versatile winger was excelling as a left-back under Mikel Arteta in north London.

2021: Saka truly exploded in the 2020-21 season, directly contributing to 17 goals for Arsenal, before starring for England in their run to the Euro 2020 final.

2022: The forward's form continued into the following campaign, as he bettered his tally from the previous year with 19 direct goal contributions.

2023: Saka took his game to new levels in 2022-23, as he scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists on his way to winning PFA Young Player of the Year.

2024: The England international again reached double-figures for goals and assists as the Gunners narrowly came up short in their bid for Premier League glory.

2025: Saka made a superb start to the season, and raced to 10 Premier League assists, only to suffer a serious hamstring injury in December that has kept him on the sidelines for over three months.

2020: 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.

2021: Cherki made mostly substitute appearances in 2020-21, as he continued to be linked with a move to Real Madrid.

2022: Though he found form in the Europa League and for France U21s, 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.

2020: The former La Masia star was beginning to earn regular game time under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium, with City believing they had a defensive gem on their hands.

2021: It was announced that Garcia would not be renewing his contract at City, and so he struggled for minutes in 2020-21, though that did not stop him from playing a key role for Spain at Euro 2020. Ahead of the tournament, it was announced that he would be returning to boyhood club Barcelona on a free transfer.

2022: Garcia was largely a starter in his first season back in Catalunya, with the hope remaining that he could become Gerard Pique's long-term replacement.

2023: The summer signings of Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso pushed Garcia down the pecking order at Camp Nou, as he started just 15 La Liga matches in 2022-23.

2024: Further new arrivals allowed Barca to loan Garcia to Girona for the following campaign, and he played a key role in the Catalan minnows' securing Champions League qualification.

2025: Garcia was expected to leave Barcelona upon return from his loan, but he was surprisingly retained, and he has proved a useful squad member in helping give the first-choice defenders a rest from time to time.

2020: Regarded as one of the best young centre-backs in European football, Saliba was back on loan with boyhood club Saint-Etienne after Arsenal agreed to pay £27m to bring the teenager to north London in the summer of 2019.

2021: Somewhat surprisingly, Mikel Arteta opted against integrating Saliba into his squad, meaning he was forced to join Nice on loan for the second half of the 2020-21 season in a bid to get minutes under his belt.

2022: Saliba remained in France after joining Marseille on loan and was named Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year after shining at Stade Velodrome.

2023: The centre-back finally got his chance at Arsenal, and was superb for the Gunners, with his late-season back injury regarded as the catalyst for them letting their lead at the top of the table slip. He did, meanwhile, establish himself in the France squad over the course of the campaign.

2024: Saliba was again one of the Premier League's outstanding centre-backs as Arsenal came agonisingly close to winning the Premier League title.

2025: Now established as one of the leading defenders in European football, Saliba continues to lead the Gunners' backline with aplomb.

2020: One of the stars of Italy's run to the U17s 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.

2021: The forward's loan spell at SPAL for the 2020-21 season was cut short after six months and he instead joined Venezia for the second half of the season, where he played 19 games as they earned promotion to Serie A. He joined FC Basel on loan at the start of the following season.

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.

2020: After becoming Ajax's youngest-ever player in September 2018, Gravenberch was a regular in Erik ten Hag's side at the age of 17 and being compared to Paul Pogba.

2021: The midfielder continued to progress, scoring his first Champions League goal as well as three times in the league. Gravenberch's form earned him a first Netherlands cap in March 2021.

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.

2020: Forced to leave Barcelona in 2016 following their FIFA-imposed transfer ban, Kubo had returned to Spain in the summer of 2019 with Madrid, having broken countless J.League records in his homeland. Was spending his first season in La Liga impressing on loan at Mallorca.

2021: Having joined Villarreal on loan in the summer of 2020, the forward failed to force his way into Unai Emery's team and had his loan spell cut short in January 2021, with Madrid instead sending him on loan to Getafe for the remainder of the season, though he struggled to make much of an impact.

2022: Mallorca's promotion back to La Liga allowed them to make their move and bring Kubo back to the club on loan in 2021-22, and the Japan international's form having improved a little as a result.

2024: The Japan international continued to impress for La Real in 2023-24, and he was linked with elite clubs around Europe.

2025: Kubo hasn't quite hit the same heights so far this season in San Sebastian, leading to him being left out of the line up on a number of occasions.

2020: One of Europe's best teenage creative midfielders, Ihattaren could be found regularly pulling the strings for PSV.

2021: The attacking midfielder fell out with PSV managed Roger Schmidt at the beginning of the 2020-21 season and he played just 22 times in the Eredivisie. Further rifts followed, leading to Ihatteren joining Juventus in a €6m deal, before he was loaned to Sampdoria.

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.

2020: After winning the Golden Ball at the 2019 Under-20 World Cup as an 18-year-old, South Korea international Lee was earning regular starts for Valencia.

2021: Lee rejected a series of contract renewal offers from Valencia over the course of the 2020-21 season and was placed on the transfer list at the end of the campaign. In the end, he was released in August, allowing Mallorca to sign him on a free.

2022: After beginning the season as a starter, Lee fell down the pecking order at Mallorca, and ended the campaign with just one league goal and two assists.

2023: Lee finally enjoyed a productive season, contributing a combined 13 goals and assists in La Liga. That form convinced Paris Saint-Germain to pay €22m to sign him in the summer of 2023.

2024: The new signing started around half of the Ligue 1 games during his debut campaign at Parc des Princes, but managed just five goals in all competitions.

2025: Lee is very much part of the attacking rotation in Paris, and has already bettered his goal tally from the previous campaign.

2020: Plucked from the fourth tier of Brazilian football in the summer of 2019, Martinelli had made a superb start to life at Arsenal, becoming the first teenager to reach double-figures for goals in a single season for the club since Nicolas Anelka in 1998-99.

2021: Martinelli missed the first half of the 2020-21 season with a knee injury and struggled to force himself into the first-team picture thereafter, finishing the campaign with just two goals to his name.

2022: The forward was back to his best, with his pace and dribbling ability down the left-hand side earning him a regular starting spot in the Gunners line-up, as well as a first Brazil call-up.

2023: Martinelli took his game to another level in 2022-23, as he scored 15 Premier League goals for the second-placed Gunners.

2024: The Brazilian's goal output dropped considerably in the following campaign, and he slipped out of favour at times due to his drops in form.

2025: Martinelli is still battling to get back to his best, though he has shown some glimpses that he can reach his 2022-23 levels once more.

2020: 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.

2021: The midfielder started the 2020-21 season in sparkling form, and became France's youngest goal-scorer in over a century, before his form dropped off in the second half of the campaign. That did not put off Real Madrid, though, who paid €40m to bring him to Santiago Bernabeu.

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.

2020: 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.

2021: Reinier joined Borussia Dortmund on a two-year loan deal in the summer of 2021, but started just one match – the final league game of the season – in his first campaign in Germany. Despite reports his deal would be terminated, he opted to remain with the club for a second season.

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.

2020: Greenwood, who had been likened to Robin van Persie, was enjoying a true breakout season as he finished the campaign with 16 goals in all competitions and emerged as one of the best young attackers in Europe.

2021: Having made his senior England debut in September 2020, Greenwood had another encouraging season, scoring 12 goals amid a campaign of struggle for United.

2022: Greenwood was suspended by United in January 2022 after he was arrested on suspicion of rape and assault.

2023: The charges against Greenwood were dropped in February 2023, but he remained out of the picture at Old Trafford until the end of the season. United reportedly considered bringing him back into the fold ahead of the 2023-24 season, but amid a public backlash, instead sent him on loan to Getafe.

2024: Greenwood showed glimpses of his talent during his debut season in La Liga, as he scored 10 goals in all competitions, which in turn earned him a €31m move to Marseille in the summer.

2025: The forward made a fast start to life at Stade Velodrome, and has quickly established himself as one of the best attacking players in Ligue 1.

2020: Having beaten Real Madrid to the signing of Fati, Barcelona took the almost unheard of decision to promote the forward to the club's first-team squad in the summer of 2019, despite him having never played for the club's B team. He rewarded them by breaking countless goal-scoring records, including becoming the youngest-ever player to find the net in the Champions League in December of the same year.

2021: Fati earned a first Spain cap as he started the 2020-21 season by scoring four goals in his first seven league appearances, only to suffer a meniscus injury in November that required four surgeries and ruled him out for the season. He did, however, pick up the NXGN 2021 award.

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.

2020: Having made his Santos debut at the age of 16 in 2017, Rodrygo joined Madrid 18 months later in a deal worth €45m. He marked his Blancos debut with a goal after 93 seconds before scoring a perfect hat-trick on his first Champions League start. In addition, he had already been capped twice by Brazil.

2021: Rodrygo was mainly a substitute during the 2020-21, and scored just twice in all competitions.

2022: Though still largely a rotational piece in Carlo Ancelotti's squad, the Brazilian put in some key performances in 2021-22, especially in their triumphant Champions League run.

2023: Rodrygo began to develop into one of European football's most promising young attackers, as he scored 19 goals and provided 11 assists across all competitions for Los Blancos.

2024: Though he was regarded as the third attacker at Madrid behind Jude Bellingham and Vinicius, Rodrygo continued to be a key contributor, and finished the season with 17 goals.

2025: Kylian Mbappe's arrival hasn't knocked Rodrygo out of the Madrid line up, but it does seem to have had an impact on the Brazilian's output in the final third.