The apparent willingness of the Bundesliga to employ young managers enables the promotion of academy players to first teams. One such example is that of Julian Nagelsmann, who became the head coach of Hoffenheim at the age of 29 and promoted numerous academy players like Christian Baumgartner.
While the Premier League and Serie A are more interested in buying finished products and investing in typically mature mid-20s footballers, the Bundesliga risks trying young players for their first-team setups. With lower revenues compared to the continent’s other top-five leagues, even the big teams in the Bundesliga tend to keep small first-team squads.
That allows them to try academy players in some of their first-team games. For someone like Jadon Sancho, who was only 18 when he departed Manchester City, it was an opportunity to gain more game-time with Borussia Dortmund.
Reiss Nelson is another example of a British youngster who purused his trade in Germany for a while, where he gained some invaluable game-time in the Bundesliga. His stint at Hoffenheim last season saw him score six goals in his first seven matches. Nelson is now back at his parent club Arsenal, though.
Top five young Bundesliga players to watch out for
Last season, several young players in the Bundesliga came up with impressive performances.
The likes of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz subsequently made their moves to England after fine Bundesliga campaigns for their respective sides - Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen. Joshua Kimmich, who has evolved to be a key player at Bayern Munich, had an outstanding season too. Jadon Sancho seemed destined to move to Manchester United, although the move never materialised.
This season of the Bundesliga also promises to throw up some of the most talented youngsters in the German top flight to the limelight. On that note, let us take a look at five such players..
#5 Christoph Baumgartner (Hoffenheim)
While the Austrian midfielder may have slipped under the radar, Christoph Baumgartner had a direct hand in 13 goals last season, scoring seven and assisting six. Baumgartner, who made his debut in the 2018-19 Bundesliga season under Julian Naggelsman, has been an exceptional find for Hoffenheim.
Baumgartner’s trajectory seems no different to that of Roberto Firmino and Nicklas Sule - former Hoffenheim graduates who went on to have success at Liverpool and Bayern Munich respectively.
The player’s versatility makes him a great asset for a team that likes to play fluid and attacking football, where the forward players need to be interchangeable. Baumgartner, who is a player usually at the end of the build-up phase, helps his team transition into attack. His positioning in between the lines helps him do the same.
Whether playing in his favourite number ten role or leading the attack himself, Baumgartner has shown that he has the pedigree to succeed in the highest level of German football. This season could see him take his game to the next level.
#4 Paulinho (Bayer Leverkusen)
The move from Brazil to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen has turned out to be an impressive one for the 20-year old winger Paulinho. Signed from Vasco da Gama in 2018, it took some time for Paulinho to adapt to life in Germany, though.
Nevertheless, Paulinho scored his maiden goal for Leverkusen when he came off the bench to net his side’s second goal in a 2-0 win over Wolves. His first start came at home to Frankfurt on March 7, 2020, where he had a hand in three of Leverkusen’s four goals.
A fleet-footed and versatile attacker who can do equal damage on the flanks or in a central attacking role, Paulinho has much in common with the former Barcelona and Arsenal playmaker Alexis Sanchez.
Since 2018, Paulinho has made 27 appearances for Leverkusen, scoring in three games. The youngest player to ever play for Vasco da Gama has now broken into the Brazil U-23 team as well.
Bayer Leverkusen seems to be the right club for the Brazilian winger, as its manager Peter Bosz has a penchant to play young emerging players.
#3 Joshua Zirkzee (Bayern Munich)
Touted to be a long-term successor of Robert Lewandowski, the 19-year old Dutch sensation Joshua Zirkzee bagged a Bundesliga hat-trick in his debut game for Bayern Munich. Coming off the bench against Freiburg in the 90th minute, it took less than two minutes for the striker to land his first strike.
In the game against Wolfsburg, he came off the bench to break the deadlock and seal a win for the defending Bundesliga champions. Just a day later, he scored the winning goal for Bayern’s U-19 side as they defeated their 1.FC Nurnberg counterparts.
Following his impressive performances in the Bundesliga, Hansi Flick handed Zirkzee his maiden senior team start in the Champions League clash against Tottenham Hotspur, where the player had a decent outing.
The player, renowned for his goal-scoring instinct and physical strength, has earned nine caps in his debut season under Flick. As it turned out, he ended his first season for the Bundesliga giants with a continental treble.
Zirkzee is yet to make his senior international debut for the Netherlands, but he has scored eight goals in nine games for the Dutch U-19 team and has been earmarked as a potential replacement for Memphis Depay.
With four goals from 11 games during his brief Bayern Munich career, Zirkzee is definitely one to watch out for this season.
#2 Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
Florian Wirtz emerged as the best U-19 player at Bayer Leverkusen last season and also made his debut for the German U-21 team.
With ten appearances in his first season, Wirtz became the youngest-ever goalscorer in Bundesliga history by netting an 89th-minute goal against Bayern Munich. He did so at the age of just 17 years and 34 days.
Following that feat, Wirtz burst into the limelight. Leverkusen boss Peter Bosz has wisely shielded the youngster from public glare for a few games. However, there may not be such kid-glove treatment this season, as Wirtz could come of age and become a first-team regular.
Many see Wirtz as the natural heir to Kai Havertz, who recently left the club to join Chelsea. Just like Havertz, Wirtz is already a fan favourite at Leverkusen.
Havertz was Leverkusen’s youngest-ever goal-scorer till Wirtz arrived. Considering the history of the club that has produced the likes of Michael Ballack, Arturo Vidal and Toni Kross, Wirtz’s trajectory to success looks destined.
With the recent departures of Havertz and Volland, Leverkusen would hope that Wirtz has a breakout campaign in the Bundesliga this season.
#1 Dani Olmo (Leipzig)
Dani Olmo arrived at RB Leipzig from Dinamo Zagreb in January 2020 and has gradually grown into prominence at the surprise Bundesliga leaders. That may sound odd because Olmo gained his footballing education at Barcelona.
After seven years in La Masia, Olmo left for Croatia to gain more game-time. His subsequent decision to move to Germany at the age of 22 seems to be a step in the right direction. Following the Bundesliga restart, Olmo has bagged three goals in eight games for RB Leipzig.
Olmo is seen as one of the most talented players in Spain’s latest generation of midfield maestros. His technical abilities with the ball at his feet, coupled with his brilliant control are nothing short of mesmerising. Moreover, just like his new teammate Marcel Sabitzer, Dani Olmo also has the ability to smash the ball home from long range.
The Spain international, who is expected to continue his progress in the 2020-21 Bundesliga, will like to score goals and bag assists as Leipzig attempt to win some silverware.
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