Across the world, the Bundesliga is widely heralded as the breeding ground for young players.
Down the years, various legends of the sport polished their craft by playing for various German clubs and went on to inspire entire generations.
There is something about the German top-flight that allows budding youngsters to rub their shoulders against some of the most respected veterans of the game.
In recent years, the development of Jadon Sancho at Borussia Dortmund, coupled with the emergence of Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz has once again helped boost the popularity of the Bundesliga.
That being said, there’s already a new line of youngsters ready to take over from Sancho and Havertz, who are already being linked to some of the major European elites, despite the fact that the duo still being in their early 20s.
So, here are four Bundesliga talents you may not know about, but who have the potential to become world-class players in the near future.
#1 Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund)
Following the elite list of talented players to have emerged from the Westfalenstadion, there are very high expectations from Giovanni Reyna, who joined Borussia Dortmund from New York City FC’s academy in January 2020 and is already making a case to be included in the playing XI more often.
The 17-year-old played 17 matches this season, with the majority of his appearances being short cameos.
Nonetheless, the former Under-17 US international managed to open his account for the club by scoring in a DFB-Pokal match. He provided two assists as well, one of which came in a 2-0 must-win game against RB Leipzig.
It’s being said that BVB have unearthed another gem of a player, who is already being earmarked as one of Bundesliga’s upcoming stars.
#2 Christoph Baumgartner (TSG Hoffenheim)
Austrian youngster, Christoph Baumgartner may just be 20-year-old, but he’s already played in multiple positions for Hoffenheim.
Having risen through the club’s youth academy, Baumgartner made his first-team bow earlier in the season, leaving everyone impressed.
He made a total of 32 appearances across all competitions this season, contributing eight goals and six assists in the process.
At 5 foot 10 inches, Baumgartner, who is already making all the right noises, stands head and shoulders above everyone else in midfield.
It won’t be long before the youngster is linked with some of the best European clubs if he continues delivering the goods for Hoffenheim.
#3 Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
Florian Wirtz joined Bayer Leverkusen’s academy from FC Köln in January but made eight senior appearances for his new employers, scoring a solitary goal which came against Bayern Munich.
As a result, he became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Bundesliga, aged 17 years and 34 days.
Capable of playing on either flank, the former FC Köln youth product has sky-high potential, and at Leverkusen, he’s found the perfect surroundings to thrive and hone his skills.
Playing alongside one of the league’s best talent in Kai Havertz would surely help Wirtz to develop further, and those around him will hope he emulates the success of his compatriot.
#4 Joshua Zirkzee (Bayern Munich)
Bayer Munich fans only got a few glimpses of youngster Joshua Zirkzee this season, but even in those cameos, the Dutchman managed to capture the imagination of many.
Having risen through the ranks at the Allianz Arena, the young striker has managed to play 12 times for the senior team, scoring four goals – all of those coming in the Bundesliga; he also provided an assist.
Zirkzee can play as a secondary striker as well as a wide forward, and at 19, there’s a lot of scope for improvement.
Surely, he would benefit immensely from Robert Lewandowski, having served as the understudy to the Polish striker this term, and those at Bayern will hope that he will fill in the former Dortmund star’s shoes one day.
All stats courtesy: Transfermarkt