Some of the best wonder-kids in football are no longer teenagers.
Alex Iwobi, Dele Alli, Kingsley Coman and Gabriel Barbosa, for instance, are all now 20-years-old and fast cementing regular first team places in their respective teams of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Inter (by way of Santos).
That leaves a number of vacancies in the list of top-rated teenage footballers in the world so, without further ado, Freebetsmate.com lists their top five of the most promising superstars of the future.
1: Renato Sanches – Bayern Munich
Versatile midfielder Sanches quickly became a dominant force at Benfica prior to his 2016 transfer to Bayern Munich. He is comfortable in defensive roles as well as attacking. Primarily a central player, he is also able to compete on the wings. He has an undeniable physical strength, is cool in the pass and can retain possession. He has frequently been compared to legendary Dutchmen like Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf, despite being Portuguese.
2: Gianluigi Donnarumma – AC Milan
He may well only be 17-years-old but he has already been linked with a mega-money move to Real Madrid, one he has continually shrugged off as he guards goal for a resurgent Milan determined to climb the rungs of the Serie A ladder. Donnarumma is already developing a fearless reputation as he will do all he can to clear the ball and is a master of deflecting close-range shots.
3: Ousmane Dembele – Borussia Dortmund
He created numerous headlines when representing Rennes in Ligue 1 last season thanks to his fancy footwork, dribbling finesse and finishing skills. A move to Borussia Dortmund beckoned in the summer where he has already demonstrated his creative ability with a hat-trick of assists in his first few games.
4: Marcus Rashford – Manchester United
The fleet-footed forward propelled himself into English football fame at the start of the calendar year and now seems more assured of a first-team role than club captain Wayne Rooney. The decision to buy Zlatan Ibrahimovic was inspired as the veteran striker is the perfect partner for the younger Rashford.
5: Gabriel Jesus – Palmeiras / Manchester City
If Gabriel Barbosa is the next Neymar then Gabriel Jesus could be the next Ronaldo (as claimed by Ronaldo himself). A renowned attacker who can play anywhere across the forward line, Jesus – who Manchester City acquired earlier in the year – has 20 goals from 35 appearances for Palmeiras in 2016 and four goals in four games for the Brazil national football team.
