Moukoko – or someone else ?: These talents stir up the Bundesliga

Wednesday 11th August 2021

Moukoko – or is it someone else?
These talents stir up the Bundesliga

It has become quiet around Youssoufa Moukoko, an injury slowed the Dortmund player for a long time. But the 16-year-old wants to attack again for the new Bundesliga season. As well as other young stars: You should remember the names Sidney Raebiger, Joe Scally or Georginio Rutter.

Will Youssoufa Moukoko make the breakthrough in the Bundesliga this season? Or is the competition with Haaland, Bellingham and Co. still too big after all? Undisputed: Moukoko is an exceptional talent – will he be the young star of the new Bundesliga season or will others jump into the limelight? A selection of boys who want to stir up the league.

Borussia Dortmund: The child prodigy has been quiet in the end. Accompanied by great media hype, Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko advanced to become the youngest professional footballer in Bundesliga history at the age of 16 and one day on November 21, 2020 at the Borussia game in Berlin. But the severe ligament injury that he sustained in preparation for the U21 European Championship slowed down his advancement. After a month-long break, the attacker has steadily increased his workload in preparation for the season and is fit again for the start of the league. Compared to his first Bundesliga season, in which he scored three goals in 14 Bundesliga games, Moukoko says he wants to “collect more game minutes” – and at some point also “make it into the senior national team”.

Borussia Monchengladbach: Joe Scally moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach in January 2021 after he was 18 and was introduced to European football in the last second half of the season in the regional league team. Those in charge were already enthusiastic about the potential of the self-confident US player who had come from the New York FC Academy. After a very convincing preparation with the professionals so far, the full-back has good prospects of starting as a regular in the Bundesliga. In any case, the new Borussia coach Adi Hütter is enthusiastic about the US talent, which can be a good alternative for both Stefan Lainer on the right and Ramy Bensebaini on the left. “For me, this is a very promising player for the future who can be used in many different ways. At 18 he’s already in really good shape physically,” said Hütter.

RB Leipzig: Sidney Raebiger made his debut in the professional team of the Saxons in the cup game at SV Sandhausen. On Saturday he was 16 years and 112 days old, making him the youngest RB debutant to date. Raebiger is a native of Saxony who moved to RB in 2015. He is currently considered the greatest Saxon talent, plays in the central midfield. He participated in the entire RB preparation under Jesse Marsch and was already used in the friendly matches. Marsch thinks the 1.76 meter tall boy is big and will probably give him Bundesliga minutes in the near future. Should he play soon, he would be the second youngest Bundesliga debutant after Moukoko. He played two games for the German U17s. At the same time, he would be the first RB player from his own offspring to make the breakthrough.

Hertha BSC: The shortage of personnel in defense in the second half of last season was a stroke of luck for Hertha BSC. The intended for the regional league team Marton Dardai moved into the defense of the then relegation-threatened club and earned a regular place. The 19-year-old son of coach Pal Dardai was on the field in nine of the last twelve games, seven of them over the entire season. The 1.88-meter-tall defender intercepted most of the passes of all Berlin defenders and most often intervened in the opening of the game. In addition, the young defender built his Abitur. The young professional received another school-leaving certificate from the fans who voted Dardai Player of the Season.

SpVgg Greuther Fürth: Maybe Jamie Leweling will be in the limelight in the Bundesliga. The offensive player of SpVgg Greuther Fürth has a lot that is wanted in modern football. The 20-year-old goes into one-on-one battles at great speed and in his best moments can also assert himself against direct opponents. The self-grown man has extended his contract with the newcomer until the summer of 2024, and coach Stefan Leitl expects a lot from him. “Jamie has these special moments in one-on-one situations that you don’t see so often with players these days,” said the Fürth coach when extending his contract. In the storm, however, first captain Branimir Hrgota and the last ailing Havard Nielsen are set.

VfL Wolfsburg: Lukas Nmecha returns to Wolfsburg with a lot of self-confidence. At the beginning of June he shot the German U21 national team in the final against Portugal to win the European Championship. The 22-year-old was trained by the English champions Manchester City and was loaned out to VfL for six months in 2019. The fact that things didn’t go well for him back then and that Lower Saxony have now signed him for a transfer fee of around eight million euros shows that they have a lot of confidence in him. The native of Hamburg can play in all positions when attacking.

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim: Georginio Rutter came from Stade Rennes in the winter. The 19-year-old center forward played nine times in the Bundesliga and scored one goal. According to the director of professional football, Alexander Rosen, the French U19 international is “without a doubt one of the most promising talents in French football”.