Top talents in the Bundesliga this season

Posted at April 4th, 2011 Add your comment

Superbetting introduces some players to watch, that managed to impress this season...

Mario Götze

The “pocket” attacking midfielder had little experience, having played only 5 games for Borussia last season. But it was a really pleasant surprise when Mario was able to flourish in Dortmund’s attacking line, creating a formidable understanding with Kagawa, Grosskreutz and Barrios, that allowed Borussia to snatch the pole-position. With 4 goals and 12 assists on domestic stage, Gotze is surely among the top performers this season and at such really young age (he was born in 1992), it looks as if he will be next gem in Germany’ squad. Mario has already earned some call-ups and took part in three games and although he didn’t score, if his development continues then everything will be possible for this young lad.

Heung-Min Son

Hamburger SV are not enjoying the best of their seasons, but the board could be happy with the presence of one Asian youngster – Heung-Min Son. The Korean forward shone in the 2008/2009 season, scoring 9 goals in 15 appearances for Hamburger U17. In the following season Son played for the U19 team and once again he didn’t let his coaches down, scoring 6 times in 11 games. That earned him a place in the first team and the Koren took the opportunity. He has so far scored 3 goals in 9 games and is looking to gain more and more experience. Heung is only 18-year-old, but has already appeared in 5 matches for his country and could soon become one of the brightest Asian prospects.

Julian Draxler

Maybe not really properly picked, but Draxler did enough to earn a place in this article. Julian appeared in 9 Bundesliga, 2 DFB Pokal and 2 Champions League games and even scored against Nurnberg in the cup, sending his team through. Former Schalke coach Felix Magath was really excited by Draxler’s prospect, so we can assume that Schalke are nurturing a great talent. I will keep an close eye on Julian and will be interesting to see whether new coach Rangnick will give him an opportunity to shine. One thing is for certain – Draxler showed some nice footwork in his little time on the pitch and has a great example how to become a star in the shape of Manuel Neuer.

Peniel Mlapa

Mlapa have only recently turned 20 and he showed signs of being ready for a regular first-team football. His talent was spotted in the previous season, while he was playing his trade for 1860 Munchen. Back then, he scored 6 goals in 21 appearances and impressed with his extraordinary (for his physics) technique. Predominantly used as a winger, I believe Peniel could do a great job as a target striker and this kind of forward is needed by Hoffenheim after the departure of Demba Ba. Mlapa has appeared in 23 matches so far for Hoffe and has 3 goals and 2 assists. The Togo-born attacker could turn to a massive physical battler and only needs first-team experience and, of course, some luck.

Christian Clemens

Clemens went through all FC Cologne formations in order to deserve a regular place in the first team. The side midfielder is impressive this season, even though he is not contributing a lot with his 2 goals and 2 assists. Cologne are battling for their place in the Bundesliga and we could only greet these kind of teams, that present a stage for youngsters like Clemens. “Die Geißböcke” should be looking to hold on to him, as his price is currently going upwards. Clemens is from the kind of player that won’t impress you a lot with speed or technique, but he is one of the most frequent performers at Cologne and already made a debut for the U21 side. We have to follow him closely in the following days.

Sebastian Jung

The Eintracht’s right back earned his place in this article with his consistency this season – he has already appeared in 26 games for his team (0 goals, 1 assist). Jung played in 14 matches in the previous season and scored against Borussia, so his regular place in Frankfurt’s first eleven was a natural consequence of his display in 2009-2010 campaign. Valued at 3 500 000 euro, Jung is expected to rise in the Germany ranks and eventually hold a place in the national team. For now, he is a regular choice in the U21 team and surely needs a lot of experience, in order to be called-up by Joakim Low. You may say that Frankfurt are only 14th in the table, but they have conceded 37 goals and that’s among the best defensive achievements in the Bundesliga this season.

Oliver Baumann

Freiburg may have been cursing their luck, when regular keeper Simon Pouplin picked up an injury, but not for long, I believe. Second-choice keeper, Oliver Baumann, rose to prominence this season and is one of the reasons why this Freiburg team achieved so many good results. Oliver kept 7 clean sheets this season and made some fantastic saves, once again confirming that Germany has a big keeper choice. Baumann could turn into the new Neuer or Adler, if he receives the needed trust and we shouldn’t doubt that, because we all know how fast a player could develop into a star. However, we shouldn’t weigh youngster with huge expectation – we should only greet players like Baumann, who caught the eye this season and will be looking to impress even more, I believe.

Mehmet Ekici

Just like Freiburg, Nurnberg are also suprising pleasantly and two young players are among the suspects. Turkish midfielder Mehmet Ekici is the instrumental figure, having assisted for 8 goals so far and scored 3. Bayern are maybe waiting for Mehmet to return to Munchen after the end of the season, as he seems to gain the needed experience to try to settle at FCB. In the previous season Ekici scored 12 goals for Bayern II and was, in overall, contributing in any selection he was playing. Mehmet debuted for the Turkish national team and is surely a player to watch in the following years, as already his price is around 5 000 000 euro.

Ilkay Gündogan

Gündogan is the other player for Turkish descent that is driving Nurnberg forward. Even though a playmaker, Ilkay is better at scoring this season, as he has netted 5 goals. This is the highest-rated FCN player, valued at around 7 000 000 euros. You can imagine what sort of impression has Gündogan left this season. Numerous clubs were reportedly interested in his signature, but won’t be a bad idea for Nurnberg to cash in, should the opportunity arise. Ilkay had a tough first season for FCN, scoring only 2 goals and assisting for 2 in 24 games. Everything seems to be going in place this season, however, as the Turkey-born playmaker reminded of the days, when he was scoring freely for Bochum U19 side.

Patrick Herrmann

Herrmann shone for Gladbach this season with his goals against Leverkusen and Bayern Munchen, which are, curiously, his only 3 goals. Still, we must not underestimate the achievement of this youngster, who could develop into a nice player, should he receive more experience. Herrmann started in 13 Gladbach games this season and entered in 8 as a sub. His team is experiencing really hard times in the Bundesliga and is threatened by relegation, but an eventual drop to 2.Bundesliga could be of a great benefit for Herrmann, as he could work there calmly. On the other hand, a prolonged stay in the Bundesliga for Gladbach could present Herrmann with the opportunity to obtain an elite experience. All in all, we should keep a close eye to the side midfielder next season.

Konstantin Rausch

Rausch turned 21 some weeks ago and that’s why he managed to get in the youngsters list. This is a third consecutive season for Konstantin for Hannover as a regular and the left midfielder showed signs of developing. He has scored 3 goals this season and made 4 assists, while in the meantime he earned a regular spot in Germany U21 team. Valued at 4 000 000 euro, Rausch is looking to become more and more important figure for 96, who are surprisingly holding the 3rd spot in the Bundesliga. At only 21 Konstantin has the necessary Bundesliga experience in order to play calmly and confidently. It will be interesting to see whether Hannover will keep him for the next season.

Lewis Holtby

Holtby was excellent in the 2008-2009 season for Aachen in the 2.Bundesliga and that earned him a transfer in Schalke, He appeared in 9 games for S04 and made 2 assists, before being loaned out to Bochum for the second part of the season. It looked like Lewis was not that talented, but the youngster managed to revive at Mainz. 05 got him for the 2010-2011 season for as cheap as 100 000 euro and Holtby brought a lot more, scoring 3 goals and assisting for 7 so far this season. He is scoring on regular basis Germany U21 as well, so Schalke should be thinking seriously about giving him another chance. Holtby is very agile player that has very good technical abilities. He could turn develop into really nice player, but will need some luck.

André Schürrle

Schürrle is probably one of the biggest prospects in the German football. Leverkusen are maybe smiling with delight about their future player, who is contributing for Mainz this season. Andre has scored 12 goals and assisted for 5 so far, having started in only 19 games and entering as a sub on 7 occasions. He has very good flair and is very neat player that possesses very good technical skills. Mainz will surely miss him next season, but the 8-milion euro offer from Bayer was too-good-to-refuse. And I shouldn’t forget to mention that Andre made a debut for the national team in the 0:0 draw against Sweden. What a season for the youngster – 12 goals, Mainz flying in the table, international debut and all this will be finished by a transfer to Leverkusen. I doubt Schürrle hoped for me before the season start.

See also: Top Players in Bundesliga

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