At this point, Bayern Munich should understand better than any club that if Plan A doesn’t work out, there’s no need to panic. Just get on with your business. That might be true for Plan B and Plan C, too.

In the summer of 2024, after firing Thomas Tuchel, it felt like Bayern got turned down by roughly 27 candidates before settling on Vincent Kompany, who had just been sacked after leading Burnley to relegation. In the summer of 2025, their transfer plans went awry as well when Bundesliga stars like Florian Wirtz (Liverpool) and Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United) chose the Premier League over the German giants. Instead of landing either or both approaching-their-prime talents, they spent big on veteran Luis Díaz, brought Nicolas Jackson in on loan, and elected to give a precocious 17-year-old named Lennart Karl a bit of playing time.

So having experienced many public failures over multiple summers, Bayern are about a quarter of the way through 2025-26 and are in their best run of form in five years, with 14 wins from 14 games in all competitions. At this moment, at least, Karl has as many combined goals and assists in 290 minutes in all competitions (three) as Wirtz has in 934 with Liverpool.

Karl also became Bayern’s youngest UEFA Champions League scorer with a lovely, composed strike in last week’s pummeling of Club Brugge, and on Saturday he followed that up with something even more outrageous against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

17-YEAR-OLD LENNART KARL BECAME BAYERN’S YOUNGEST-EVER UCL GOALSCORER MIDWEEK AND THEN SCORES AN INSANE GOAL TODAY!

WHAT A TALENT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4fwu0noPCs

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 25, 2025

For as much oxygen as transfers and transfer rumors occupy in the general soccer ecosystem, the most enjoyable stories often come out of nowhere. And this sport offers an endless well of fun, young talent waiting for an opportunity to spring up and entertain us.

So here’s a list of my 15 favorite 21-and-under men’s players doing exciting things in this young season. Some were indeed the subjects of heavy transfer rumors and reporting, but others seemingly appeared out of the blue.

(Note: We’ll limit this list to players who entered the season having played under 2,000 minutes in the Big Five leagues. You don’t need me to tell you that someone like Lamine Yamal is awesome. You already know that.)

– Olley: Nwaneri returns to spotlight, seizes chance to shine for Arsenal
– Cristiano Ronaldo’s race to 1,000 goals: When will he get there?
– O’Hanlon: Why we already know Arsenal will win the Premier League

Estêvão, Chelsea / Brazil
Age: 18
Key stats (all competitions): 475 minutes, two goals from 22 shot attempts (3.8 xG), one assist (1.5 xA) from eight chances created, 56 progressive carries, 46 1v1 attempts

The whole “major club signs exciting Brazilian teenager” thing often doesn’t pay off; Endrick‘s current travails at Real Madrid are illustrating that pretty well at the moment. The competition level is higher, the defenders are bigger, and you struggle to find your way before getting repeatedly loaned out.

Statistically, Estêvão was always a little different than other up-and-comers. He had 13 league goals and nine assists in his age-17 season with Palmeiras and quickly proved that he could rack up the shot volume despite being just 5-foot-9 and 137 pounds. Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has smartly eased him in at Stamford Bridge, with seven substitute appearances and five starts (and only one full 90-minute appearance) thus far — and the approach is paying off. He leads the team in shot attempts, high-quality shots (worth over 0.2 xG), 1v1 attempts and 1v1s in the box, and he’s only played 44% of Chelsea’s minutes.

Oh, and he already has a signature moment, too:

Estêvão is a lightning bolt for a team that can otherwise be a little too stolid in attack at times. He’s an absolute delight, and based on his xG figures, his finishing has prevented him from enjoying even more of a breakout.

Can Uzun, Eintracht Frankfurt / Turkey
Age: 19
Key stats (all competitions): 834 minutes, six goals from 32 shots (2.4 xG), four assists (2.6 xA) from 14 chances created, 59 progressive carries, 61 progressive passes

Granted, it might have helped Eintracht if the next awesome young talent they developed had been a defender of some sort — even while allowing only one combined goal to St. Pauli and Borussia Dortmund over the last week, they’ve still allowed 28 goals in their last 10 matches — but you take what you can get, and Uzun has been a delight. The 19-year-old hit a wall recently in terms of goal contributions, but since he’s far more of an attacking midfielder than a forward and rarely touches the ball in the box, goals shouldn’t be one of his most important stats.

Still, in his first season as a main contributor, he currently ranks in his team’s top three in goals, shot attempts, assists, chances created, duels and fouls suffered.

Uzun makes things happen.

Franco Mastantuono, Real Madrid / Argentina
Age: 18
Key stats (all competitions): 599 minutes, one goal from 26 shots (3.0 xG), zero assists (1.2 xA) from eight chances, 49 1v1 attempts, 17 fouls suffered (seven in the attacking third)

Like Estêvão and Uzun, Mastantuono’s main job is to try stuff and attack defenders. He’s 10th on his team in minutes but third in shots and 1v1 attempts, and he’s a willing contributor in defense as well — only left back Álvaro Carreras has blocked more passes — which is incredibly welcome on a team that features two famous attackers who contribute almost nothing in that regard.

Expectations were high for Mastantuono after he contributed four goals and six assists before his 18th birthday in parts of two seasons with River Plate. His finishing has been rather Estêvão-esque — one goal from shots worth 3.0 xG — but he’s playing his role well and carving out a niche on a star-laden squad.

Senny Mayulu, Paris Saint-Germain / France
Age: 19
Key stats (all competitions): 627 minutes, two goals from 16 shots (2.0 xG), one assist (1.1 xA) from nine chances, 58% success rate on 73 ground duels

Warren Zaïre-Emery, also 19, has played way too much ball to make this list, but PSG still don’t lack for other thrilling youngsters. (Hell, the only reason I didn’t put 17-year-old right winger Ibrahim Mbaye on the list was because I’m trying to spread the love around.)

Mayulu scored the last goal in PSG’s historic 5-0 romp over Internazionale in last season’s Champions League final, and in mostly 60-minute midfield shifts this season, he’s been tasked with running at defenses and handing the ball over to attackers in the attacking third. He’s good at it, and he’s also quite good at teleporting into high-quality positions in the box.

While others on this list are mostly firing away from long range, four of Mayulu’s 15 shots have been worth at least 0.2 xG. Only Bradley Barcola and Gonçalo Ramos have attempted more high-quality shots for PSG this season.

Valentín Barco, Strasbourg / Argentina
Age: 21
Key stats (all competitions): 1,061 minutes, three assists (3.1 xA) from 20 chances created, 84 progressive carries, 85 progressive passes, 37 fouls suffered, 71 ball recoveries

On a Strasbourg team that started with just two losses in its first 12 matches, Barco currently ranks first in chances created, touches, 1v1 attempts, fouls suffered, total duels, ground duels won, blocked crosses and ball recoveries and second in progressive carries, interceptions and all defensive interventions. He spends a little over half his time in central midfield while dabbling at everything from left wing to left back to defensive midfield to center back.

Wherever he is, he’s the most important player besides, perhaps, leading goal-scorer Joaquín Panichelli.

Barco seemed like a can’t-miss prospect when he moved from Boca Juniors to Brighton & Hove Albion, but he evidently needed one more change of scenery to start unlocking his potential. Well, it’s unlocked.

Noah Sadiki, Sunderland / DR Congo
Age: 20
Key stats (all competitions): 802 minutes, 54 progressive carries, 28 progressive passes, 14 fouls suffered, 12 blocked passes, 14 interceptions, 25 ball recoveries

This list is loaded with Make Stuff Happen™ guys, and Sadiki is already one of the best in the Premier League in that regard. After serving as an excellent ball progressor and chaos agent for Union St.-Gilloise‘s Belgian title-winning team last season, Sadiki is playing a similar role alongside Granit Xhaka in the midfield of a Sunderland side that is overachieving spectacularly in 2025-26.

Sadiki pushes the ball up the pitch and draws contact in attack (first on the team in fouls suffered), and he obstructs every passing lane in defense (first in blocked passes and interceptions). With this work-rate, he is a perfect complement for Xhaka, allowing the veteran to focus on things like “being a progressive passing machine” and “once again providing the greatest veteran leadership in the sport.”

Sunderland are overachieving against their xG figures in a way that is almost certainly unsustainable, and regression is probable, but they also genuinely outplayed Chelsea late in last weekend’s 2-1 upset at Stamford Bridge. There’s some magic to this team, and the Sadiki-Xhaka combo is a major reason why.

Myles Lewis-Skelly, Arsenal / England
Age: 19
Key stats (all competitions): 445 minutes, three assists (0.6 xA) from five chances created, 20 progressive carries, 25 progressive passes, 16 fouls suffered (four in the attacking third)

Because Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta is distributing minutes to so many guys within a ridiculously deep squad — including 15-year-old Max Dowman, who could have made this list despite playing only 125 minutes thus far — it’s hard to get a complete read on Lewis-Skelly’s capabilities. But his per-90 stats are great, and moments like his assist against Atlético Madrid in last week’s Champions League blowout certainly give us a pretty good hint.

Ho hum: just casually dribbling around and through four Atleti defenders and perfectly cueing up a first-timer from Gabriel Martinelli against one of the most celebrated defenses in Europe. No big deal.

Lennart Karl, Bayern Munich / Germany
Age: 17
Key stats (all competitions): 303 minutes, two goals from 16 shots (1.9 xG), one assist (0.8 xA) from four chances created, 31 progressive carries, 18 1v1 attempts, seven fouls suffered

Take it away, Tor-Kristian Karlsen:

“Excellent at playing between the defensive lines, his low center of gravity — he measures at just under 5-foot-6 — gives him the balance and agility to navigate short spaces. Meanwhile, an explosive first step makes him elusive in crowded areas, often allowing him to slip away from defenders before they’ve had the chance to get settled. […] In the short term, Bayern seem intent on rotating Karl through multiple attacking roles: as a right-sided inside-forward, a narrow No. 10, and occasionally a left-sided option to encourage his two-footed development. Each role offers a different challenge, but will help refining abilities such as acceleration, composure, flexibility, game intelligence and creative risk-taking.”

Karl is versatile, and he’s incredibly unique in stature and skill set. It might be easier for a young guy to find a role by fitting into a certain box, and Karl most certainly doesn’t, but he’s a fascinating prospect.

Assan Ouédraogo, RB Leipzig / Germany
Age: 19
Key stats (all competitions): 333 minutes, two goals (2.1 xG) from nine shots, three assists (0.8 xA) from six chances created, nine fouls suffered, 71.9% success rate from 32 duels, 50.0% aerial success rate

Ouédraogo scored the title-winning penalty for Germany at the Under-17 Euros in 2023, and he became Schalke 04‘s youngest ever goal-scorer, putting the ball in the net on his professional debut at age 17 in 2023-24. At a Paul Pogba-esque 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, he’s looked the part all along, and after barely playing in his first season at RB Leipzig, it appears he has the lay of the land.

Ouédraogo has started RBL’s last five matches, and they’ve taken 13 points in those five as he’s made four goal contributions. He’s doing a little bit of everything, from clearances to short-range goals, and RBL is reestablishing a pretty high level after last season’s disappointing campaign.

Leopold Querfeld, Union Berlin / Austria
Age: 21
Key stats (all competitions): 930 minutes, two goals (0.7 xG) from 10 shots, seven chances created (0.5 xA), 45 progressive carries, 43 progressive passes, 63.2% success rate from 57 aerial duels, 163 defensive interventions

There aren’t many defenders on this list both because defensive stats are less sexy and, well, there aren’t loads of teenage defenders in the top leagues. It’s a lot easier to break guys in with hustle-and-try-stuff roles up front.

Still, Querfeld’s an interesting prospect. He put in over 1,700 Bundesliga minutes last season and therefore barely qualified here, but even before that he logged over 4,300 minutes for Rapid Vienna in Austria. He’s a certified Big Dude, standing 6-foot-3, manning the middle of Union’s three-man back line and winning about 60% of his aerials.

Union are back to doing Union things this season, absorbing pressure, playing physically (and committing lots of fouls), counterattacking and winning the set-piece battle. It says a lot that Querfeld has been asked to man such an important position in that regard. He even scored a goal in the DFB Pokal.

Christian Kofane, Bayer Leverkusen / Cameroon
Age: 19
Key stats (all competitions): 558 minutes, four goals (4.4 xG) from 20 shots, 10 chances created (0.5 xA)

Bayer Leverkusen are working through an up-and-down campaign in their first season after the departure of manager Xabi Alonso, chief creator Wirtz and others. But the 6-foot-2 Kofane, who scored eight goals with Albacete in the Spanish second division last year, is providing bright moments already.

Kofane is a Haaland-model striker, meaning he’s in for shots and goals and not a ton of other things — per 90 minutes, he’s averaging just 25.9 touches but 3.2 shots, 35% of which are worth at least 0.2 xG. Those aren’t Erling Haaland levels, but they’re intriguing for a teenager playing in a top-flight league for the first time. He scored Leverkusen’s go-ahead goal against PSV in the Champions League, and he’s started the last five matches for new manager Kasper Hjulmand. It’s been a very bright start.

Adrián Liso, Getafe (on loan from Real Zaragoza) / Spain
Age: 20
Key stats (all competitions): 634 minutes, three goals (1.0 xG) from 12 shots, two assists (1.2 xA) from two chances created, 23 progressive carries, six fouls won in the attacking third, 22 ball recoveries

Outside of Barcelona and Real Madrid, there haven’t been a ton of high-impact youngsters in LaLiga early this season, but Liso, a second-division standout for Real Zaragoza, got loaned up to a first-division club and was immediately named LaLiga’s under-23 player of the month in August. Getafe have scored only 10 goals in 10 league matches, but he has three of them, and he’s assisted two others. And on a team loaded with 30-and-over veterans, he and 20-year-old midfielder Mario Martín are putting in some serious hustle time.

Geovany Quenda, Sporting CP / Portugal
Age: 18
Key stats (all competitions): 722 minutes, two goals (1.8 xG) from 15 shots, four assists (2.5 xA) from 18 chances created, 19 fouls suffered, 54.2% success rate on 83 ground duels, 46 ball recoveries

Of the 16 players with at least 250 minutes for Sporting this season, only three are under 24 years old, and only one is under 21: Quenda, who’s racing up and down the right touchline and providing all the young energy he can for a veteran squad.

Quenda is starting about half the time, but while he’s eighth on the team in minutes, he’s second in assists and fouls suffered and fourth in goals and shots on goal. He’s also won 64% of his tackles, and he’s third on the team in ball recoveries. He had a goal and an assist in Sporting’s Champions League-opening win over Kairat Almaty, too.

Quenda, who has agreed a €52 million move to Chelsea in 2026, is a boundless runner with a creative streak in attack — that’s a pretty great combination.

Antoine Mendy, Nice / Senegal
Age: 21
Key statistics (all competitions): 1,022 minutes, 204 defensive interventions, 30 blocked passes and shots, 70.7% success rate on 41 aerial attempts, 80 progressive carries, 50 progressive passes

I was tempted to put Mendy’s 19-year-old center-back companion Juma Bah on here, too, as the two have both been asked to hold the fort quite a bit for a decent but offensively challenged team. But we’ll go with Mendy here; the 21-year-old converted attacker has battled through a run of injuries to play at a really high level this season. (He’s learned under ageless defender Dante at Nice, too.)

Mendy has made the second-most defensive interventions in all of Ligue 1 — a hint of just how much duress the Nice backline has faced, but also a sign of sureness on Mendy’s part — and he’s dynamite in the air. His odds of making the Senegal squad for next year’s World Cup are pretty good.

Joane Gadou, RB Salzburg / France
Age: 18
Key stats (UEFA competitions): 630 minutes, 90 defensive interventions, 94 progressive carries, progressive passes

Playing defense for Salzburg is a unique sort of stress test: you’re going to learn all about possession play and proper buildup from the back, and you’re going to have to put out all sorts of fires in transition. Gadou is holding his own. The 6-foot-4 center back has played every minute of Salzburg’s UEFA season, and he’s averaging nearly 13 defensive interventions per 90 minutes and leading the team in blocked crosses and shots. He’s also leading in progressive carries and is second in progressive passes.

Gadou has already been linked to Bayern and other heavyweights, and it’s not hard to see why. But in the meantime, he’ll keep playing the game on the hardest difficulty level.