Meet the wonderkids hoping to light up the Europa League
South American talents at Man United and Arsenal, the Rennes forward with insane speed, Jurrien Timber’s twin brother and a 16-year-old in Braga’s squad… Meet the wonderkids hoping to light up the Europa League
- The UEFA Europa League group stage gets underway on Thursday evening
- Arsenal and Man United are bookmakers’ favourites to win the competition
- Real Betis, Roma, Lazio and Monaco will also fancy their chances of lifting trophy
- Sportsmail takes a look at 10 young talents hoping to make a big impact
The Europa League group stage gets underway on Thursday night with plenty of prominent continental teams involved.
Arsenal and Manchester United are flying the flag for the Premier League and start the competition as favourites to go all the way and lift the trophy in Budapest on May 31.
But they will be challenged by the likes of Roma, Lazio, Monaco, Real Sociedad, Real Betis and whoever drops down from the Champions League after the group phase.
Eintracht Frankfurt won the UEFA Europa League last season, beating Rangers on penalties
With fixture schedules growing ever more intense, the Europa League has become a proving ground for young talents, who can get important minutes on the pitch to demonstrate what they can do as managers rest key players.
We take a look at 10 youngsters who will hope to use this season’s Europa League as a launchpad in their careers.
ALEJANDRO GARNACHO
18, Manchester United, winger
Garnacho is undoubtedly the most exciting talent to emerge from the Manchester United academy in recent years.
That was shown when Ralf Rangnick handed the Argentine winger his Premier League debut towards the end of last season, a couple of weeks before he scored twice in the final to win United the FA Youth Cup.
Alejandro Garnacho is one of the most exciting talents to emerge from Man United of late
United aren’t short on quick and skilful wide players but Garnacho will hope Erik ten Hag will decide to rest the likes of Antony and Anthony Elanga in certain European fixtures to give him more game time.
This is a kid who has already been invited to train with Lionel Messi and Co in the senior Argentina squad and it seems a matter of time before he makes his debut for them.
After United were paired with Real Sociedad, Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova and Omonia Nicosia of Cyprus in their Europa group, Garnacho will surely get more chances to show the United fans what he can do.
MARQUINHOS
19, Arsenal, forward/winger
The Gunners have decided not to include too many youngsters in their Europa League squad but Brazilian teenager Marquinhos does feature as they tackle a group featuring Zurich, PSV Eindhoven and Bodo/Glimt.
He was signed from Sao Paulo over the summer, having emerged as one of the most exciting talents in the Brazilian Championship.
Arsenal’s young Brazilian forward Marquinhos celebrates a goal for their under-21 side
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta made the decision not to send Marquinhos out on loan and that could potentially lead to opportunities in the Europa League.
In the meantime, the teenager started life in the Under-21 team by netting three goals in two matches against Manchester United and West Ham.
Marquinhos was also the only Europe-based player selected for the latest Brazil under-20 squad, suggesting a bright future awaits for both club and country.
LUKA ROMERO
17, Lazio, attacking midfielder
Lazio have been Europa League regulars in recent seasons without making too much dent on the latter stages of the competition.
Maurizio Sarri claimed the trophy with Chelsea in 2019 and will target another deep run assuming they navigate a group containing Feyenoord, Midtjylland and Sturm Graz.
Luka Romero, 17, is among the young talents Sarri has included in his Europa squad. He was born in Mexico before moving to Spain at the age of three but represents Argentina at youth level because of his parents.
Argentina youth international Luka Romero will be hoping for chances in the Europa League
Having moved to the Italian capital from Spanish club Mallorca, he became Lazio’s youngest-ever player at 16 years, nine months and 10 days when he made his debut on the opening day against Spezia.
Romero made nine appearances in all last season and should Sarri prioritise attaining a top four spot and Champions League qualification in the league – they missed out by a single point in May – squad rotation may hand Romero chances to show his creative talents in Europe.
VANDERSON
21, Monaco, right-back
Monaco have been more accustomed to Champions League football in recent seasons but drop down this season to face Red Star Belgrade, Ferencvaros and Trabzonspor in their group.
Brazilian right-back Vanderson certainly has the potential to light up the tournament and is tipped for big things in the future.
Monaco signed him from Gremio on a five-year contract back in January and it didn’t take him long to nail down his place and establish a reputation as one of the best right-backs in Ligue 1.
He cost Monaco just £9.9m and that could well prove to be exceptional business – Manchester United and Barcelona have already been linked with moves for him and you imagine the transfer fee will be considerably more than that.
Monaco’s Brazilian right-back Vanderson in action during the Champions League qualifiers
LUIZ HENRIQUE
21, Real Betis, forward
The natural flow of talent from Brazil to the leading European leagues is clearly alive and well because Real Betis have also signed one over the summer.
Spanish clubs have traditionally been very successful in the continent’s secondary competition and Real Betis will want to continue that tradition after they finished fifth in last season’s LaLiga.
Luiz Henrique, 21, is a forward who Betis signed from Fluminense for around £7m earlier this summer.
He made his debut in the win over Osasuna and then played against Real Madrid as Manuel Pellegrini eases him into Spanish football.
Luiz Henrique, a summer arrival at Spanish club Real Betis, takes on Madrid’s Vinicius Junior
Henrique said of his new team: ‘They play with speed, dribbling and good passing. I think I can fit in well with that.’
Though his game remains a work in progress because of his age, Henrique can surely make an impression in a group containing HJK Helsinki, Ludogorets and Roma.
QUINTEN TIMBER
21, Feyenoord, midfielder
There have been plenty of headlines about Jurrien Timber this summer after Erik ten Hag tried to take the Ajax defender with him to Manchester United.
That didn’t materialise but Jurrien’s twin brother Quinten did make a move, leaving Utrecht to join Feyenoord. It was a record fee received for Utrecht, of around £6.7million.
The 21-year-old plays in midfield and, like Jurrien, came through the academy at Feyenoord then Ajax before moving elsewhere in the Eredivisie.
Capable of playing a number of engine room roles, Timber has started all five of Feyenoord’s Eredivisie matches this season so far, opening his scoring account against Emmen.
The Dutch club will expect to advance from their group alongside Lazio and the two teams meet in Rome on Thursday.
Feyenoord’s new midfielder Quinten Timber surrounded by Emmen players last month
TAKEFUSA KUBO
21, Real Sociedad, winger
The Japan international is only 21 but already has a remarkably extensive CV and has just started a new challenge at Real Sociedad, who are in Man United’s group.
Barcelona spotted his talent in his native Japan and he was at La Masia during his teenage years until it was found the Spanish club violated FIFA policy for signing under-18s.
He returned home to FC Tokyo and was promoted into their first team at the tender age of 15.
Japan international Takefusa Kubo in action against his old club Barcelona for Real Sociedad
Ironically given his back story, he was signed by Real Madrid in 2019 after he came of age but he never actually played for them.
Instead, Kubo was sent out on four loan spells before Real finally let him go to Sociedad over the summer.
He will hope to kick-start his career and started well enough by scoring away to Cadiz on his debut a few weeks back.
XAVI SIMONS
19, PSV Eindhoven, attacking midfielder
What an amazing start Dutch talent Simons has made at PSV Eindhoven after returning to his homeland from Paris Saint-Germain over the summer.
He opened his account in the curtain-raising Johan Cruijff Schaal against Ajax then found the net twice in three consecutive games against Go Ahead Eagles, Excelsior and Volendam.
The only disappointment was PSV’s exit to Rangers in the Champions League play-off round, when Simons only came off the bench at half-time when maybe Ruud van Nistelrooy should have started him.
Xavi Simons has made a sensational start to life at PSV Eindhoven after signing from PSG
That defeat sent them tumbling into the Europa League and they find themselves in Arsenal’s group.
The Gunners will have to keep a close eye on Simons when they meet. It didn’t really happen for him at PSG but his electric start for PSV has confirmed he is a great talent.
ROGER FERNANDES
16, Braga, winger
It’s certainly very rare you find a 16-year-old on a squad list for a European competition but Braga have picked Roger Fernandes, a teenage winger from Guinea-Bissau.
Braga’s coach last season Carlos Carvalhal had such faith in Fernandes that he played him in a cup tie against Moitense as a 15-year-old.
What’s more remarkable is the mental strength the youngster played displayed because he lost his father not long before the game and wasn’t able to return to Guinea-Bissau for the funeral because of Covid restrictions.
After scoring in the match, he ran to Carvalhal and embraced him as a thank you for all the support.
Plenty more opportunities came his way in the Braga team and with time very much on his side, there should be more this season.
Braga reached the quarter-finals in the last campaign and they’ve been drawn into a group with Malmo, Union Berlin and Union Saint-Gilloise.
JEREMY DOKU
20, Rennes, winger
You must be nippy when even Kylian Mbappe is raving about how quick you are.
‘In five years as a professional, I have never seen someone from a standing start demonstrate so much power,’ Mbappe told France Football magazine last year.
Belgium international Doku certainly is fast, though he is injury prone and it did hold him back during his second campaign with Rennes.
Jeremy Doku (right) of Rennes tears down the wing during a recent league game with Lens
But he showed enough class to start Belgium’s Euro 2020 quarter-final against Italy and will intend to terrorise a few defences in this season’s Europa League.
Rennes surprised a few last season in finishing fourth in Ligue 1, earning a direct path into the Europa League group stage.
They should get through a group also containing AEK Larnaca, Fenerbahce and Dynamo Kyiv.
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