Best Young German Players in 2021

A year may not be a long time compared to a lifetime, but when it comes to professional life, it’s the best chance for people in any field to seek their chance and prove themselves. In the football world also, 2021 has been a year for many soccer players around the world, to live up to their expectations, for young German players a great chance to add their names to the watch list of Germany international manager, Hansi Flick, who tries to build a Germany side who can compete for the upcoming 2022 Qatar World Cup.

But who are these players who might actually help decorated Germany re-establish a power that conquers the football world again? A country with a long and rich history, having many great names such as Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, and Oliver Kahn, or most recently their World Cup winning captain,

.

There has been a slight dip in their standards in recent times. Germany were unceremoniously knocked out in the group stages of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. At the recently concluded Euro 2020, Die Mannschaft were eliminated in the Round of 16 by England. It certainly looks like they need to up their game a bit ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

But Germany continues to be home to some of the best upcoming footballers in the world. Without further ado, let's take a look at the best young German players in 2021.

All You Need to Know About Best Young German Players in 2021

It seems like every season the young German football players that take the center stage in any given league around the world are getting younger and younger. As always we have tried to be as diverse as possible when it comes to picking players and gather you a complete fair list of the best young German players in 2021.

11. Nick Batzner

• Age: 21

• League: Belgian First Division A

• Club: Oostende

• Position: Attacking Midfielder

The first entry in our list of the

best young German players in 2021

is Oostende’s German midfielder, Nick Batzner.

A youth product of Stuttgart since the age of 12, Bätzner signed with Oostende in the summer of 2020 on a free transfer, and he proved to be a bargain for the Belgian side as he was among their top performers since then. In a total of 51 appearances for the Belgian side, he’s scored 4 goals and provided 7 assists. Strong on the ball, continued to make it difficult for the defenders with his infiltrations and his passing was also clear.

Oostende coach Alexander Blessin said on the midfielder. “How did I experience his winning goal? I saw Nick advancing with the ball at his feet and felt the football commentator rise up in me. 'Shoot. Shoot! SHOOT!' I yelled to myself. Nice goal, really. Well, our young people have not always shown what you have to do as a talented player: an action or two, three alone is not enough.”

However, he is far away from the best German players FIFA 21 ratings as in the game he has 62 overall ratings, a potential of 73 if you’re interested in signing him in your career mode.

10. Reda Khadra

• Age: 20

• League: EFL Championship

• Club: Blackburn Rovers (on loan from Brighton)

• Position: Second Striker

A youth product of Borussia Dortmund who was released in June 2020 by the club, was snatched by the Premier League club,

.

Khadra made his Premier League debut on 13 January 2021,  coming on in the 86th minute in a 1–0 away defeat to Manchester City but picked up an injury in early February, being ruled out for the rest of the season before being loaned to Blackburn Rovers last summer.

He made his debut on 14 September, coming on as a 54th-minute substitute for John Buckley in the 2–0 home victory over Hull City. Khadra scored the first senior goal of his career on 6 November, netting the equalizer in an eventual 3–1 home win over Sheffield United.

In a total of 18 Championship appearances so far this season, Reda has contributed 3 goals and 3 assists as he’s helping Blackburn earn promotion this season. He also has 1.8 successful dribbles per game, has a goal every 191 minutes, and has won a penalty, too.

Khadra, who scored one and created the other during Rovers' FA Cup defeat to Wigan Athletic, has forged a fruitful partnership alongside talisman Ben Brereton Diaz, keeping the likes of Tyrhys Dolan and Sam Gallagher on the substitutes bench given his excellent run of form.

Blackburn boss, Tony Mowbray said: “Khadra, we probably put more work into him with his positional play and his job for the team but he’s trying like a bear to be a part of this team and it’s great he’s scoring goals and assisting.”

9. Youssoufa Moukoko

• Age: 17

• League: Bundesliga

• Club: Dortmund

• Position: Centre-Forward

Borussia Dortmund has been notorious for producing young, talented players time and again. In seventeen-year-old

, they might have found their next prodigy. Moukoko became the youngest player to feature in the Bundesliga and the Champions League last season. He also became the youngest goalscorer in the Bundesliga after he scored his first goal in mid-December last year against Union Berlin.

A total of three goals from fourteen appearances in the league last season has already given the young superstar European recognition. A left-footed player whose eye for goal is evident from his movement and playing style. He is already averaging nearly four shots per ninety in the few games he played. An exceptional dribbler of the ball, Moukoko completes over two dribbles per game. The German is tipped to be the next best forward if he maintains his exceptional run.

Cameroon-born forward Moukoko is already part of the Germany under-20 national team set-up and looks set for a very bright future in the game. He has scored 15 goals in as many games for Dortmund last season, two of which have come at senior level.

With a potential of 89 overall rating in FIFA career mode, Moukoko is certainly among the

best German players FIFA 21

, especially considering his speed and dribble.

8. Noah Katterbach

• Age: 20

• League: Swiss Super League

• Club: Basel (on loan from FC Köln)

• Position: Left-back

One of the young German football players who are the most promising prospects for the country, Katterbach has won the prestigious Fritz Walter Medal in Gold in two consecutive year groups.

Katterbach spent the majority of his youth career at 1. FC Köln, starting at the under-8 level. In 2018, he was awarded the Fritz Walter Medal in Gold, honoring the best German player in the under-17 age group.

On 5 October 2019, he made his professional debut for the club in a 1–1 draw against Schalke, making him the youngest player to appear in the Bundesliga that year. During the 2019–20 season, Katterbach established himself in the club's first-team squad and made 18 league appearances. On 19 August 2020, Katterbach was awarded the Fritz Walter Medal in Gold for the second time, this time as the best German player in the under-19 age group.

However, he joined Swiss side Basel this January, and we are looking forward to see what he delivers in this half-season ahead as we watch him among the other

young German players

who could make an impact in the coming seasons.

7. Márton Dárdai

• Age: 19

• League: Bundesliga

• Club: Hertha BSC

• Position: Centre-back

Next on our list of the best young German players in 2021 is Hertha’s Centre-back, Marton Dardai.

Dárdai began his youth career with Seeburger SV and 1. FC Wilmersdorf, before joining the youth academy of Hertha BSC in 2012. He made his professional debut for

in the Bundesliga on 7 November 2020 and has established himself as a first-team contender since then, earning 20 Bundesliga appearances during the past two seasons.

Being linked with a move to Liverpool, Dárdai is relatively fast, capable of playing in a high defensive line, and he always looks for long penetrative balls upfield

For U21 centre-backs, he ranks in the top five in the league for defensive duels won with a 71.05 percent success rate. In the U21 category, Dárdai averages the most PAdj (position adjusted) interceptions as per Wyscout with 10.56 per 90 and he also ranks in second place for the most progressive passes per 90 with 11.89 per 90, only behind RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol.

He is also a hot prospect in FIFA 22 as well. Ranked among the top five young German players with the highest potentials, he owns an overall rating potential of 85, making him one to watch.

6. Nico Schlotterbeck

• Age: 21

• League: Bundesliga

• Club: SC Freiburg

• Position: Centre-back

Next up we have yet another centre-back among our list of the

best young German players in 2021

, Freiburg’s Nico Schlotterbeck.

The 1.91m tall defender recently made the news after he was called up to Germany’s senior side for the first time, having prior represented Germany from the U18 to U21 level. Despite him not actually making his debut for Germany, the call-up showed how strong his performances were for Flick to include him, and looking at his numbers and stats, this fact is only emphasized.

A product of Karlsruher and Freiburg’s youth academy, Schlotterbeck made his senior debut for Freiburg during the 2018-19 season but it was during last season that he actually broke into the first team by appearing in 16 matches. however this season, Schlotterbeck has already as many minutes as he did last term and is among the best current German soccer players.

A modern center back who can carry the ball into the attack and is quite commanding on the pitch due to his physical stature, Schlotterbeck is adept at stopping the ball either with his tackles or interceptions. He has already won 167 tackles so far this season which ranks him as sixth in the league. his 85% pass success rate is something that should not be forgotten about either since it showcases how much of a successful distributor he is.

With 2.2 tackles and 2.1 interceptions per game, Nico Schlotterbeck has definitely been among the best young Bundesliga players of 2021 not to mention the best defenders in Europe. If he continues at this rate, he might even end up as a regular for Germany in the 2022 World Cup and he will generate a lot of interest in him from Europe’s biggest clubs, as he already has!

5. Kevin Schade

• Age: 20

• League: Bundesliga

• Club: SC Freiburg

• Position: Right Winger

Born to a German mother and

father, Schade is eligible to represent both Germany and Nigeria in international competition but has represented Germany in youth stages.

Schade joined the SC Freiburg youth system in 2018 after a five-year stint with Energie Cottbus. The U21 national player is one of the high-flyers of the season and has scored three goals in 17 Bundesliga games at SC Freiburg so far. The striker, who extended his contract with the current fifth-placed Bundesliga team in November until 2026, also scored a goal in the DFB Cup.

The 20-year-old impresses with speed and goal threat in attack. With the U-21 national team, he scored on his debut against Israel (3-2) in early October with a header to make it 2-2.

Scoring three goals and contributing an assist so far this season, Kevin Schade was among the best German players FIFA 21 as well with a bomb 83 potential.

4. Jonathan Burkardt

• Age: 21

• League: Bundesliga

• Club: FSV Mainz 05

• Position: Centre-Forward

One of the

young German football players

that really surprised everyone this season has been Mainz’s Jonathan Burkardt.

While the 21-year-old had always potential and have represented Germany in every level except senior, no one quite expected Burkardt to become one of the best current German soccer players. While Burkardt made his professional debut during the 2018-19 season, it wasn’t until last season that he started to get more playing time and he ended last season with 2 goals to his name both of which was against the champions, Bayern Munich.

A native of Darmstadt, Burkardt started his youth career playing for the local Darmstadt 98 club but then switched to Mainz at the age of 14. There the center forward managed to impress both his coaches at Mainz as well as the national team coaches which has resulted in him representing Germany at every level from U15 to U21, having played 38 matches and 16 goals overall, which is quite an impressive record.

Likened to one of Germany’s greatest players of all time (Miroslav Klose) by his head coach at Mainz, Burkardt has the potential to break into Hansi Flick’s Germany squad for the 2022 World Cup, especially with the lack of dedicated center forwards in Flick’s team.

Burkardt has made a good argument for his first senior call-up by scoring 7 goals and assisting two others for Mainz this season, helping the club maintain their mid-table status. He has definitely been one of the best young Bundesliga players of 2021 so far and there will no doubt be a huge interest in Burkardt in the following summer transfer window!

3. Jamal Musiala

• Age: 18

• League: Bundesliga

• Club: Bayern Munich

• Position: Attacking Midfield

One of the youngest players on our list of the best young Bundesliga players of 2021 is Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala. Bayern’s newest young prodigy looks increasingly more comfortable game after game, playing at the highest level with some of the greatest superstars of football like Lewandowski, Kimmich, and Muller against oppositions like Barcelona. His progress at Bayern started last season but it seems that Musiala is headed to have a great season this year with him already matching what he did last year on the pitch.

Born to a British-Nigerian father and a German mother of Polish descent in the city of Stuttgart,

spent most of his childhood in England and joined Chelsea’s prestigious youth academy but like many of Chelsea’s youth players, Musiala opted to depart the club in order to get playing time and he chose Bayern Munich in July of 2019.

Pretty soon he was given a chance at Bayern Munich’s first team and subsequently became the club’s youngest player and goalscorer in Bundesliga as well as Germany and England’s youngest goalscorer in the Champions League.

A good dribbler and passer of the ball, Musiala operates similar to Thomas Muller as he is a threat behind the main striker. His well-rounded capabilities as a midfielder allow him to play several roles well and it will be up to him and his managers to find a position that suits him perfectly. So far this season, Musiala has scored 7 and assisted 4 for club and country and is one of the best current German soccer players.

2. Karim Adeyemi

• Age: 20

• League: Austrian Bundesliga

• Club: RB Salzburk

• Position: Striker

Making his professional debut playing for Red Bull Salzburg's feeder team, Liefering in 2019, the 20-year-old midfielder has established himself as a regular for the Austrian giants in both Champions League and Austrian Bundesliga.

In this season of Champions League, the youngster has started all of his club’s Group G fixtures and averaged a 7.09 rating, contributing an assist in his side’s 3-1 victory over Wolfsburg.

The teenager also made 12 appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga and contributed three assists. He wears number 13 at his club and is heightened at 1.79 meters. Nicolas Seiwald has also amassed 18 ball recoveries so far, also producing his first attacking return of the competition on Matchday 3 with the assist for his side's first goal.

 more time on the ball, not unlike Thierry Henry or Wayne Rooney in years gone by. When taking on the opposition, Adeyemi mostly relies on his lightning speed, incredible acceleration, and quick change of pace to get past his marker.

Just 19-years-old, it seems Adeyemi already looks like an amazing player. He is also coming from Salzburg and they know how to pick their youth prospects. Hence, it's very easy to see why Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, and Liverpool are looking to sign

next summer.But perhaps his greatest asset is his composure. Adeyemi seems cold-blooded in front of the goal and is able to exploit space between himself and the goalkeeper by utilizing both feet. The player himself has also stated in an interview that the two areas of his game he himself wants to improve are the defensive contributions and perfecting his technique even further.

1. Florian Wirtz

• Age: 18

• League: Bundesliga

• Club: Bayer Leverkusen

• Position: Attacking Midfield

At top of our list of the

best young German players in 2021

is Leverkusen’s jewel, Florian Wirtz, who is already is amongst the best young players in Europe while barely being 18.

An attacking midfielder by trade,

has improved so much and so quickly in the past two years that he has already made his senior debut for Germany. The 18-year-old has appeared 4 times for Germany in 2021 and has taken his game to another level for Bayer Leverkusen.

Following the departure of Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen, the club who has had a good track record of developing young players like Havertz himself turned their attention to the immensely talented Florian Wirtz. While the German teenager shares some similar attributes with Kai Havertz, Wirtz is a lot more dynamic in his movement and covers the pitch a lot more.

Wirtz’s through passes and his incredible vision are already causing Bundesliga teams huge problems and can only be improved upon even further. in an attacking side like Bayer Leverkusen as the youngster has shown glimpses of his playmaking abilities. Wirtz has also shown that he has a knack for scoring goals which has been prominent this season.

Last season, Wirtz played a huge part in Bayer Leverkusen’s first team by appearing in 38 matches, contributing with 8 goals and 7 assists in all competitions which is just mind-boggling for a 17-year-old at that level. He also scored became the youngest ever goalscorer in Bundesliga’s history by scoring against Bayern Munich. This season however the youngster has scored 8 and assisted 13 for club and country and is sure to have a standout season, making him one of the best young Bundesliga players of 2021.

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