Mbappe or Sancho? The best U21 in Europe’s top five leagues this season revealed

Football clubs are always on the look out for the next superstar. Sometimes they are hidden gems and in the case of Kylian Mbappe they are already one of the best players in the world at the age of 20.

Here we run through the top WhoScored rated players aged 21 and under in Europe’s top five leagues to have made at least 20 appearances this season.

10. Youssef En-Nesyri (Leganes) – 7.08 rating from 22 appearances

Youssef En-Nesyri has been a revelation in his first season for Leganes and the Spanish side face a fight to keep the 21-year-old at the end of the campaign. In three fewer appearances this season, En-Nesyri has already doubled his goal tally for Leganes (8) than he managed for Malaga last term. The Moroccan striker has also registered two assists this season to take his direct goal involvements to double figures. He even scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Real Betis earlier this month.

9. Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen) – 7.13 rating from 23 appearances

After a relatively slow start to the campaign, Kai Havertz has been immense for Bayer Leverkusen over the last two months, benefitting from a change of manager at the club. The Germany international has scored nine league goals this season and five of them have come in his last seven appearances. Like En-Nesyri, Havertz will be in demand if he can continue his fine form for the rest of the season.

8. Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina) – 7.14 rating from 25 appearances

Federico Chiesa is enjoying another progressive campaign in his young career but still has plenty of room for improvement. The Italy international is only one goal shy of matching his tally from last season (6), though he needs to sharpen his efficiency in front of goal. The 21-year-old has scored five league goals from 104 attempts, five fewer than he managed in the whole of last season from 11 more appearances.

7. Christian Kouame (Genoa) – 7.15 rating from 25 appearances

Christian Kouame’s impressive first half of the campaign has reportedly secured him a summer switch to Napoli in a deal worth €20m. The 21-year-old has scored four goals but has built a reputation as a dominant striker, with only two players winning more aerial duels per game than the Genoa striker (5.2) in Serie A this season. Kouame also ranks fifth in Europe’s top five leagues among players aged 21 and under for most fouls won (55).

6. Luka Jovic (Frankfurt) – 7.21 rating from 21 appearances

Luka Jovic’s red-hot form for Bundesliga side Frankfurt has been one of the biggest talking points in Germany this season. The Serbia international is already being linked with a big money move to some of the biggest clubs in Europe, with Frankfurt set to trigger their option for a permanent deal for the 21-year-old in their loan agreement with Benfica. Jovic averages a goal or an assist every 70.4 minutes of league action this season, netting 15 goals and providing five assists in 21 Bundesliga appearances.

5. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace) – 7.23 rating in 25 appearances

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has barely put a foot wrong in just over 12 months as a first-team regular for Crystal Palace and is arguably regarded as one of the best full-backs in the Premier League. Manchester City are already understood to be eyeing a summer move for the 21-year-old and that is not a surprise. Wan-Bissaka has completed the most tackles and interceptions (155) in the Premier League this season and has been dribbled past just seven times.

4. Allan Saint-Maximin (Nice) – 7.25 rating in 23 appearances

Allan Saint-Maximin’s season is in danger of finishing prematurely after a souring of relationship with manager Patrick Vieira but it has still been an impressive one for the 21-year-old. Saint-Maximin has scored six goals and provided two assists in 23 league appearances this season but is best known for his ability to dribble past defenders. In fact, Saint-Maximin has completed the most dribbles in Europe’s top five leagues this season and is only one away 100 successful dribbles.

3. Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona) – 7.41 rating in 22 appearances

After a troubled start to the season, Ousmane Dembele is finally proving his worth to Barcelona. The 21-year-old has played a direct hand in 12 goals in 22 league appearances this season and his WhoScored rating from starts alone increases to 7.80. His goals in the league have been worth seven points along this season, which is the current gap between first and second place in the league this season.

2. Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) – 7.53 rating in 23 appearances

Jadon Sancho has completely vindicated his decision to leave Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund after turning in a breathtaking campaign for the Bundesliga leaders. The 18-year-old has remarkably played a direct hand in 18 goals in 23 league appearances and is one of only two players to register 10 assists in the Bundesliga this season. No player aged 21 and under has won the WhoScored Man of the Match award more times than Sancho in Europe’s top five leagues this season (5).

1. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) – 7.99 rating in 20 appearances

Kylian Mbappe’s performances this season have only reaffirmed the feeling the 20-year-old is the heir to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the best player in the world. The Paris Saint-Germain striker has scored 22 goals and provided six assists in 20 league appearances this season and is the highest rated player aged 21 and under in Europe’s top five leagues. In fact, only Lionel Messi and Neymar have garnered a higher WhoScored rating of all players. Mbappe averages 2.1 dribbles per game, 1.8 key passes per game and 4.2 shots per game.