In 2018, Marca identified fourteen young football players who have the potential to become future stars. However, where are these players now, seven years later?
Fans all over the world have predicted that dozens of players will become the next big up and coming star in football as the sport continues to grow in popularity all over the world.
While there are some athletes who have unquestionably made it to the very pinnacle of their sport, there are others who have not quite reached the heights that were once anticipated of them.
And this is without a doubt the case for a number of the young football players who are considered to be among the best in the world in the coming years.
A number of notable individuals, including Vinicius Junior, Phil Foden, and Rodrygo, are included on Marca’s list, which features some impressive predictions.
However, the Spanish publication also featured a number of lesser-known names that may not have achieved the same level of success as Vinicius. The following is a selection of their recommendations as well as relevant information regarding their professional lives.
A. Kean Moise
Marca has predicted that Kean will become “the next Balotelli,” and his career has been certainly interesting.
The Italian began his career at Juventus, where he quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young talents in the sport. As a result, Everton decided to sign him on a five-year contract for a reported initial fee of £25.1 million, which could potentially increase to £27.5 million.
On the other hand, Kean was unable to live up to the expectations that were placed on him at Everton, which resulted in him being loaned out to both Paris Saint-Germain and his former club, Juventus.
After playing for Everton for 39 matches and scoring only four goals, Kean was eventually sold back to Juventus for a fee of twenty-five million pounds. He then went on to sign with Fiorentina in the summer of last year.
Mr. Abel Ruiz
It is unfortunate that Ruiz is one of the few talented individuals to emerge from the Barcelona academy and not quite achieve the heights that were once thought to be within his capabilities.
Ruiz made his debut with the first team just a few days before Marca’s list was made public. He scored the game-winning penalty kick in a shootout against Espanyol in the Supercopa de Catalunya.
However, his career at Barcelona did not progress much further than this, and in the year 2020, the striker was eventually sold to the Portuguese club SC Braga.
Following his signing of a five-year contract with Girona, a club in La Liga, the Spaniard made his way back to his native country during the summer of 2017.
The Geubbels, Willem
Geubbels began his professional career at Lyon’s youth program and went on to become the first player born in the 21st century to play in Ligue 1 after he made his debut in the league.
Later in his career, the Frenchman went on to become the youngest player in the history of the Europa League to make his debut. At the time that Marca was writing this article, he was in high demand.
According to reports, the forward signed a new contract with Monaco, a team from France, on June 19, 2018, for a reported fee of €20 million (£16.5 million).
Sadly, he did not live up to the expectations that were placed on him at his new club, and he only made 17 appearances before moving on to his current club, St. Gallen, in January 2023. He signed a contract with the Swiss club that was for a period of two and a half years.
An Arp by Jann-Fiete
Despite the fact that Arp, who is 25 years old, has been “called on to do great things with Germany and Hamburg,” Marca reports that he has not yet impressed.
Arp rose through the ranks of the Hamburger SV youth academy and went on to make 38 appearances for the German club before securing a significant transfer to Bayern Munich in 2019.
In spite of this, the forward only made one appearance for the Bundesliga giants. This was due to injuries and Joshua Zirkzee, who prevented him from being included in the rotation.
The majority of Arp’s time was spent in Munich, where he played for the club’s secondary team. However, in 2022, he began playing for Holstein Kiel, which is his current club.
His first appearance for the senior squad of the German national team has not yet taken place.
An Arp by Jann-Fiete
Despite the fact that Arp, who is 25 years old, has been “called on to do great things with Germany and Hamburg,” Marca reports that he has not yet impressed.
Arp rose through the ranks of the Hamburger SV youth academy and went on to make 38 appearances for the German club before securing a significant transfer to Bayern Munich in 2019.
In spite of this, the forward only made one appearance for the Bundesliga giants. This was due to injuries and Joshua Zirkzee, who prevented him from being included in the rotation.
The majority of Arp’s time was spent in Munich, where he played for the club’s secondary team. However, in 2022, he began playing for Holstein Kiel, which is his current club.
His first appearance for the senior squad of the German national team has not yet taken place.
