Top five youngsters who can breakthrough in LaLiga 2023-24

LaLiga has produced some of the best youngsters in modern-day football

LaLiga teams haven’t just managed to dominate international competitions over the past decades by using established stars. But they have also produced some serious young talent from their academies over the years, and the ascent of players such as Vinícius, Ansu Fati, Yeremy Pino, Pedri, Gavi, and Rodrygo are just some of the youngsters that are hotly talked about in LaLiga.

However, La Liga extends beyond the hot prospects of the big three, and this top list looks into the gems scattered around the top flight who perhaps don’t get the big headlines, but could well prove to be world superstars sometime soon. Each success has been associated with a host of talented young players destined for the big time. Things aren’t much different in 2023.

When it comes to the Spanish first tier, we are spoiled for choice. Still, here are some of the best young players in La Liga in 2023. These players are occasionally flying under the radar for now, but you should certainly keep tabs on them.

5. Takefusa Kubo – 22 (Centre Forward, Real Sociedad)

Takefusa Kubo’s 2022–23 season has been more impressive than that of most other players his age. He’s become a starting player for Real Sociedad, scoring three goals and providing two assists in the process. However, Kubo will need to learn from the likes of Eduardo Camavinga and Gavi, who have been at the top of their game for many seasons, if he wants to move up a bracket.

There is no denying Kubo’s talent. In the second half of the 2019-20 season, he was a star for Mallorca. His stock dropped a little due to a failed loan to Villarreal. Thankfully, the Japanese youngster is now thriving in LaLiga under manager Imanol Alguacil. It was in the Basque Derby, against Athletic Bilbao, that Kubo really showed his skill. The attacking midfielder is a great dribbler and has the potential to become a top playmaker.

4. Arnau Martinez – 20 (Right Back, Girona)

Only three teams have scored more goals than Girona (40) in LaLiga this season: Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético Madrid. So yeah, they’re pretty good at knocking down—or playing through—the barriers that stand between them and the opposition’s goal. Most important clubs are on the lookout for a skilled, modern fullback.

They’ll likely be scouting Arnau Martinez soon enough. The youngster is already a starting player for Girona and is developing into one of their best players. Girona have a number of talented young talents. But Arnau Martinez is perhaps the most intriguing. The defender is just 19 years old.

Arnau leads all Girona players for open play chances created per 90 minutes in LaLiga this season (1.3) and ranks in the top five for full backs. Indeed, Barcelona’s Jordi Alba, who averages 104 touches per 90 minutes, is the only full back who has created >2 chances from open play this term, so Arnau is firmly among the ‘best of the rest’ in his position. He scored twice in La Liga last season, and he makes tackles and delivers long passes like a seasoned pro. Add to all of this his speed, and you have a potentially fantastic right-back. Girona should be expecting some calls soon enough. Reportedly, teams from the Premier League are interested.

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3. Yeremy Pino – 20 (Left Winger, Villarreal)

Last season, there would have been many reporters willing to call Yeremy Pino the most exciting football prospect in Spain. While the Villareal winger has certainly proven his potential, most would agree that there is still much more to come from the player. For now, the Spaniard has become a regular in a very competitive Villareal team, one vying for a top-five finish against Athletic Bilbao, Rayo Vallecano, or Real Betis.

Last season, he scored twice and was involved in most La Liga games for his club. During the previous season, he scored six times. Pino is also touted as a future, important player for the Spanish national team. He has already earned seven caps and scored once. Consistency seems to have allured the player so far, but with time, the winger may also be able to resolve this issue.

2. Gabri Veiga – 21 (Central Midfielder, Celta Vigo)

One of the breakout players in La Liga this season, Gabri Veiga, has been excellent for Celta Vigo in 2022–23. With nine goals to his name in 2022–23, the youngster is now just one shy of the heralded 10-goal season for a player in his position. And to take a look back in time (since the 2008-09 season specifically), Veiga will soon find himself, when he surely nets again, in pretty exclusive company as a 10-goal man.

He was just another player in the team; he didn’t stand out, and now he is one of the best players in Spain. Among players who have played at least half of the available minutes in LaLiga this season, only two of them have a better minutes per goal ratio (when not accounting for penalties) than Gabri Veiga (168). Those two players are centre forwards Robert Lewandowski (118) and Alvaro Morata (135).

1. Alejandro Balde – 19 (Left Back, Barcelona)

A young player representing Barcelona or Real Madrid is bound to attract more interest than players signed for other clubs. If that player has also earned a place in the starting lineup on most occasions, the interest is only going to grow. Left-back Alejandro Balde, aged 18, is one of Barcelona’s brightest stars. One of the brightest spots in Barcelona last year was Alejandro Balde. The Spaniard was an electric full-back option that most Barca fans, including myself, didn’t really know all that much about when the campaign began.

Balde is a product of Barcelona’s famous youth academy and is happily favoured by manager Xavi Hernandez’s policy of lending his support to talented youngsters. The 19-year-old is enjoying his breakout season so far. He has made 18 appearances and deputised excellently for Jordi Alba and Jules Kounde.

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