The start of the new Bundesliga season is fast approaching, and while there are few points for guessing who the leading sides are in terms of the major prize; there are still a variety of different questions surrounding teams and players.
The Bundesliga has long been a breeding ground for the most exciting players in Europe, and the last couple of seasons has seen the unearthing of players such as Jadon Sancho, Timo Werner, Julian Brandt, and Luka Jovic.
However, the 2019-20 season will begin, and there will be new players looking to force their way through to mainstream success on the biggest level in Germany. With the European Championships on the horizon, there is no better time to make an impact. But, which players could we see burst onto the scene over the next nine months in the top-flight in Germany?
Jean Philippe-Mateta – Mainz
The Mainz man has been subject to a host of interest over the summer months; with five English clubs reportedly having moves rejected for the 22-year-old. Bayern Munich remains interested in the Frenchman, but he could be set for at least one more season with Mainz.
The striker enjoyed a fine breakthrough season last campaign and scored 14 goals in 34 appearances as his club finished 12th in the Bundesliga.
He will be expected to kick on once again this season, and a tally of 20 goals is well within his abilities. His speed is his natural trait, but his knack of being in the right place at the right time means that he has all the capabilities of a world-class striker if his talents are neutered right.
The 2019-20 season could be a significant one as he is already in the French national sides radar after starring in the Euro U21’s over the summer, and a solid season could see him named in the senior squad for next summer’s showpiece event.
With fellow French striker Marcus Thuram, the son of Lilian, having joined the rivals of Gladbach, we will see which of the two will have a higher goal tally at the end of the season.
Kai Havertz- Bayer Leverkusen
It is difficult to see many other 20-year-olds that are as technically gifted as Kai Havertz in world football. He has already become a mainstay in the Bayer Leverkusen line-up having scored 17 goals and contributed three assists in 34 Bundesliga appearances last season. In 2018 he was awarded the gold medal in the Fritz Walter competition for being the best young talent in Germany.
Havertz is already a crucial member of Joachim Low’s plans for the German national side and has filled the role that was left vacated following the retirement of Mesut Ozil. He is already considered as one of the best young players on the continent but another strong season in the Bundesliga will see his star grow brighter.
His imprint on this Leverkusen side is overpowering, and that is a strange sight for somebody that is so young. He is already the vice-captain of his club, and the world is his for the taking.
Evan N’Dicka – Eintracht Frankfurt
They say that defending is a dying ability in the game, but this Frenchman could be an anomaly to that statement. He is defiantly one to watch in the 2019-20 Bundesliga season and has all the abilities to become the best central defender in the world.
There have already been comparisons between N’Dicka and Matthijs de Ligt, and that is mainly down to their ages, but Ndicka is showing all the abilities that you would expect from a potential world star.
He has been neutered brilliantly at Eintracht Frankfurt and was a central figure in their consecutive clean sheets against Inter Milan in the Europa League last season. It is somewhat of a shock that no big clubs have come knocking for his signature this summer, but their loss is undoubtedly Frankfurt’s gain.
He averaged two tackles per game throughout the Bundesliga last season and won an average of 2.7 aerial duals a game. A solid season for N’Dicka would certainly encourage bigger clubs to step up and take notice.
Alphonso Davies- Bayern Munich
The potential of this Ghanaian winger is something that is no secret. He burst onto the scene in the MLS with the Vancouver Whitecaps at just 15-years-old, and that encouraged Bayern Munich to sign the winger for a then-MLS record fee of £22 million. He joined the club in January 2019 and impressed when called upon for the remainder of the season.
There is no doubting that he still possesses the raw ability and he needs a coach to define his game, but the retirements of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben certainly open a door for him in the 2019-20 season.
Add to that the fact that the club has been able to sign neither Leeroy Sane nor Callum Hudson-Odoi (so far). The gateway to the first team is clear for Davies to make an impact. Given a chance, there is no doubting that he can take the league by storm.
He has the God-given pace that could trouble any defense, and his scoring record for a winger in the States was second to none. Fans should be excited to see what the next nine months have in store for Davies.
Ethan Ampadu- RB Leipzig
Talk surrounding the potential of Chelsea’s Ethan Ampadu has been ripe ever since he signed for the Stamford Bridge club aged just 16-years-old. However, he has yet to be given a chance to make an impact with the Blues and will spend the coming season on loan at RB Leipzig.
The Bundesliga has been generous to British players over the last couple of season; with many Bundesliga, sides bring players abroad. Ampadu will hope to follow the steps that Sancho, Reiss Nelson, and Ademola Lookman have made over the last couple of seasons.
Talking about Lookman, the German side, sponsored by Red Bull, has just made his deal permanent, after he was on loan at the club for a season. Plus, they also signed Nkunku from PSG, which shows that they will be a team to watch, especially since they will be playing Champions League football.
Ampadu has the ability to rise to the occasion and playing in UCL will be an incentive. He has already played for the Welsh national side on eight occasions. His ability to pass the ball and run with the ball makes him the perfect modern-day central defender, and he could be a dark horse for a star of the season in the Bundesliga.
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