The 22 Best Soccer Players Under 22 to Watch in Europe This Season

Which of Europe's best young soccer players are ready to step out of the kiddie pool and become household names this season?

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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The beginning of each European soccer season provides every team with renewed hope and a fresh set of goals. For some it’s an opportunity to right the wrongs of the previous campaign; for others it’s meeting the expectations that come with juggling the domestic calendar as well as Champions League or Europa League fixtures. For newly promoted clubs, the challenges will be adjusting to top-flight football and maintaining said status. One question, however, lingers in the mind of all fans of the beautiful game: Who are going to be the breakout stars of the upcoming season?

We decided to comb through the biggest European leagues—from the English Premier League to the Dutch Eredivisie and Ligue Un in France—to bring you a select list of players who we think are ready to step into the spotlight. Age was obviously part of our criteria, but notoriety and potential played a factor as well. This is why someone like Liverpool's Raheem Sterling, who already made a name last season, is not on this list, but an emerging but unproven talent like Isco is. So, from Lucas Digne to Bruno Martins Indi, check out The 22 Best Soccer Players Under 22 to Watch in Europe. They may not only shine for their clubs this season, but also for their respective national teams come next summer's World Cup in Brazil.

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Written by Adam Silvers (@silversurfer103) 

22. Xherdan Shaqiri

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21. Son Heung-min

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20. Adem Ljajic

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19. Daniel Carvajal

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18. Koke

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17. Bruno Martins Indi

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16. Isco

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15. Iker Muniain

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14. Yaya Sanogo

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13. Lucas Digne

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12. Jack Butland

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11. Alvaro Morata

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10. Marco Verratti

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9. Wilfried Zaha

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8. Adam Maher

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7. Julian Draxler

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6. Gerard Deulofeu

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5. Emre Can

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4. M'Baye Niang

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3. Luke Shaw

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2. Nathaniel Chalobah

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1. Jordan Ibe

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