Bundesliga: From Sancho to Jovic 5 rising stars of 2018/19
Berlin: England starlet Jadon Sancho could crown a fine season by winning the Bundesliga title against the odds with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, but he is not the only young talent to have enjoyed a breakthrough year in the Bundesliga.
From a Real Madrid target to a goalkeeper billed as the next Manuel Neuer, here are five young stars who have been making waves in 2018/19.
Luka Jovic
One player who has come close to matching Sancho's success this season is Eintracht Frankfurt striker Luka Jovic.
The stocky Serbian has banged in 27 goals since August, helping Frankfurt challenge for the top four and propelling them to the Europa League semi-finals. Jovic is being courted by Europe's top clubs, and this week, Spanish and English media reported that he was on the verge of a 60 million euro ($67m) move to Real Madrid.
Jadon Sancho
The English winger has become one of the most talked about players in Europe this season, his dazzling displays in the Bundesliga earning him a first-team place at Dortmund and a first England call-up.
Having joined Dortmund from Manchester City for 7.84 million Euros ($8.79m) in 2017, Sancho showed promising signs in his
first season before breaking out this term. The 19-year-old has struck up a deadly rapport with his captain and idol Marco Reus, and his 11 goals and 17 assists have helped bring Dortmund to within 90 minutes of the Bundesliga title.
Kai Havertz
Bayer Leverkusen could still secure Champions League qualification on Saturday. If they do, they will have 19-year-old playmaker Kai Havertz to thank.
In a season full of ups and downs at Leverkusen, Havertz has been a welcome source of reliability, playing in every Bundesliga game and
chalking up 19 goals in all competitions.
He made his Germany debut in September, and has been heavily linked with Bayern Munich, though Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voeller has insisted that the club will not let him go in 2019.
Joelinton
After spending two years on loan at Rapid Vienna, Brazilian striker Joelinton has established himself as first-choice striker at Julian Nagelsmann's Hoffenheim this season. With seven goals and seven assists, the 22-year-old has been deadly on the counter-attack and shown a poacher's instinct.
Joelinton has been linked with Liverpool in recent months, a move which would see him follow in the footsteps of wfellow Brazilian and former Hoffenheim star Roberto Firmino.
Alexander Nuebel
Another young talent linked to Bayern, goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel has been a ray of sunshine in a dark season for Schalke.
His smart saves and excellent ball-playing skills helped steer the club away from relegation and have earned
him comparisons with former wSchalke number one Manuel Neuer.
The 22-year-old started the season as second-choice keeper behind Ralf Faehrmann, but was promoted to the number one spot in January. He hasn't looked back.
