Two of the most sought-after prodigies in world football, Jamal Musiala and Jude Bellingham have a fair bit in common: the pair of teenage midfielders have earned 16 senior international caps apiece and they each left England for the Bundesliga before turning 17.
Musiala and Germany prepare to lock horns with Bellingham and England in their final UEFA Nations League clash on Monday at Wembley. Both youngsters played the majority when these two countries last met in July, a 1-1 stalemate in Munich.
In recent years there has been a steady rise in young talents leaving their clubs in England for instant growth abroad, particularly in Germany. Jadon Sancho was one of the first to embark on this uncertain path however the winger fared brilliantly and earned a big-money return to the Premier League in 2021, four years after joining Borussia Dortmund from Manchester City.
The success story of Sancho has seen a handful of others follow in his footsteps and in 2020 Bellingham left boyhood club Birmingham City for Dortmund. The £25million deal is a record fee for a 17-year-old and the purchase of this uncut prospect further flexed Dortmund’s reputation of nurturing young talents before selling them on to European heavyweights.
Musiala is another who left home very young in an attempt to kickstart his career elsewhere. The German-born starlet played in Chelsea’s academy from 2011 until he made the switch back home to Bayern Munich in 2019, aged just 16 and costing a mere £200,000 in transfer fees.
This influx of young stars sees the Bundesliga as the best-represented domestic league among the shortlist for the 2022 Golden Boy award. 11 of the final 40 nominees currently ply their trade in the German top flight while eight contenders are signed to Spanish clubs. Five are playing in the Premier League this season and six in Italy. The remaining 10 nominees come from elsewhere in Europe particularly the French, Dutch, and Portuguese leagues.
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Last year Musiala and Bellingham were included on the 20-man shortlist but Barcelona’s Pedri was declared the 2021 Golden Boy. Now, the Bundesliga-based midfielders are frontrunners to land the prestigious annual prize, awarded by Italian newspaper Tuttosport, which recognises the best young player aged under 21 and playing in a first-tier European league.
The Kopa Trophy, organised by France Football, is another award given to a player under 21. Bellingham and Musiala again rank among the favourites to scoop that title next month; last year they placed 2nd and 3rd, respectively, separated by just a single point as Pedri was voted the winner.
This is Bellingham’s third season in Germany and he has gradually become a mainstay in the Borussia Dortmund midfield. He made his 100th appearance for the club last weekend as Die Borussen claimed a 1-0 win over Schalke in the Revierderby. This season Bellingham has played every minute of Dortmund’s 10 matches across three competitions, and last term he completed the full 90′ in all but five of the 32 Bundesliga games he featured in.
Bellingham is yet to register a league goal in 2022/23 although he netted in each of Dortmund’s two European games thus far, including the opener at Manchester City last time out. Dortmund conceded two late goals but the young Englishman mustered an impressive display against the reigning Premier League champions.
The evening prior, Musiala had also put in an influential shift as Bayern overcame Barcelona. The young German midfielder set up countryman Leroy Sané to double the Bavarians’ lead and he was awarded Player of the Match for his efforts.
Musiala remains a teenager until the end of February next year yet this is already his fourth Bundesliga campaign. He is Bayern’s top scorer this season with four goals in the league and six in all competitions.
For much of 2022 Musiala has emerged as a regular ingredient for Bayern. This term he has started seven of 10 games compared to last season when he started 17 of the 40 matches (Bundesliga and Champions League) he was available for, and the majority of those starts came after the turn of the year.
Musiala is predominantly an attacking outlet in midfield meanwhile Bellingham is more of a box-to-box, with all-round attributes and the ability to operate anywhere in the centre of the pitch. Typically midfielders are more technically-minded than attackers or defenders, and Bellingham has already proven himself to have high football IQ. That, together with the top-level experience in his locker at such a young age, makes him one of the most exciting prospects in world football.
(Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images)
Any prospective move for Bellingham to the Premier League or elsewhere next summer would naturally demand an astronomical transfer fee. According to transfermarkt.com his market value sits at €90million (£80m) however having penned a new deal last year until 2025, Dortmund may well seek a record fee for a British player in excess of the £100m Man City paid for Jack Grealish.
Given their age Musiala and Bellingham exude loads of maturity and experience, and it almost defies belief the bags of composure and cool-headedness they both possess. At just 19, both are already established internationals and they could be of substantial influence at the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Musiala represented England at junior level and earned his U15, U16, and U17 debuts together with Bellingham. He first appeared for England U21 in November 2020, two months after Bellingham had, before choosing to play for his birth nation Germany at senior level.
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Bellingham made his debut for England in November 2020 and last year he became the youngest player in history to appear at a Euro tournament, aged 17 years & 349 days. He is also the youngest Briton to start a game in the Champions League knockout stages (17 years & 233 days).
A return to his home country seems inevitable for Bellingham though it remains to be seen which Premier League giant will land his coveted signature. The likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, and both Manchester clubs are realistic suitors with the financial capacity to yield to Dortmund’s inordinate demands for the English midfielder.
