Top young Bundesliga players to watch in 2025/26 | OneFootball

As excitement builds for the 2025/26 Bundesliga season, many young players have already cemented their places as regular starters and influential performers.

This list highlights the top 10 young talents, aged 21 or younger, who could take their game to even greater heights in the upcoming Bundesliga campaign.

Finn Jeltsch

Club: VfB Stuttgart

Age: 18

Position: Centre-back

Market value: €20 million

At the age of just 18, Finn Jeltsch instantly became a starter at Stuttgart following his winter move from 1. FC Nürnberg. Making the jump to the Bundesliga was clearly no problem for the youngster, who is widely regarded as one of Germany’s brightest defensive talents.

Strong in blocks, an excellent tackler with effective positioning, decent pace, and composed on the ball, it’s difficult to find any clear weaknesses – except perhaps that he could still benefit from adding a bit more physical strength.

El Chadaille Bitshiabu

Club: RB Leipzig

Age: 20

Position: Centre-back

Market value: €15 million

After joining RB Leipzig from Paris Saint-Germain for a reported €15 million in 2023, El Chadaille Bitshiabu established himself as a regular starter at the heart of Leipzig’s defense last season.

Big, strong, fast, and tactically intelligent, the 20-year-old French defender combines physical presence with the ability to play the ball out from the back and initiate attacks.

If he continues to develop at this pace, Bitshiabu has the potential to become one of Europe’s leading centre-backs and a mainstay in the French national team.

Konstantinos Koulierakis

Club: VfL Wolfsburg

Age: 21

Position: Centre-back

Market value: €25 million

The Greek centre-back has reportedly attracted interest from several English clubs after an impressive first season in Germany. A

At just 21, he’s the kind of player who often looks more experienced than his age suggests, thanks to his tactical intelligence, anticipation, and maturity.

Quick, technically solid, physically strong and excellent in the air, Koulierakis has all the tools to go far.

Hugo Larsson

Club: Eintracht Frankfurt

Age: 21

Position: Central midfield

Market value: €40 million

Despite being just 21 years old, Hugo Larsson already has two full seasons as a regular starter at Eintracht Frankfurt under his belt. Signed from Malmö FF for a reported €9 million fee in January 2023, Larsson wasted no time adjusting to his new surroundings - and he’s now being linked with his next big step.

With his impressive passing range and precision, tactical awareness, game-reading ability, and relentless box-to-box engine, the Swede certainly has plenty in his locker.

Aleksandar Pavlovic

Club: Bayern Munich

Age: 21

Position: Defensive/central midfield

Market value (according to Transfermarkt): €55 million

Initially given his chance in Bayern’s senior squad by Thomas Tuchel during an injury crisis, Aleksandar Pavlović has since established himself as a key performer in the Bavarians’ midfield. Calm and composed on the ball, tactically intelligent and diligent in his defensive duties, Pavlović has proven to be an excellent partner for Joshua Kimmich at the heart of the team.

The competition for places in Bayern’s central midfield is always fierce, so the fact that the 21-year-old has continued to earn consistent playing time – even after Tuchel’s departure and Vincent Kompany’s arrival as head coach – says a lot about his ability.

However, staying fit has been the main challenge for him so far. The German international has already spent a significant amount of time on the sidelines during his relatively short career. Most recently, he was ruled out for several weeks in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign due to mononucleosis.

Tom Bischof

Club: FC Bayern Munich

Age: 20

Position: Central midfield

Market value: €30 million

In what was a tough and disappointing season for TSG Hoffenheim, Tom Bischof was a rare bright spark – and things could have gone far worse for Die Kraichgauer without the gifted 20-year-old.

A technically gifted deep-lying playmaker, Bischof combines excellent ball control and a silky first touch with supreme vision to pick the right pass. He also poses a real long-range threat and is highly effective on set-pieces.

Now, he’ll need to prove he can handle the pressure at a European giant like Bayern, where competition for places is exceptionally fierce.

Jobe Bellingham

Club: Borussia Dortmund

Age: 19

Position: Central midfield

Market value: €22 million

Plenty of eyes will be on Borussia Dortmund’s new signing this season –Jobe Bellingham, who has followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Jude, by joining BVB. Determined to make a name for himself, Jobe has chosen to have his first name on the back of his shirt.

The 19-year-old was a key figure in Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier League last season and will now be looking to take the next step in his development in Germany.

A versatile midfielder known for his strong ball-carrying, dribbling skills, composure, and relentless work rate, Bellingham has already opened his Dortmund account with a goal at the Club World Cup.

Antonio Nusa

Club: RB Leipzig

Age: 20

Position: Winger

Market value: €28 million

Antonio Nusa hit the ground running following his reported €21 million move from Club Brugge last summer, leaving then-coach Marco Rose blown away.

The Norway international is the kind of player who can change a game single-handedly with his blistering pace, quick dribbling, close control and creativity.

After an impressive debut campaign in Germany, it will be intriguing to see how he develops under new coach Ole Werner and whether he can elevate his game even further in the upcoming season.

Jean-Matteo Bahoya

Club: Eintracht Frankfurt

Age: 20

Position: Left winger

Market value: €17 million

One of the breakout stars of Eintracht Frankfurt’s excellent 2024/25 season, Jean-Matteo Bahoya established himself as a starter toward the end of the campaign, finishing with three goals and four assists in 33 appearances across all competitions.

The young Frenchman is expected to play an even bigger role for Eintracht in the coming season, with his electric pace, technical brilliance, composure, and eye for goal continuing to benefit the Eagles.

Paul Wanner

Club: FC Bayern Munich

Age: 19

Position: Attacking midfield

Market value: €18 million

The buzz around Wanner skyrocketed after he made a sensational start to his loan spell at Heidenheim last season. Although his performances fluctuated throughout the campaign, the 19-year-old clearly demonstrated his potential, taking on an important role despite his young age.

Dribbling, ball-carrying, passing, and vision are among the strengths of the young attacking midfielder, who is expected to gain further experience at the highest level during another Bundesliga loan next season.

Consistency remains his biggest challenge. Former Bayern assistant Hermann Gerland, for example, recently praised Wanner’s exceptional talent but emphasized that he needs to show it more regularly.

Honorable mentions:

Arthur Vermeeren (RB Leipzig, 20)

Can Uzun (Eintracht Frankfurt, 19)

Jeanuel Belocian (Bayer Leverkusen, 20)

Leopold Querfeld (Union Berlin, 21)

Jonas Urbig (Bayern Munich, 21)

Nelson Weiper (Mainz, 20)

Tom Rothe (Union Berlin, 20)

Nnamdi Collins (Eintracht Frankfurt, 21)

Bazoumana Touré (Hoffenheim, 19)

Oscar Højlund (Eintracht Frankfurt, 20)