Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Wayne Rooney, Paul Pogba… Anderson.
Quite a cast of former Golden Boys.
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Now, this year’s final shortlist for the prestigious award has been announced.
The three wonderkids who will face off for the prize are PSG’s £160 million signing Kylian Mbappe, Barcelona new signing Ousmane Dembele and the representing the Premier League is Man City’s Gabriel Jesus.
Unfortunately, the likes of Marcus Rashford, Christian Pulisic and Gianlugi Donnarumma miss out but you have to agree the finalists are all on top form.
Mbappe blasted onto the scene last season scoring crucial goals in the latter stages of the Champions League as Monaco reached the semi-finals and firing his team to the Ligue 1 title ahead of moneybags PSG with 15 goals in 29 league games.
The 18-year-old Parisian has carried that scintillating form into this season linking up with Neymar and Edison Cavani to become the highest scoring teenager in Champions League history.
Barcelona signed Dembele for £140 million in the summer after a spellbinding season at Borussia Dortmund.
The forward helped his team to their first trophy in five years, being named man of the match in the German cup final as well as appearing in the Bundesliga Team of the Season and scooping the Rookie of the Season award.
Although, Dembele has suffered a spooky injury which has kept him on the sidelines for most of this season.
Jesus could join his illustrious compatriots Anderson and Alexandre Pato if he wins it.
Now a lethal finisher at the front of Pep Guardiola’s Man City goal machine, Jesus’ career in England got off to a spluttering start after picking up an injury last season.
However, the young Brazilian is now one of the most-feared players in the league already notching six goals in seven league matches and keeping Aguero on the bench.
He scored another two for Brazil in their CONMEBOL qualifier against Chile, consequently making sure Alexis Sanchez and the lads won’t be making an appearance at Russia next year.
You could say he turns water into goals.