Jamie Gittens, Antonio Nusa and the top 5 breakout youngsters this season
Jamie Gittens is Borussia Dortmund's next great English hope, while Antonio Nusa has hit the ground running with RB Leipzig. Which other youngsters have lit up the Bundesliga this season?
The Bundesliga is a hotbed for talent. Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz arre among a host of players still eligible for U21 football to have starred this season - for Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen respectively - but they already boast extensive Bundesliga experience between them.
Who are the next crop that are enjoying a breakout campaign? bundesliga.com takes a closer look…
Jamie Gittens
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Country: England (U21s)
Age: 20
Position: Winger
Watch: Gittens on fire
Borussia Dortmund have a rich recent history of turning English prospects into bona fide stars, with Jamie Gittens now looking to follow in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham at the Signal Iduna Park.
Gittens - then known as Bynoe-Gittens - followed Sancho from the Manchester City academy into Dortmund's in 2020, and made his first-team debut in 2022, but it wasn't until this season that his attacking output really confirmed his talent.
Gittens has nine goals and five assists across 21 games in the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League, plundered at a rate of one every 135 minutes he has played, while Bayern and Real Madrid are among those he has found the target against.
Antonio Nusa
Club: RB Leipzig
Country: Norway (13 caps/4 goals)
Age: 19
Position: Winger
Watch: Nusa finding flight with Leipzig
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A host of clubs were reportedly interested in Antonio Nusa before the Norwegian youngster joined RB Leipzig from Club Brugge last summer, and he was immediately handed the No.7 jersey previously worn by Dani Olmo and Marcel Sabitzer at the Red Bull Arena.
That might have weighed heavily on some, but Nusa has instead set about racking up four goals and seven assists in domestic football (Bundesliga and DFB Cup), which is already his best career return despite winning the Belgian Pro League with Brugge last season.
There was significant excitement when Xavi Simons returned on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in July. He soon picked up an ankle injury, but Nusa's rise has assuaged his loss.
Paul Wanner
Club: Heidenheim (on loan from Bayern Munich)
Country: Germany (U21s)/Austria
Age: 18
Position: Attacking midfielder
Paul Wanner has starred for Heidenheim on loan from Bayern, helping Frank Schmidt's unfancied side up to the heady heights of first place in the Bundesliga in the early part of the season. Their subsequent dip coincided with a spate of injuries for the youngster.
Wanner has been subbed off in 13 of his 14 starts this season, but has still managed to catch the eye with four direct goal-involvements as well as averaging more than four shot-creating actions and two successful take-ons per 90 minutes he has played.
Born in Dornbirn, Austria to an Austrian mother and German former football-playing father, Wanner has thus far turned out for Germany up to U21 level, but he remains non-commital about his international future… for now.
Tom Rothe
Club: Union Berlin
Country: Germany (U21s)
Age: 20
Position: Left-back
A Germany youth international teammate of Wanner's, Tom Rothe left Dortmund at the start of the season in search of greater first-team opportunities, which he has found at Union Berlin.
Fiorentina-bound Germany left-back Robin Gosens left significant boots to fill, but Rothe has taken that challenge on head-on, contributing two goals and two assists to Die Eisernen's cause so far to enter the international conversation himself.
Dortmund tend to get it right with young players - perhaps there is no better in the world at realising talent - but amid their recent injury crisis, it is looking increasingly like they would have done well to keep Rothe around.
Tom Bischof
Club: Hoffenheim
Country: Germany (U20s)
Age: 19
Position: Midfielder
Watch: Bischof opens his Bundesliga account in style (at 1:05)
Last, but by no means least, is Tom Bischof, who has blossomed into one of Hoffenheim's most important players under first Pellegrino Matarazzo then Christian Ilzer at the PreZero Arena this season.
An U18 international who only turned 19 in June, Bischof has played more minutes than any other central midfielder in Sinsheim in the current campaign, and scored the finest of first Bundesliga goals when he curled home a free-kick against Leipzig in November.
Hoffenheim's youngest ever debutant when he featured against Hertha Berlin in March 2022 at the age of 16 years, eight months and 20 days, Bischof is out of contract at the end of the season. Interest in his services from the good and the great is understandable.
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