European football has been blessed by some of the greatest strikers to have graced the green fields across the continent, and this trend is ever so prominent today. From Suarez to Lewandowski to Kane, each of Europe’s top 5 leagues has deadly strikers lighting up the scoring charts. These big names often grab all the headlines, but there are some extremely talented strikers across Europe who are itching to make the breakthrough. Let’s take a look at some of these young talented strikers who should be on the radar of some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
Timo Werner
Werner has been a regular in the German Bundesliga since 2013, when he made his debut with Stuttgart. Including this breakthrough season, Werner has played at least 30 games each season and his goal scoring prowess has been growing. What makes this even better? He is only 21 years old today, and he has the experience of a seasoned professional. RB Leipzig saw Werner’s talent and snapped him up for the 2016-17 season, where he scored 21 goals in 28 starts for his new team. This young German has lit up the Bundesliga again this season, with 7 goals in 11 starts and adding another 3 goals in the Champions League.
What makes Werner so deadly? The lethal combination of pace and excellent finishing. He is one of the fastest strikers out there and this characteristic is perfect for RB Leipzig’s counter attacking play. Once he is able to sprint his way into scoring positions, he rarely ever misses. Werner is impressive with his right foot and also his weaker left foot, which makes him a defender’s nightmare. Add to this, his remarkable heading ability, and you have a striker who can score any type of goal, from any position around the penalty box. Werner is definitely not the strongest striker you’ll find, but if he is able to add some strength to his armory, he will become even more dangerous. Keep an eye on this “little” German striker.
Andrea Belotti
Chelsea and AC Milan were rumored to be chasing Belotti all through the summer and there was good reason for this attention from big European clubs. Belotti made his Serie A debut with Palermo in the 2014/15 season and he scored 6 goals in just 9 starts. This instant impact lead to Torino making a move for him in 2015 and he has kept on improving. He scored 12 goals in his first season with Torino, and went to score a hugely impressive 26 goals last season. At just 23 years of age, this Italian striker is one of the best in Serie A and it shouldn’t be long before the bigger clubs come calling again.
Belotti stands out because of his impressive physical attributes. He has a good turn of pace that allows him to run off the shoulder of defenders. At the same time, he is a very strong six-footer, which lets him physically bully defenders and provide good hold up play for his team. Add to this some exquisite finishing, and you have one of the best all round young strikers in Europe. Belotti can finish with either foot, whilst also using his strong jumping to out jump and outmuscle any opponent, to score with his head. Defenders will continue to struggle against Belotti as he gets better with every passing season.
Andre Silva
This young Portuguese striker is a striker who actually made the move to AC Milan this summer and has slowly been finding his feet in a new Milan team. Silva made his senior debut with FC Porto in the 2016/17 season, and he scored 16 goals in 28 starts for Porto. He added a further 4 goals in 8 Champions League games, clearly impressing in Europe too. This season he has failed to score in 8 Serie A appearances, as Milan have struggled to get going so far. However, he has scored 6 goals in 5 Europa League games, showing that he is deadly when given the right chance.
Just like the other young strikers on this list, Silva is a good finisher though he does lack a strong weak foot. He compensates for this with a great jumping ability, that he combines with his fantastic heading ability. While he is quick, he possesses something striker’s often lack: passing ability. One of his biggest strengths is his ability to play key passes and create chances for his teammates. This allowed his old team, Porto, to play fluid football by using Silva as a creative number nine rather than a target man. If Milan is able to get going this season, Silva can bring a variety of goals and assists to the table. He is a complete striker, able to come short for the ball or spin in behind and score clinically. AC Milan have a future star in their ranks.
Gabriel Barbosa
This young Brazilian striker has not had the same success as the aforementioned strikers. He made his debut for Santos in Brazil as a 17-year-old and immediately caught the attention. He started of the 2016 Brazilian season in top form, scoring 5 goals in 10 games, which led to increased interest from European clubs. Inter Milan landed his signature and Gabriel was expected to lead the new generation Inter Milan team. However, things have not gone to plan. After making only 9 appearances off the bench in Serie A last season, he was loaned out to Benfica this season where he has only played 13 minutes so far.
Gabriel’s statistics don’t do him justice. He has proven at Santos and in Brazil’s youth teams that he has the makings of a complete striker. Gabriel has great versatility which allows him to play anywhere across the front line. He possesses good dribbling skills, combined with a compete passing skillset. Added to this, he also has the ability to shoot from distance that makes him very potent from around the box. While he was able to score goals regularly at Santos, Gabriel has not been able to show his finishing ability in Europe. If he is able to work hard and show his talent once again, Gabriel has all the abilities to be successful in Europe.
Breel Embolo
Embolo seems to have been around the block for quite some time now, but he is only 20 years old. His career was supposed to take off last season, when he made his breakthrough move to Schalke from FC Basel. As a youngster at Basel, Embolo made a handful of appearances across two seasons and chipped in with a few goals too. He did not have the statistics, but his style of play was impressive and that caught Schalke’s eye. His life in Germany got off to a fantastic start. Embolo scored 2 goals in 4 starts for the German team, before an ankle injury ended his season and took him out of the game for 11 months. Embolo returned to full action this September, and is working his way back to full fitness now.
The biggest reason for the buzz surrounding Embolo is his style of play and physical attributes. Standing at over 6 feet tall, he has the physical stature to play as a center forward. But, he also possesses good speed, coupled with strength. This is almost reminiscent of a young Drogba during his Marseille days. During his brief flashes on the field, Embolo has shown that he is good with the ball at his feet, able to run at defenses, while also using his strength to hold of defenders and bring his teammates into the game. Embolo is good with both his feet too, but he has not had a consistent run of games to showcase his finishing ability. Therefore, if he can stay fit this season and work his way back to full fitness, young Embolo has the potential to become a dominant force in years to come.
