Who is the Best Young Talent at Dortmund?

[Gecklund]

I think the better question here would be who is Dortmund’s third best youth. The top 2 are unquestionably Sancho/Haaland in some order. Now who is number 3? I’m going to go with Bellingham.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

The D is showing up in a big way for Washington right now. Moreland with his first ever INT!

Edit: Very wrong thread here....But hey it was a nice game for the Washington Football Team today...

They have the best name in football. I wish they were selling apparel with that name.

 

[YNWA14]

Haaland is really impressive in his way to get an extremely hard shot on target a lot, and his movement/speed for such a big guy is really impressive.

Something special about Moukoko though. I think I'll have to go with him for now even though that's all based on potential. Sancho and Haaland have already proven it at the top level but if I had to go with my gut I'd say 1- Moukoko, 2- Sancho, 3- Haaland (though I feel 2/3 would be kind of interchangeable depending on what you're looking for).

 

[Stray Wasp]

Haaland demonstrated the makings of becoming the complete centre forward at age 19. To rate Sancho higher, I'd need to have seen more end product from the latter than he's delivered against opponents from the top couple of tiers in European football.

 

[Chimaera]

It’s crazy to think Sancho is still 20. He might not have the ceiling of some of these guys, but, he’s been doing it for a bit longer now. He is also closer to his finished product where others might not get there.

That said, a striker usually is more valuable in the long run.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

To rate Sancho higher, I'd need to have seen more end product from the latter than he's delivered against opponents from the top couple of tiers in European football.

I know a few have criticized Sancho for this, but I'd question the sample and the knowledge of those questioning Sancho for this.

First of all, we are only talking about a very small number of games against the top five teams in Europe. Maybe 2-3 per year in the league, and maybe also a few in the Champions League, so you are talking about a small sample.

And while it's true that he's had a few games against big teams where he hasn't played well (Two league games against Bayern last year, Second Leg against PSG) or at least produced numbers (First Leg against PSG), people don't seem to care that he was MOTM against Bayern in the Super Cup (1G, 1A), that he scored against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, that he produced last season against plenty of quality teams like Inter, Leipzig, Gladbach, Leverkusen. Fans have very short and selective memories. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve criticism for some of those games, but this narrative is faulty, at best.

 

[Evilo]

More interesting is how many and who will absolutely fail among this list.
Because at least one will.

 

[Bure80]

After preseason its Bellingham for me. He is better as Sancho and Haaland was, in this age. Maybe he is the most mature 17 year old DM i ever saw.
Moukoko is still to young to vote for. So many thing can happen in his age.

 

[Stray Wasp]

I know a few have criticized Sancho for this, but I'd question the sample and the knowledge of those questioning Sancho for this.

First of all, we are only talking about a very small number of games against the top five teams in Europe. Maybe 2-3 per year in the league, and maybe also a few in the Champions League, so you are talking about a small sample.

And while it's true that he's had a few games against big teams where he hasn't played well (Two league games against Bayern last year, Second Leg against PSG) or at least produced numbers (First Leg against PSG), people don't seem to care that he was MOTM against Bayern in the Super Cup (1G, 1A), that he scored against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, that he produced last season against plenty of quality teams like Inter, Leipzig, Gladbach, Leverkusen. Fans have very short and selective memories. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve criticism for some of those games, but this narrative is faulty, at best.

I'll confess - I don't care about the Super Cup, which inevitably influences my argument. I would also add that I was thinking of Sancho's performances against opponents whose standing is higher internationally than Gladbach or Leverkusen.

Sancho's clearly an outstanding player in his own right. But if asked to choose between him and Haaland, the latter's winner against PSG (while admittedly just one goal) laid down a marker for being able to decide a game against the very top echelon of opponents that really impresses me.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I have no issue with taking Haaland. I’m not going to choose between all these players, but I just wanted to defend Sancho here because I’ve seen a few people, not necessarily anyone here in particular, that thinks he only collects goals and assists against Mainz and Augsburg.

 

[Stray Wasp]

I have no issue with taking Haaland. I’m not going to choose between all these players, but I just wanted to defend Sancho here because I’ve seen a few people, not necessarily anyone here in particular, that thinks he only collects goals and assists against Mainz and Augsburg.

I'd argue the bolded jibe is so absurd that those who put it forward are best left to wallow in their own ignorance.

Even if it were true that Sancho's stats are padded by running up goals and assists against weaker opponents, it's worth pondering how many other teenagers are capable of doing as much.

The Portuguese Ronaldo failed either to manage a 10-goal campaign in the EPL, or score a goal in the Champions League proper until he was 21.

Messi? Two Champions League goals by age 20.

Transport those stats to this day and age, and you have wild-eyed juveniles in basements from Bracknell to Kansas City, Missouri to Osaka consigning them to the file marked 'OVERRATED LOSER-FRAUD', before breaking off to slurp another gallon of soft drinks to fuel them launching into a 80,000 word screed about why some movie adapted from a comic book is the pinnacle of cinematic history.

 

[YNWA14]

launching into a 80,000 word screed about why some movie adapted from a comic book is the pinnacle of cinematic history.

Now you've gone too far.

 

[Albatros]

Someone's severely underrating Captain Tsubasa.

 

[Lambo]

Haaland now and Moukoko in future. But i vote Moukoko. He s the best!

 

[Stray Wasp]

Now you've gone too far.

I am restraint incarnate.