5 players to look out for during this season's Champions League

The start of the 19/20 Champions League is almost with us where 32 teams will compete to take away Liverpool’s crown as the Champions of Europe. With some of the best players in world football featuring in the tournament, we wanted to have a look at some of the young players who will be on display and who we think you should keep an eye on during the tournament.

Dinamo Zagreb find themselves in a difficult situation where they will face the champions of England and Ukraine as well as strong Italian side Atalanta if they want to get past the group stage. One player they will look to is Spain Under-21 international Dani Olmo who was part of Barcelona’s famous La Masia before he moved to Croatia. Versatility is one of Olmo’s strongest traits as he is capable of playing as a number 10 as well as playing on either wing, and with an impressive start to the season registering 4 goals and 4 assists in his opening 6 games, it will be interesting how he performs in the group stage.

After becoming the youngest player in La Liga history to score and assist a goal in the same match it’s clear that Barcelona’s Ansu Fati is one to keep an eye on this season. The 16-year-old left-winger is very confident in possession and constantly shows willingness to get forward and in space for his teammates. His impressive ball control and quick passing allows him to easily shake off opponents and find space and his versatility allows him to play on either wing, which is helped by the fact that he is comfortable using both feet to shoot and pass. Having already made 3 appearances this season for Barcelona, it is likely that Fati will feature in the Champions League and we are excited to see if he can bring his league form into the Champions League.

By far the most high profile player on this list is Joao Felix who became the 5th most expensive signing in history when Atletico Madrid signed him from Benfica this summer for €126m. Unlike other players on this list, Joao Felix has already established himself as a talented player after an impressive performance in the Europa League last season where he scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt. He’s shown that his is capable of switching between a number 10 and a centre-forward as well as being able to play out wide thanks to his pace and skill. Having performed in the Europa League last season, it’s time for Felix to make his mark in the Champions League and show everyone why Atletico showed faith and paid so much for him.

Registering 30 goals and 22 assists in 110 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen, Kai Havertz has already been compared to the likes of Toni Kroos and Michael Ballack despite only being 20 years old. Similar to other players on this list, Havertz’s versatility is one of his main strengths as he can switch between: defensive midfield, centre midfield and a number 10 role depending on what his manager requires from him, and the fact that he is two-footed only adds to his versatility. With the midfielder being a consistent starter for Bayer Leverkusen and featuring for Germany 5 times, it’s clear that Havertz is well on track to living up to his potential and it will be interesting to see what form he shows in the Champions League this season.

Shakhtar Donetsk have a good record with Brazillians with the likes of: Willian, Fred, Fernandinho and Douglas Costa all making a name for themselves for the Ukranian club. Despite not making a single first team appearance for former club Gremio, Shakhtar spent £13.5m on the 19-year-old winger and it looks to be paying off as Tete has scored 2 goals in 3 league games for Shakhtar this season. Tete is a pacey skillful player who is confident on the ball who likes to cut inside and shoot with his favoured left foot and as well as breaking away from his man and finding space in the box.