Two Liverpool players feature in the top 25 of the annual ‘Golden Boy Index’, which ranks European football’s most promising young talents.
In a list that includes the likes of Jude Bellingham, Gavi, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz and that has previously crowned winners such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, Reds duo Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic both feature highly in the top 100 list.
Attacking midfielder Elliott, who turned 20 in April, sits 14th with his ranking at 78.7 out of 100. His prominence in the list comes off the back of a Liverpool campaign where he made 46 appearances in all competitions, netting five goals, having seen his promising progress the previous campaign derailed early on with a dislocated ankle suffered early in the 2021/22 campaign at Leeds United.
For 18-year-old Spanish defensive midfielder Bajcetic it was something of a breakout season which would come to a premature end through an adductor injury. The Academy graduate occupies number 21 on the list with a rating of 76.2 out of 100 following a season where he made 19 senior appearances in all competitions, bagging one goal.
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Developed by analysts at Football Benchmark, the Golden Boy Index methodology comprises three core pillars, accompanied by an additional "bonus" metric that rewards players who had exceptional performances in their national teams and/or UEFA club competitions. All three pillars adhere to a standardised scale ranging from one to 100. By calculating the weighted average of the individual values of each pillar and subsequently adjusting the outcome with the bonus metric, the Golden Boy Index seeks to provide a comprehensive evaluation of player potential. Players must be born in the year 2003 or later to qualify for the list and must play in one of Europe’s top 25 domestic leagues.
Top of the pile was Bayern Munich’s Musiala (98.3), followed by one-time Liverpool target and now Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham (95). Barcelona’s Gavi (93) is in third, with the top five rounded out by Antonio Silva at Benfica (91.6) and Alejandro Balde at Barcelona (87.8). Also in the top 10 are Xavi Simons at PSV Eindhoven, Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen, Benjamin Sesko at Red Bull Salzburg, Devyne Rensch at Ajax and Giorgio Scalvini at Atalanta.
Elliott is the highest ranked player from the Premier League on the list, with Bajcetic third. Also on the list within the top 50 from the Premier League is Rico Lewis of Manchester City, Levi Colwill of Chelsea, Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United and Evan Ferguson and Julio Enciso, both of Brighton & Hove Albion.
The final list and ultimate winner has not yet been decided with scores in the Index able to change up until September.
