Five players to look out for at the Under 21 Euros | OneFootball

The UEFA Under 21 European Championship gets underway tonight in Slovakia and there are dozens of current and future superstars in action across the 16 nations taking part.

But who should you keep a keen eye out for at the tournament?

Ethan Nwaneri

It’s no surprise that Ethan Nwaneri is in this list. The 18-year-old has been valued as the most valuable player in the competition, worth over €55 million, which is more than the entire squads of seven participating nations.

Nwaneri enjoyed a breakthrough season with Arsenal and registered nine goals and two assists for the Gunners in all competitions. He was given little game time by Mikel Arteta but still managed to make his mark and even had fans clamouring for the manager to play him more.

In this competition he will be one of England’s key players and is sure to play every game, fitness-permitting.

Geovany Quenda

Chelsea-bound Geovany Quenda is a top talent and the Blues were keen to acquire him as soon as possible. He has officially joined the club but will stay at Sporting Lisbon until the summer of 2026.

He was dubbed the next ‘Cristiano Ronaldo’ in Sporting’s academy and can play on both the left and right wing. He was also brought into Portugal’s first team fold for a time after Roberto Martinez said he had “quality that is not normal for a 17-year-old”.

He is quick, direct, can dribble both ways and also tracks back. He has played at wing-back and his versatility is seen as a huge asset. There are question marks over his decision making but at 18-years-old he still has time to iron that out.

Mathys Tel

Mathys Tel is already known to the English public having played half a season for Tottenham Hotspur, but it is far to say we haven’t quite seen the best of him yet.

He joined the club in January on loan from Bayern Munich and was unable to make the impact he would have wanted, scoring only three times. But his talent was never in question. The Frenchman is composed on the ball, has good ball-striking, and according to reports he is set to stay at Tottenham long-term.

Jorrel Hato

Jorrel Hato has attracted a lot of attention from Premier League clubs and there’s no doubt they will be keeping a close eye on him at this tournament. He can play both at left-back and centre-back and is admired by Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

He is able to hug the touchline as a full-back and invert into midfield, which is why Chelsea are keen on him. But he has been noted to be very one-footed, and is uncomfortable using his right foot. Again, this can be worked on with time, and he possesses enough talent to be a very exciting proposition.

Nick Woltemade

Nick Woltemade is the oldest name on this list at 23, but is still relatively unknown. He joined Stuttgart only last year and scored 17 goals in his debut season.

He is six foot five inches, likes to drop deep and link play, and plays with surprising grace for his frame. With the German national team not set on a first choice striker, if he has a good Euros and a strong season ahead, he could very feasibly position himself as the starting striker for the World Cup next year in America.