He is certainly in the top 5 IMO. That assist was just so sic. He plays like a very good player in his prime and he is only 17. Just salivating thinking about what he will be like with a few years of experience under his belt.
Bellingham might be in that argument. As would Cherki. But the list is small. Not many guys excel at that age at that level.
Bellingham hasn’t been nearly as good as Gio so far this year. He’s shown potential, but also made plenty of dumb plays, which you absolutely can’t do in his position. That’s no knock on him, as he’s been a decent starter for a very good team as a 17 yo, which is really impressive, but Gio has just been better.
Certainly is in terms of present performance. Along with Cherki, Fati, and Bellingham, Xavi Simons and Naci Unuvar are pretty good too and should be first team players soon. You can’t forget Moukoko who is less than a month away from being eligible to play in the Bundesliga. The real question is how Dortmund is going to find minutes for all their youth players.
The Moukoko question is kind of easy as he slots right into the 18 and the roster. They don’t have a single other striker on the roster. In games where they have played a false 9, the team has looked disjointed, all trying to operate within the same 10 yards of space. This roster always needs someone to stretch the field, without Haaland there isn’t anyone until Moukoko which you figure at this point is intentional.
Fati was the player that came to mind my when Jazzy posted the #1 comment.... and Bellingham has fewer minutes and time with BVB... so perhaps he will be in the conversation soon. Lastly, Moukoko has more hype than just about anyone... and will have a chance to prove it soon. The others you listed make sense too. But... for right now? IMO, it is between Fati and Gio. I would still go with Gio... so Jazzy... I didn't post the top 5 thought because I didn't agree w/ you per se. As of right now, I would agree with you. Just saying that others may disagree... but you would be crazy not to list him in the top 5. Either way... he is a unreal talent and we are so lucky to have him.
Moukoko is such an enigma I can’t wait to see. From what I’ve seen he truly is a special talent no matter how old he is. I think we will look back on the talent on the Dortmund roster and be amazed that these players were all in the same place at the same time. If they can hold this core together for a few seasons they should win the Bundesliga. I do believe there’s some shady stuff with his age but there’s an upper limit on how old he can be, and that limit is still younger than who he plays against. If anything if he’s older than claimed it’s only held him back.
For those NOT in the know, that upper limit he refers to is because his mother was very young when she had him... So essentially her birth certificate would have had to be faked as well.... What it means is that even if Moukoko is a little older than people think, he can't be THAT much older. Personally, I don't think it matters. He can play. It's way more of a Fausto Carmona situation than a Freddy Adu one IMO.
Yes, and whatever has gone on with his age, it's not the kid's fault. Can't wait to see him play and wish he had a USA passport.
I think his mom is “officially” 14 years older than he is. His father is much older than his mother. The lower you go in terms of her age at birth, the exponential increase of Western squeamishness regarding child brides and the increase in likelihood that there could be real consequences. Nobody really wants to push the issue too much - and there’s a real chance that the DFB is fully aware that too much curiosity could mean that a generational talent does not play for them. I’ve worked in schools foreign and domestic with parents less than 14 years older than their children. In some cultures it is fairly normal. I disagree, obviously, but it is the reality in many places. In the end I don’t think Moukoko has a competitive advantage. His performance would be just as remarkable if he is 2 years older.
wait what? The DFB is hiding the truth rather than simply going along with to squash their rumors? Such a strange episode.
If Reyna continues this trajectory I personally think it's a race between Real Madrid and Manchester City.