The trend of top clubs competing for up-and-coming young talent is not a new phenomenon, but activity in this transfer window has been more focused on the future than usual.

Chelsea are still busy signing players (their latest Brazilian talent, Estêvão Willian, arrives next summer when he turns 18 for an initial €29 million), Brighton & Hove Albion have signed no fewer than four U23 players, while Tottenham have brought in promising talents such as Archie Gray (18) and Wilson Odobert (19). The same trend is also gaining momentum on the continent, with Paris Saint-Germain leading the way as the preferred destination for aspiring wonderkids.

Here we take a closer look at the best U23 signings in Europe this summer and rank them by their potential success.

10. Antonio Nusa, 19, FW – Club Brugge to RB Leipzig (21 million €)

After reportedly being courted by Chelsea and Spurs – and his transfer to Brentford falling through at the last minute in January – the Norwegian winger finally secured a move to RB Leipzig last week.

Two years ago, Nusa rose to fame when he became the second youngest player to score in the UEFA Champions League. Last weekend, he opened Leipzig’s scoring tally in the cup win over Essen with a stunning individual effort just 74 seconds after coming on as a substitute.

Taking his cues from Neymar, Nusa positions himself wide on the left wing before moving diagonally forward with quick, mesmerizing dribbles. He still needs to work on his consistency, but it’s unlikely that Nusa will find a better springboard for his promising career than Leipzig.

9. Maximilian Beier, 22, StW – TSG Hoffenheim to Borussia Dortmund (29 million €)

After Niclas Füllkrug was allowed to move to West Ham United, Dortmund strengthened its attack this summer with Beier and striker Serhou Guirassy from VfB Stuttgart.

While the latter’s arrival may have attracted most of the attention, Beier is a solid signing, even if he may have to accept playing a slightly different role to the roving centre-forward role in which he excelled at Hoffenheim.

His relentless pressure, ability to find space between the lines and quick runs in transition will prove to be an advantage for Dortmund – even if he tends to receive the ball out wide on the left. Considering his age, Beier brings remarkable consistency and always gives his all for his team.

8. Joshua Zirkzee, 22, ST – Bologna to Manchester United (43 million €)

The Dutch international could hardly have wished for a better debut: he needed just half an hour to score the decisive goal and Manchester United won 1-0 in their Premier League opening match against Fulham.

With young Rasmus Højlund out through injury, Zirkzee would be an interesting replacement as he has a different skill set to the Danish international. In contrast to Højlund’s direct and penetrating runs, Zirkzee is more of a No.9 playmaker who excels in combination play from deeper positions, clever movement and a good understanding of his teammates around him. These qualities should prove useful in a team that looked uncoordinated in the final third last season.

Although a partnership with Højlund in attack seems unlikely given Erik ten Hag’s one-striker formation, their technical profiles appear to be compatible and Zirkzee’s goalscoring skills are improving rapidly.

7. Désiré Doué, 19, AM – Rennes to Paris Saint-Germain (€50m)

After Benfica midfielder João Neves and Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Willian Pacho, Doué was the third young star to join PSG this summer.

Another graduate of the impressive Rennes academy, the Olympic silver medallist (with France) was on the radar of many elite clubs this summer, but despite concerns about his decision-making, PSG struck first. Although he tends to over-exaggerate his time on the ball, few players can match his one-on-one skills in attack, and he breezes past his opponents as if it takes no effort.

Doué is also difficult to break away from and his superb ball control and balance mean he is excellent in tight spaces. He is exciting to watch and will surely be a fan favourite when the club’s Champions League campaign begins.

6. Amadou Onana, 23, DM – Everton to Aston Villa (€60 million)

Although Onana is not known as a goalscorer, it took him just four minutes to set his record for Aston Villa when he found the net with a powerful header in a 2-1 win over West Ham.

Aside from the goal, Villa fans also got a broad introduction to Onana’s qualities in this game, as he was confident in possession, made important interceptions, won 70% of his tackles and was arguably the best player on the pitch. Some of Villa’s rivals for the Champions League places this season may regret not giving the club more competition by signing the strong and reliable midfielder.

5. Michael Olise, 22, AM – Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich (€53 million)

It was only a matter of time before Olise moved on to bigger things (with all due respect to Crystal Palace), but a transfer to Germany seemed out of the question for a player who had reportedly been linked with Premier League heavyweights such as Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool.

Perhaps new Bayern coach Vincent Kompany convinced him that he would not be used as a pure winger, but that the France Under-21 international should be at home in a more central, playmaking role. He is so smooth on the ball, brilliant in quick transitions and has a work ethic more akin to that of a number eight. In fact, Olise is such a versatile, all-round dangerous threat in the final third that even his inflated transfer fee seems like a smart investment by Bayern.

4. Riccardo Calafiori, 22, IV/LB – Bologna to Arsenal (€45m)

The most puzzling thing about the Italian international’s move to Arsenal is not his quality – after all, Calafiori was one of the best defenders in Serie A last season and one of Italy’s best players at Euro 2024 – but the fact that the move poses such a selection problem for Mikel Arteta.

With Arsenal’s defence already the strongest in the Premier League, it’s hard to imagine anyone breaking up the central defensive partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel any time soon. And while there could be more competition for the left-back spot, it’s hard to imagine Calafiori signing a five-year deal just to give up his favourite role for the foreseeable future.

Aggressive, excellent on the ball and with an outstanding ability to push forward, Calafiori plays with an aura, alertness and confidence that is rare for a 22-year-old.

3. Leny Yoro, 18, IV – Lille to Manchester United (€62m)

Manchester United beat Real Madrid to sign the highly-rated Lille centre-back in mid-July, but Yoro only showed flashes of his immense talent before suffering an ankle injury in a pre-season friendly that could keep him out of action for months.

Although he is still on crutches, United have every reason to be pleased to have secured the best teenage centre-back in Europe. Yoro made his Ligue 1 debut aged 16 and is increasingly comfortable in senior football, having had a stellar season at the heart of Lille’s defence last season (playing the most minutes of the entire first team).

At this stage of development, Yoro functions best as a covering centre-back, but his speed and quick thinking can also help him take a more proactive role in the partnership.

2. Endrick, 18, ST – Palmeiras moves to Real Madrid (€72 million)

A year after the transfer was first announced, Endrick is finally in Madrid. Few players have caused as much excitement months before their arrival as the 18-year-old and perhaps by the end of this year we will know if the exaggeration was justified.

His natural talent is undeniable considering his performances in Brazil. As you would expect from a player who represented his country ten times before his 18th birthday, Endrick has some impressive technical skills and is particularly good at striking the ball with his left foot.

Although he relies heavily on his flair, he also has good timing in the air and is not fazed without the ball. Many had expected him to make his official Real Madrid debut at the weekend, but as the champions battled to a 1-1 draw at Mallorca, manager Carlo Ancelotti appeared to want to pick a less pressure-packed moment for the youngster to play his first minutes.

1. João Neves, 19, ZM – Benfica to Paris Saint-Germain (€60m)

Neves is one of Europe’s hottest young players and it was a surprise that Benfica let Neves go for just half of his €120 million release clause – a fee that would have put most of Europe’s elite clubs off the hook. But the links between the two clubs meant PSG managed to sign the talented all-round midfielder who combines grit and flair so well, while Renato Sanches moved in the opposite direction.

Neves (who finished 12th in ESPN’s annual U21 rankings) didn’t take long to prove himself in his new surroundings. Coming on at half-time in this weekend’s 4-1 win over Le Havre in Ligue 1, he helped turn the game around for the French champions, providing two assists (one of which was a finely-placed cross for Randal Kolo Muani’s header) and immediately taking on the playmaking role, with an impressive 53 touches in one half.