Players to watch in Champions League - from stars to wonderkids

Image source, Getty Images

Emlyn BegleyBBC Sport journalist

• Published16 September 2024
• Comments

The Champions League returns this week, and this time you'll be able to watch highlights across the BBC.

From 22:00 on the Wednesday of Champions League matchweeks, there will be match-by-match highlights available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, plus a special Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One at 22:40.

To get everyone in the mood, BBC Sport has picked out 25 players outside the Premier League to watch this season, ranging from the very obvious to some talented youngsters.

Kylian Mbappe, 25 (Real Madrid/France)

Forward Mbappe only needs to score twice to enter the top-10 European Cup goalscorers ever this season. But he has yet to lift the trophy.

His move from Paris St-Germain to perennial European champions Real Madrid means this could be his year.

• Watch Mbappe documentary on BBC iPlayer

• Listen to Sporting Giants: Mbappe on BBC Sounds

• 'No limitations' - Mbappe and a mission of a lifetime

  • Published9 July

Jude Bellingham, 21 (Real Madrid/England)

Midfielder Bellingham exceeded all expectations last season, hitting 23 goals in all competitions as Real Madrid won the Champions League and La Liga.

The goals dried up a bit though after Christmas and, two huge goals aside, his Euro 2024 performances for England were underwhelming.

Can he hit the ground running in the Champions League this season?

• Boy prince Bellingham ready for biggest stage

• Bellingham - the England hero who 'writes his own scripts'

  • Published16 June

Lamine Yamal, 17 (Barcelona/Spain)

The most exciting youngster in the world. The winger made a name for himself at Barcelona last season, breaking several records at the age of 16.

But he became a global phenomenon at Euro 2024, helping Spain lift the trophy.

Can he live up to the hype this season? He already has three La Liga goals.

• 'Superstar' Yamal makes more history with Euros triumph

  • Published14 July

• 'A very, very special player' - Yamal, 16, makes Euros history

  • Published9 July

Dani Olmo, 26 (Barcelona/Spain)

Another of Spain's European Championship stars, the attacking midfielder is playing senior football for a Spanish club for the first time.

Barca's summer signing from Leipzig scored in his first three appearances for the club but will be out of action for the next four to five weeks after suffering a hamstring injury. He could be back in time for Barcelona's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich on October 23.

Harry Kane, 31 (Bayern Munich/England)

Striker Kane is beginning his annual hunt for a maiden trophy again.

Last season he hit a sensational 44 goals for Bayern but they didn't win any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.

Can that change under former Burnley boss Vincent Kompany?

• 'Night belongs to him and his golden boots' - Kane's 100 caps in numbers

  • Published6 days ago

Michael Olise, 22 (Bayern Munich/France)

Another Londoner at Bayern, although Olise made his senior France debut in this month's Nations League games.

The winger, a big summer signing from Crystal Palace, will he hoping to impress in his first season playing in Europe.

• The 'superstar' set for Musiala reunion - how Olise fits in at Bayern

  • Published19 July

Xavi Simons, 21 (Leipzig/Netherlands)

The versatile attacking midfielder is back at Leipzig on loan from Paris St-Germain for the second season in a row.

He scored 10 goals and registered 15 assists in 43 games last season - and will seek to improve on that tally this time.

• Child star, social media icon - time to shine at Euro 2024?

  • Published21 June

Antonio Nusa, 19 (Leipzig/Norway)

The latest Norwegian wonderkid, winger Nusa joined Leipzig from Club Bruges this summer - despite being a target for Chelsea, Tottenham and Brentford.

He has already scored twice for his new club, which takes him halfway to his best goalscoring season already.

Julian Alvarez, 24 (Atletico Madrid/Argentina)

Forward Alvarez has already scored eight Champions League goals and won the trophy - but this will be his first season as the main man in a team.

Atletico Madrid will be expecting him to deliver after paying £81.5m to recruit him from Manchester City.

• An unwanted sale - so why have Man City let Alvarez leave?

  • Published8 August

Conor Gallagher, 24 (Atletico Madrid/England)

Midfielder Gallagher finally completed his on-off transfer to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea - and seems to have settled in well.

His energy and drive could see him become a favourite of Atleti boss Diego Simeone.

• 'Chelsea since birth' - is Gallagher exit a 'soulless ploy' or sense?

  • Published21 August

Joao Neves, 19 (Paris St-Germain/Portugal)

Defensive midfielder Neves joined PSG from Benfica for a fee of at least £50m, in one of the biggest signings of the summer.

He has already played 75 first-team games for Benfica, four for PSG and won 11 caps for Portugal, despite still being a teenager.

• Wanted by Europe's top clubs - who is Benfica teenager Neves?

  • Published29 July

Desire Doue, 19 (Paris St-Germain/France)

Another big-money teenager to join PSG this summer - they paid £42m to sign Rennes attacking midfielder Doue.

Tottenham and Bayern Munich had also wanted the exciting youngster, who can play on the wing or centrally.

Viktor Gyokeres, 26 (Sporting CP/Sweden)

Gyokeres is considered one of the most lethal strikers in Europe, despite being yet to play in one of the top leagues.

He has played in the second tiers in Sweden, Germany and England - for Swansea and Coventry - and has scored 51 goals in 56 games for Sporting.

This will be his first season in the Champions League.

Ademola Lookman, 26 (Atalanta/Nigeria)

Winger Lookman has become a new man since joining Atalanta in 2022, scoring 33 goals in just over two years - including a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.

The London-born player had failed to hit double figures in any of his seasons in England and will be hoping to add to the 61 minutes of Champions League experience he had at Leipzig.

• 'Just the beginning' - Atalanta hat-trick hero Lookman eyes more glory nights

  • Published23 May

Angel Gomes, 24 (Lille/England)

New England international Gomes remains Manchester United's youngest Premier League player, having made his debut aged 16 in 2017.

But it is at Lille where the flexible midfield player has made his name, and made a Ligue 1 high of eight assists last season.

• Man Utd, Mourinho & France - Gomes' route to England debut

  • Published6 days ago

Georgi Sudakov, 22 (Shakhtar Donetsk/Ukraine)

The talented midfielder turned down the chance to move to Juventus and Napoli earlier this year to stay with Shakhtar Donetsk, despite the continuing invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Sudakov will be aiming for another good Champions League campaign, having netted against Barcelona last season.

• Air strikes & explosions - a footballer & father in war

  • Published24 February

Arne Engels, 21 (Celtic/Belgium)

Celtic have spent big this summer with the £11m club record signing of midfielder Engels, who made his Belgium debut earlier this month.

He was a regular for Augsburg in the Bundesliga last season in a variety of positions, including all across the midfield and at right-back.

• Engels not fazed by record Celtic price tag

  • Published7 days ago

Florian Wirtz, 21 (Bayer Leverkusen/Germany)

Florian Wirtz has been on the scene for years but is still only 21. He has spent his senior career so far with Bayer Leverkusen and, with their German double win last season, the clamour for him to move on to win trophies may die down.

Twelve of his 44 Leverkusen goals have come in the Europa League, but this is his first season in Europe's top competition.

Jeremie Frimpong, 23 (Bayer Leverkusen/Netherlands)

Frimpong excelled last season as a right wing-back in Xabi Alonso's nearly unstoppable Leverkusen team.

He scored 14 goals and notched another 12 assists in all competitions. Can he take the Champions League by storm?

Martin Baturina, 21 (Dinamo Zagreb/Croatia)

The diminutive midfielder, supposedly dubbed the next Luka Modric, has been linked to Juventus and Arsenal but remains at Dinamo Zagreb for now.

Part of Croatia's Euro 2024 squad, this is his second season in the Champions League group stages after 2022-23.

Serhou Guirassy, 28 (Borussia Dortmund/Guinea)

Image source, Getty Images

Striker Guirassy joined Borussia Dortmund for what could prove to be a bargain £15m this summer, after a breakout season for Stuttgart ended with him scoring 28 goals in 28 Bundesliga games - at the age of 28.

He was unfortunate to not win a Golden Boot, with Bundesliga rival Kane the only player to score more in Europe's top five leagues.

This is his second season in the Champions League after the 2020-21 campaign with Rennes - when he netted a goal against Chelsea.

Anatoliy Trubin, 23 (Benfica/Ukraine)

Ukraine keeper Trubin is entering his fifth season in the Champions League with Shakhtar Donetsk and Benfica - not bad for a 23-year-old.

He has made 37 appearances in Europe already, including the Europa League and qualifiers.

Bobby Clark, 19 (Salzburg/England)

England Under-20 midfielder Clark was one of the so-called Jurgen Klopp's kids at Liverpool last season, playing 12 times. He became their youngest ever European goalscorer with a Europa League goal against Sparta Prague.

He will hope to get a lot more game time this season after a £10m move to Austria to play for Salzburg, managed by ex-Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders.

• All you need to know about Klopp's cup-winning kids

  • Published28 February

Kenan Yildiz, 19 (Juventus/Turkey)

One of Turkey's exciting young talents at Euro 2024, attacking midfielder Yildiz will hope to make his Champions League debut this season.

He played 32 times for Juventus last season, scoring four goals.

Johan Bakayoko, 21 (PSV/Belgium)

The Belgium winger scored 14 goals and bagged 14 assists for Dutch champions PSV in all competitions last season.

There is no doubt about his ambition - he says he wants to challenge for the Ballon d'Or within five years.