The “Golden Boy” award recognizes European football’s best “rookie” players. The award was established by the Italian newspaper Tuttosport.
Most importantly, perhaps, the award has managed to thrive beyond the hype that tends to accompany footballing wonderkids. Has it ever been wrong? Not really! The list of previous winners includes the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland.
The 2023 Golden Boy award nominees represent a new crop of marvelous talent.
Teams like Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona or Manchester City would all be improved by such a player.
Are these players of which fantasy football fans should be aware? Absolutely!
With this in mind, let’s look at the newcomers that have impressed the most throughout this FootballCoin season.
Antonio Silva (Benfica)
It usually takes years for a young player to integrate into a team fully. This is not the story of Antonio Silva.
In his debut season and at 19 years of age, his performances mimic that of a seasoned pro. Roger Schmidt’s Benfica tactics make full use of his wide range of abilities.
Antonio Silva is an old-school defender type. He likes to dive into tackles, use his physicality and neutralize the opponent team’s main goal threats.
Still, he’s also a modern central defender, one that feels comfortable with the ball at his feet.
In FootballCoin contests, he’s managed 289 points. Antonio Silva is currently the fifth-best-ranked defender for the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
Fabio Miretti (Juventus)
Fabio Miretti‘s rise up the ranks for Juventus proves two things. The first is that youth development should be a priority for all clubs.
The second is that no matter how much money clubs spend on big-name players, the results will often be surprising.
Miretti’s currently in his second season for Juve and the first where he’s made more than just a few sporadic appearances. His ability on the ball, excellent dribbling, and passing make him a classic trequartista type player, the kind with which Italian soccer has always had a fascination.
Miretti managed 268 points this season. And, while Juve has often drifted aimlessly this year, in my opinion, the team has been clever to use this opportunity to develop Miretti’s ability.
Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid)
Eduardo Camavinga is among the few very famous players on the list of Golden Boy nominees. The same can be said about Jude Bellingham, Karim Adeyemi, Ansu Fati, or Gavi.
With this in mind, we won’t dwell too long on these already-established footballers.
Camavinga has managed 474 points in fantasy football this season. He’s done so while playing for Real Madrid, one of the most famous clubs in the world. He, along with Kylian Mbappe, is one of France’s best young players.
He has also represented a France national team that reached the final of the FIFA World Cup this season. And, frankly, Camavinga is already confirmed as one of the best midfielders of his generation.
Wilfried Gnonto (Leeds)
Wilfried Gnonto‘s ascendence is a testament to hard work and ambition. Unlike some of the other players on the list of Golden Boy nominees, this Italian forward already has three seasons as a senior player under his belt.
The first two of these were spent in Switzerland, playing for FC Zurich. The eight goals scored in the previous edition have brought Gnoto to the attention of Premier League’s Leeds.
Gnonto is beginning to reward the Leeds hierarchy for their belief. He’s scored twice this season and played a part in 16 matches. The forward has managed 299 points in FootballCoin.
I believe all these details work to make Wilfried Gnonto one of the players that fantasy football managers should follow this season.
Fabio Carvalho (Liverpool)
Football careers are made by those that can take advantage of an unlikely opportunity. This is what Portuguese youngster Fabio Carvalho has done this season.
Just one year ago, Carvalho was working on becoming an important player for Fulham. This was back in the Championship, one of the toughest leagues in the world.
A string of injuries to their midfielders meant that Liverpool was forced to act quickly on the transfer market this season. Jurgen Klopp singled out the 20-year-old Carvalho.
Carvalho has managed 130 points this season in fantasy football based on 12 appearances. An injury has affected his playing time. But make no mistake, Fabio Carvalho can be a top EPL player for years to come.
Which of the Golden Boy nominees are you most frequently using in your fantasy football teams? Use your knowledge in FootballCoin and get ready to earn crypto prizes and free cards.
