Chelsea’s leaders will likely see Golden Boy’s shortlist as validation of their project to sign as many young talents as possible.
The Golden Boy is an award created by Tuttosport and given by sports journalists to the young male footballer who has played in Europe in a calendar year, considered to be the most impressive. All candidates must be under the age of 21 and play at the top level of a European country.
Previous recipients of the award include Lionel Messi (2005), Kylian Mbappé (2017), and Jude Bellingham (2023), but the 2024 recipient is Spanish representative Lamine Yamal, who is not on the list of candidates for 2025 as no player has won the award twice.
Of the 25 players on the shortlist, 20 were automatically ‘qualified’ through the Football Benchmark Index ranking, which takes into account on-pitch performance, playing time and the strength of the team each player plays for. Another five “wildcard” picks selected by the Tuttosport editorial staff are included to complete the 25-man shortlist.
Read more: Arsenal beat Spurs to be crowned Premier League champions at international break
Ten of the candidates are from the Premier League, with Chelsea joint with Real Madrid and PSG with the most capped players.
Brazilian prodigy Estebao certainly has the best chance of any Blues player (and perhaps any Premier League player) to actually win the gong, but Llorel Hato and Mamadou Sarr, who is on loan at sister club Strasbourg, are also in contention. Add in Giovanny Quenda, who will join the club from Sporting at the end of the season, and the Blues beat Real Madrid.
Miles Lewis-Skelly would have been more confident now at the end of last season after losing his place in Arsenal’s squad to Riccardo Calafioli, and Ethan Nwaneri is probably simply happy not to see Emirates block newcomer Max Dauman compete with him for awards.
Tottenham have as many international players as their bitter north London rivals, with Lukas Bergvall and Archie Gray both making the grade, with Lenny Yolo, Giovanni Leoni and Nico O’Reilly all carrying the hopes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City respectively.
2025 Golden Boy Candidate
Elisse Ben Segil (Bayer Leverkusen)
Lukas Bergvall (Tottenham)
Pau Kubalsi (Barcelona)
Desire Due (PSG)
Victor Froholt (Porto)
Archie Gray (Tottenham)
Arda Guler (Real Madrid)
Jorel Hato (Chelsea)
Dean Huyssen (Real Madrid)
Miles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal)
Seny Mayur (PSG)
Franco Mastatuono (Real Madrid)
Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
Geovanny Quenda (Sporting CP)
Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City)
Mamadou Sarr (on loan from RC Strasbourg, Chelsea)
Estevao Willian (Chelsea)
Kenan Yildiz (Juventus)
Yoro Lenny (Manchester United)
Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG)
wild card
Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool)
Rodrigo Mora (Porto)
Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter)
Aleksandar Stanković (Club Brugge)
