Seven Dutch talents vie for de Ligt's Golden Boy legacy

Seven Dutch talents, all 21 years or younger, have been selected for the Golden Boy award shortlist, unveiled by Italian publication Tuttosport. This echoes the path taken by Matthijs van der Ligt, who previously won the award. The shortlist offers these young Dutch talents the chance to equal his legacy.

In collaboration with Transfermarkt, Tuttosport compiled a list of 100 names, featuring the greatest talents in Europe. Only players under 21 years old are eligible for the prestigious Golden Boy award.

The Dutch nominees are Jorrel Hato of Chelsea, Kees Smit of AZ, Mats Rots of TSG Hoffenheim, Sean Steur of Newcastle United, Ruud Nijstad of FC Twente, Givairo Read of Feyenoord Rotterdam, and Elijah Dijkstra of AZ. Each player represents a different club on the continent.

Hato leads the Dutch nominees with the highest Transfermarkt value, estimated at €40 million, and he is already an international for Oranje. His market value underscores the high expectations placed upon him.

Lamine Yamal tops the overall shortlist with a value of €200 million, €120 million more than second-placed Warren Zaïre-Emery. Their figures illustrate the financial scale of Europe's elite youth talent.

Tuttosport has been awarding the Golden Boy prize since 2003, with the first winner being Rafael van der Vaart. In 2018, Matthijs van der Ligt won the award, and last year, Désiré Doué of PSG was the champion.

The contrast between a new wave of Dutch hope and previous Dutch winners highlights a fresh generation eager to match Van der Ligt's achievements, paving the way for the upcoming award ceremony.