Kako se navodi, favoriti za ovogodišnju nagradu su igrači Bajerna Francuz Kingsli Koman i Portugalac Renato Sančeš, a osim njih visoko se kotiraju Markus Rašford iz Mančester Junajteda, Dele Ali iz Totenhem Hotspur i Điđi Donaruma iz Milana.
Među kandidatima su i Marko Asensio (Real Madrid), Alen Halilović (Hamburg), Ante Ćorić (Dinamo Zagreb), Musa Dembele (Seltik), Keleći Ihenaćo (Mancester Siti), Marko Grujić (Liverpul)...
Koliko je ova nagrada dobar parametar za nastavak karijere najbolje svjedoči lista dosadašnjih osvajača. Prvi laureat 2003. godine bio je Rafael Van der Vart, a potom su trofej osvajali Vejn Runi, Lionel Mesi, Sesk Fabregas, Serhio Aguero, Anderson, Alešandre Pato, Mario Baloteli, Mario Gece, Isko, Pol Pogba, Rahim Sterling i Antoni Marsijal.
Belgian Jupiler Pro League: Leon Bailey (Gent), Youri Tielemans (Anderlecht).
German Bundesliga: Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Andreas Christensen (Borussia Monchengladbach), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Mahmoud Dahoud (Borussia Monchengladbach), Ousmane Dembele (Borussia Dortmund), Breel Embolo (Schalke), Alen Halilovic (Hamburg), Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich), Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen)
Croatian Prva Liga: Ante Coric (Dinamo Zagreb)
Dutch Eredivisie: Riechedley Bazoer (Ajax), Nathan (Vitesse), Jairo Riedewald (Ajax)
English Premier League: Leroy Sane (Manchester City), Dele Alli (Tottenham), Demarai Gray (Leicester), Marko Grujic (Liverpool), Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United).
France Ligue 1: Gabriel Boschilia (Monaco), Emmanuel Mammana (Lyon), Almamy Toure (Monaco).
Italy Serie A: Amadou Diawara (Napoli), Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan), Gabriel Barbosa (Inter Milan), Olivier Ntcham (Genoa)
Portuguese Primeira Liga: Goncalo Guedes (Benfica), Ruben Neves (Porto), Danilo Barbosa (Benfica)
Russian Premier League: Aleksandr Golovin (CSKA Moscow)
Scottish Premier League: Moussa Dembele (Celtic)
Spain La Liga: Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Carlos Fernandez (Sevilla), Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Tonny Sanabria (Real Betis)
Ukraine: Viktor Kovalenko (Shakhtar Donetsk)
