Identifying the Top 25 Next Wayne Rooneys in World Football
The world of football is awash with young superstar talent, players who look up to their football icons and want to become as good as, if not better, than them.
Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has made himself one such football icon, with his exquisite technique, creative flair, understanding of the game and overall work ethic making him one of the top players in world football today, even if he has only managed three Premier League goals so far this season.
In essence, the superstars of tomorrow want to become the next Wayne Rooney. After all, who doesn't want to make that dream £30million move to a club like Manchester United and earn £200,000 week, winning titles such as the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and Club World Cup?
That's not to say these possible superstars have to be younger than Rooney to be "the next him", nor that they have to be out-and-out strikers. After all, Rooney has played anywhere from support striker to full-back this season!
To be considered on this list as the next Wayne Rooney, these players are those who do have brilliant technique in finishing, control of the ball, passing, etc, as well as that creativity and playmaking ability which has seen Rooney be the key to Dimitar Berbatov's 17 league goals this season.
So here on this list are 25 top talents with clear potential to become as talismanic to a top club as Wayne Rooney is for Manchester United and England.
Romelu Lukaku
1 of 25Dubbed as the new Didier Drogba, 17-year-old Romelu Lukaku has been well documented as one of the best young talents to come out of Belgium in decades.
Whilst Chelsea forward Drogba is the joint highest active scorer in the Premier League with 82 goals since he arrived in England back in 2004, it's the other highest scorer, Wayne Rooney, who Lukaku is most like.
After all, like Rooney, Lukaku burst on the scene very quickly in his professional career and already has the likes of Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester City drooling over him.
The young Belgian, who finished top scorer in 2009/10 in the Jupiler Pro League with 15 goals whilst still attending school, has 10 goals so far this season and is valued at over £20million by his club, RSC Anderlecht.
He has many strengths to his game, such as his technique when it comes to finishing chances and his knowledge of how to beat the goalkeeper, as well as his overall control of the ball, aerial ability, physical strength and well-timed forward runs.
And overall, there's not much wrong with the Drogba look-a-like, apart from his slight inability to bring others into play and lack of creativity when defender's correctly predict his tactics.
However, such issues can easily be ironed out under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, etc, leaving the watching world with a player who could one day become more prolific than Lionel Messi.
Luc Castaignos
2 of 25This 18-year old talent from Feyenoord has even had the writers on FIFA's official website going crazy about him.
In their "Players to Watch in 2011" article, they wrote: "Often compared to Thierry Henry due his graceful, athletic style of play, Castaignos last week committed his future to Inter Milan after emerging as one the world’s most sought-after young strikers. Tall, skilful and speedy, the teenager set a new goalscoring record for the Netherlands’ U-17 side and is Feyenoord’s leading marksman this season."
Luc Castaignos scored 13 goals in 17 appearances for the U-17 side and has scored six league goals for Feyenoord this season.
Netherlands U-17 head coach Albert Stuivenberg said of Castaignos: "His style of play has something in common with Henry. Some of his teammates have compared him to Henry because he not only plays like him, but also looks like him a bit."
A player who can score goals with expert precision from close and long range, Castaignos has the chance to become a truly prolific striker at Inter Milan, where he can learn the art of breaking down defences trained in catenaccio from the likes of Diego Milito and Samuel Eto'o.
As after all, once a player has broken down an Italian defence heavily trained in catenaccio, they can break down any defence.
Gonzalo Higuain
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A very obvious choice, but Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain nonetheless has a place on this list.
Of course, the world knows he's already an established striker at the most prestigious club in world football, having scored 74 goals in 156 appearances for Madrid, etc.
But one thing Higuain isn't is a talismanic figure for club or country, whereas someone like Wayne Rooney is for United and England.
In the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo at the Bernabeu and cast away from the spotlight for Argentina courtesy of Lionel Messi, Higuain so far hasn't been able to build a lasting legacy in football.
However, he does have potential to at least match the greatness of the above duo, who are unassailably the two greatest footballers of this generation.
A player with all the attributes and prolific goalscoring of a top striker, if Gonzalo Higuain can just put all his experience at the highest level to the best of use once he returns from injury, he has the potential to be as great Ronaldo or Messi.
Or at least he has the chance to become the next Wayne Rooney, a player who has the team built around him.
Salomon Rondon
4 of 25Despite the Qatari revolution at Malaga CF and the influx of top players drafted in to help the club become serious contenders in La Liga, one player who looks like he's staying where he is for the time being is Salomon Rondon.
Of course, it's only a matter of time before the bigger clubs come knocking, as the 21-year old Venezuelan lights up the Spanish top-flight.
Having been signed from UD Las Palmas for a record transfer fee of £3.5million in the summer, Rondon has scored seven goals in 15 league games for Malaga this season, and recently notched a brace away at Valencia CF.
Rondon is a player who has a great finishing touch, can drift into very useful goalscoring positions and always seems to know where the goal is.
He's not the best in the air and overall is a raw talent who doesn't yet have the overall ability as one of the best strikers in the world.
However, with a bit more experience playing with and against the world's best players, and under a top manager, this is a player who can achieve great things.
Youssef El-Arabi
5 of 25A 23-year old striker for SM Caen, Morocco international Youssef El-Arabi has burst onto the scene in Ligue 1 this season with 11 goals from 20 games to his name so far.
Like his Morocco teammate Marouane Chamakh, El-Arabi is starting to make a real name for himself this season, as he's already matched his total goalscoring tally from last campaign.
Another player who knows how to finish inside the penalty area, El-Arabi is a real threat inside the opponent's 18 yard box, with good aerial ability (not as good as Chamakh's, though), clever movement, and of course, accurate and composed finishing.
El-Arabi's link-up play isn't great, and he definitely needs to work on his impact outside the penalty area, but with a bit more help from better midfielders and more work on his short passing and positioning, the young forward has real potential to become something big in the game.
At a bigger club with better coaching, tactics and midfielders, Youssef El-Arabi is a player who genuinely does have the potential to be the next Wayne Rooney.
Javier Pastore
6 of 25Wanted by all the top clubs across Europe, Javier Pastore has been the latest sensation from Serie A for quite a while now.
According reports from various media outlets, Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Porto had all agreed deals to sign the player.
Whilst not technically a striker, more of an attacking midfielder, Pastore merits a place on this having scored eight goals from 24 appearances this season.
When presented with golden chances, Pastore is a sure-fire bet to tuck away goal after goal, and unlike most forward players even at the highest level, he is a player who can fashion out goalscoring chances himself.
He also has excellent dribbling abilities and a dazzling array of skills to go with his overall creativity in forward plays and passes, making him one of the most exciting talents in Europe.
Of course he's not perfect and struggles with his overall game against the very elite, but with the excitement he creates among the fans, his inevitable and imminent move to a top club could well see him dubbed the next Wayne Rooney (should he move to England that is).
Hulk
7 of 25Givanildo Vieira de Souza, more commonly known as Hulk, has all the attributes required to make it in the English Premier League.
His stocky build gives him great strength in knocking off weak defenders, while his quick turn of speed and surprisingly good acceleration in chasing the ball make him the type of player that has seen the likes of Carlos Tevez do so well in the English game.
But most importantly, especially in England, is the fact that he's prolific. The Brazilian striker has scored 17 goals in just 16 league games this season, with brilliant upcoming manager Andre Villas-Boas getting the best out of him.
And what sets him apart from Tevez and makes him more like a future Wayne Rooney is not only has he now got experience of being a talismanic figure with the team built around him, but he also brings his teammates into play with great effect, having made eight assists in the league so far this season, which is very good for a striker.
He still needs to develop the creative side of his game a bit more though, making more intelligent forward runs and unpredictable movement inside the penalty area if he is going to have similar success in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A or the Bundesliga.
If he does do that, then this Brazilian beast could destroy the defences of Europe's elite.
Danny Welbeck
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It appears Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is creating his own version of Wayne Rooney in 20-year-old Danny Welbeck.
The striker, on loan at Premier League rivals Sunderland, has scored six goals in 20 games this season as he continues his footballing development in the top-flight among England's elite.
Scoring against the likes of Chelsea at places like Stamford Bridge, Welbeck has shown he has the potential to become a big game player in the Premier League, having learnt from teammates like Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez, Michael Owen, Darren Bent and Asamoah Gyan.
With great speed, acceleration and dribbling skill, Welbeck is a player comfortable on the ball and who has such good control of it he's frequently used as a winger.
His shot accuracy from outside the penalty area is remarkably good, and his movement in and around the box does create problems even for the top defenders in the league.
However, Welbeck has consistently lacked the real high class finishing ability that sets him apart from being a very good attacking player and a world class striker, and his aerial ability also isn't the best.
But with more Premier League experience and coaching from the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Welbeck has the time to take his game to the next level, and at the moment, the signs do look promising.
Ferguson might even one day get his Wayne Rooney 2.0 in Danny Welbeck.
Neymar
9 of 25Now this is one player who can definitely become the next Wayne Rooney and then do even better and become the next Pele.
Another Santos protégé, it is only matter of time before he moves to Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona or Inter Milan.
Neymar has scored 57 goals in 112 appearances for Santos, and has earned two caps for Brazil, scoring one goal, and he's not even 19-years old yet.
Blessed with tremendous finishing ability and scintillating skill on the ball, Neymar is a player who most definitely is headed for success at the very highest level in world football.
The next Wayne Rooney? Most definitely. The next Pele? Quite possibly.
Benik Afobe
10 of 25If Arsenal need their own talismanic version of Wayne Rooney in the future, they would need to look no further than their 17-year-old striker Benik Afobe.
Always prolific in the youth ranks, Afobe scored 40 goals in 2007/08 for Arsenal's U-16s, followed up the next season with 11 goals in 13 games for the U-18s before, at the age of 16, the Arsenal Reserves came calling.
In the 2009/10 season it was another spell in the U-18s and 21 goals in 24 appearances, before a professional contract came his way, with Arsene Wenger keen to protect another one of his fine talents from the interest of world football's greatest juggernaut at the moment, FC Barcelona.
He's since been plying his trade on loan at Huddersfield Town in League One, the third tier of English football, where he made nine appearances in the league while scoring his professional goals in a cup game, netting twice.
Labelled as "another fantastic talent off the Arsenal production line", and as "the next big, big thing" in football, Afobe's pace and power have gained him plaudits left, right and centre.
He's still yet to fully figure out how to break down the defences of senior, professional football teams, but with plenty of time on side and a lot of match experiences at the highest level yet to come, Afobe will keep on learning, and before long will turn into that world class striker he's proven he has the potential to be.
Andy Carroll
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A player who was decent at Championship level, scoring 17 league goals in 39 appearances, has this season exploded into a terrific striker at Premier League level.
11 league goals in 19 matches has seen Carroll's stock rise significantly, with the player recently being linked with a £25million move to Tottenham Hotspur.
The key player in Newcastle United's attack, Carroll's strength to hold off the best of Premier League defenders, his ability in the air to legally get the better of defenders and tuck the ball into the back of the net, and his overall ability to finish inside the penalty area has seen him earn a cap for England as well as plaudits all over the country.
He does lack from his game the speed and acceleration to really skip past the top defenders, while he also comes unstuck when defenders figure out his manager's tactics for him, meaning the predictability in his play and lack of creative spark in the box does limit the number of goals he can score.
However, with more time and experience in the Premier League, and perhaps a big money move to one of England or Europe's biggest clubs, Andy Carroll might very easily progress into becoming the next Wayne Rooney, for both club and country.
Giuseppe Rossi
12 of 25A Manchester United reject, Italy and Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi has finally shown what his true talent this season.
19 goals in 31 games in all competitions this season has seen Rossi develop into one of Villarreal and La Liga's top talents and has seen the 23-year-old follow in the footsteps of fellow United flop Diego Forlan in resurrecting a career at the very highest level.
A diminutive attacker who's got great dribbling ability, confidence on the ball and a willingness to run at defences, Rossi is finally developing all of the talents that could at last make him success a in the Premier League.
Like all top strikers, he can also finish from close range and anywhere inside the penalty area, but also has a powerful and accurate long range shot on him when given adequate time and space to shoot.
He still gets shrugged off the ball fairly easily and doesn't really have any luck against defenders who are both quick and strong, but has the potential to overcome that problem with slightly more gym work on muscular endurance, as well as on his technique when controlling the ball and link-up play with his strike partner.
Overall though, the boy has finally come good and could emulate the success of Wayne Rooney should he return to England.
Javier Hernandez
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Javier Hernandez, a.k.a Chicharito, has lit up the Premier League this season with his natural, instinctive finishing and the ability to always make things happen when he touches the ball.
His understanding of the game, real striker's instinct and surprisingly good aerial ability (as his manager puts it, he's able to "hang" in the air) for a diminutive figure has made Chicharito a key player for Manchester United and one of world football's brightest young talents.
He was the quickest player at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, reaching a top speed of 32.15 km/h, and is also the highest scoring Mexican ever in Premier League history.
With nine goals to his name this season from 24 appearances, Hernandez has learnt well from teammates like Dimitar Berbatov, Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen and of course, Wayne Rooney.
His fluent English, genuine likeability factor and the fact he's a fan favourite have already earned the 22-year-old comparisons with teammate Rooney.
With a bit more experience in English football under his belt, Hernandez has the potential to become the player Rooney is and even challenge the Englishman for a regular place in United starting line-up.
Garra Dembele
14 of 25Garra Dembele is one of the most underrated and under-the-radar strikers in Europe at the moment.
Since getting his break in football with Bulgarian side Levski Sofia, Dembele has been one of the most prolific goalscorers around.
This season for Levski he's scored 26 goals in 26 games in all competitions, having scored 16 league goals in 12 league matches, as well as two goals in two cup appearances, and eight goals in 12 games in the UEFA Europa League.
The former Auxerre man is a reported £2.5million target for SPL side Celtic in this January transfer window, while the Frenchman has also been linked to Premier Leagues sides Everton and Birmingham City.
And such a transfer fee would be an absolute steal for a player who has such proven finishing ability as Dembele, who can score from inside and outside the penalty area equally well and can shrug off any defender even slighlty weaker than him.
He has all the attributes needed to score goals, although whether he could transform such form into success in the Premier League is a different story altogether.
His link-up play also leaves a lot to be desired, but if he can sign for a top club in Europe with the right coaches and teammates, this man could become a great player, and maybe even as good as Wayne Rooney one day.
Pedro
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He's 23 years old and he's won the World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the Club World Cup, La Liga and the Copa Del Rey.
Pedro Rodriguez has done more in the game than Wayne Rooney, with many considering Pedro to almost be as good as Rooney anyway.
And if we're going by the form book this season, Pedro certainly looks better, with 11 goals from 20 games and seven assists in La Liga, all from a player who isn't technically a striker. He is finally a player who has started to fully establish himself as a top player in Europe.
However, the one major thing missing from Pedro's game which Rooney has, or at least had last season, is that all-round ability to glue an attack together, making both the option of a pass and a chance to score with one single touch of the ball inside the opponent's final third.
Pedro is finally having his breakout season and looks set to reach his highest tally this season as the watching world takes a lot more notice of the recently crowned World Champion.
However, he's still the weaker link in the attacking line-up with David Villa and Lionel Messi, and if he can just focus his attacking play more centrally, work more on his positioning and creativity inside the final third, he can bring Villa and Messi into play in a more central position where they can all easily attack the opponent's defence and create even further goal scoring chances for himself.
If he does that, this is a player you could dub "the new Wayne Rooney" if he ever moved to England.
Alex Chamberlain
16 of 25They produced Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale; now, Southampton have got another scintillating youngster on their books.
17-year-old Alex Chamberlain has already begun his professional career, making 24 appearances for the Saints in their League One campaign, scoring six goals and also contributing four assists.
It's no wonder he's now a regular in their starting line-up, and has Arsene Wenger plugging away at the Arsenal board to part with £10million for the youngster's signature.
A player with an abundance of confidence and control of the ball, Chamberlain's silky footwork allows him to skip past defenders like they're not there, and his composure and astute finishing at such a young age has all the hallmarks of a top future talent.
He's more an attacking midfielder than a striker, which not only makes his goal tally all the more remarkable, but means he's also got a good cross on him, has a decent eye for a pass and has given him the license to run at defenders and take them on.
Of course he still has a lot to learn in the game, and it shows, but he's already Southampton's talisman player and looks like he'll be the lynchpin in the England team one day.
This player most certainly can be called the next Wayne Rooney.
Alexandre Pato
17 of 25Having struggled with injuries and that niggling hamstring for the most of this season and last season, 21-year old Alexandre Pato just needs a break from the world famous treatment table at AC Milan.
He's got eight goals in 11 league appearances for Milan in Serie A this season, and having notched a brace against Udinese recently, it looks like he might well be back on form.
Just as well for a player with such tremendous overall skill as Pato. As the video shows, this is a player who is a master of the controlling the ball and has such a dazzling array of tricks to go with his unparalleled ability to tuck away close range chances, as well as create and score goalscoring opportunities from outside the penalty area.
Consistently linked with a move to Chelsea, Pato is a player who with a bit more strength and overall fitness work could become the next Didier Drogba, or indeed Wayne Rooney, if the Premier League if he ever moved to England.
Or conversely, he could set up an even more devastating attacking trio at Real Madrid than he has done at AC Milan, with Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo. Now that's a line-up to match Barcelona's any day of the week.
It appears Pato could well be back on form in 2011, the year he finally rids himself of injury, tones down the partying and really becomes one of the world's attacking greats.
Moussa Sow
18 of 25A new name on the block, 25-year old Moussa Sow has finally come into prominence as a striker in Europe.
He's the top scorer in Ligue 1 this season with 15 goals to his name from 19 appearances, and as the video shows, some of those goals have been spectacular.
The Lille OSC forward is a player who has displayed the ability to tuck away not only the easy chances, but also the difficult ones that require a good amount of creativity and intelligence to turn into goals.
He's also a fairly imposing figure who can stand up strong against tough defenders and do well in aerial challenges.
However, positioning is his major problem, with the player to eager to make forward runs and sometimes slack at getting back onside, meaning he hasn't really got the ability to break away from defences quickly and efficiently enough.
But, if he continues as he is this season, and earns a move to a top club in Europe somewhere, he could easily progress and become a top striker, perhaps matching Wayne Rooney in the Premier League.
Ryo Miyaichi
19 of 25Arsene Wenger clearly knew exactly what he was doing, as always, when he snapped up this Japanese gem from the far corners of the Earth.
Ryo Miyaichi, 18, is said to be the most exciting young talent from Asia right now, and from all the videos on Youtube, the pundits might well be right.
A player with lightening pace, major confidence on the ball, high speed yet controlled dribbling, and a generally good level of finishing ability, as well as the strength to shrug off defenders whilst running with the ball, Miyaichi genuinely does have the attributes to be a success in the Premier League.
However, he does appear to be a player, albeit higher up the pitch, in the mould of Nani or a younger Samir Nasri, someone who has too much confidence on the ball, doesn't always make the right pass and is prone to getting tackled.
Although of course, with time and experience such an attribute should be ironed out, both by Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal coaches, or by his time on loan at Feyenoord, who's Miyaichi has joined until the end of the season following his recent move from Japan.
Overall, this is a player who could be described in the future as the Japanese Wayne Rooney.
Welliton
20 of 25Spartak Moscow forward Welliton is the biggest striking sensation in Russia right now, having become top scorer in the Russian Premier League for the second season running.
In 2009, the striker netted 21 league goals from 28 matches, and followed that up in 2010 with 19 goals from 25 games.
Overall in his league career at Spartak Moscow, the 25-year old has scored 50 goals in 75 appearances, and when analysing his performance, it's clear why he's netted so many goals.
The Brazilian forward (who has expressed his interest in playing for Russia) is lethal inside the penalty area, with great finishing ability in the air or on the ground.
He also is quite powerful and fairly quick, which has got him several goals in the Russian top-flight, but would only serve him well against the lower teams in the English Premier League.
However, his movement just outside the box and ability to drop off will make him a handful for even top defenders to mark, while his ability to create space for himself around the penalty area could easily give him goals in any league he plays in.
Liverpool were reported to be interested in the Brazilian, and should he move there, there would be nothing to stop him becoming Merseyside's version of Wayne Rooney.
Alexis Sanchez
21 of 25One player who has long been linked to wearing the famous colours of Manchester United is 22-year old Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez.
The Udinese winger, who can also play in a more central attacking role, his well renowned for his blistering pace and superb skill on the ball.
Whilst not being the most prolific goalscorer, Sanchez is a player who knows how to instill fear into defenders, with his spectacular set of step-overs and intricate tricks with the ball not only wowing spectators, but giving the defender no clue as to which way he's going to run or turn.
With a bit more strength training and work on his finishing, Sanchez is a player who could really thrive in a central attacking role, with his generally decent ability from long range also lending to a deep lying centre forward role.
A move to a bigger club seems likely in the summer for Sanchez, with Chelsea having reportedly agreed a fee, but Manchester United also having registered their interest.
Should Sanchez switch to a more central role and move to Manchester United or just to a team in the Premier League, he could well be dubbed the 'Chilean Wayne Rooney'. After all, he has the talent to one day be as talismanic as Rooney.
Ola Toivonen
22 of 25Probably the most talked about upcoming talent, Sweden and PSV Eindhoven striker Ola Toivonen is a striker who has almost permanently been linked to a Premier League club for the past two seasons.
According to UK newspapers, he signed for Liverpool two years ago and is still signing for them today, with the fee constantly changing, with anything reported from £7million to £14million, and possibly more.
Of course, Toivonen is a top talent, as proven by the 11 league goals he's notched in 19 matches for PSV in the Eredivisie this season.
A very good header of the ball, and a good distance shooter, Toivonen has that versability about his attacking game that means he can tuck away chances from all angles, whether they come from passes along the floor, crosses, or even if he's on the ball and has half a yard of space.
The only major things lacking in his game is his predictability inside the penalty area, and inconsistency.
If he can become more consistent in terms of his effort and work rate, and be more creative inside the penalty area, then Sweden's version of Wayne Rooney could well be on the cards.
Luis Suarez
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Liverpool have been strongly linked with 24-year old Uruguayan Luis Suarez in the January transfer window, a player rated by his club, Ajax, at £30million.
And it's obvious why they want so much for the tricky striker's services.
In the 2009/10 season, Suarez scored 49 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions for the Amsterdam club, including 35 goals in 33 Eredivisie matches, and six goals in the Champions League and Europa League.
This season he hasn't quite hit such heights yet, but has grabbed a respectable seven goals from 13 league games.
His strengths are well documented, with such proven finishing ability, coming from inside and outside the penalty area and also in the air. Suarez also drifts out wide and attacks inwards from wide positions, which also runs defences ragged, especially with his speed on the ball.
And likewise, Suarez's weaknesses are well documented. Disciplinary issues have plagued his career, and the forward was dubbed the "Cannibal of Ajax" by Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf, incurring a seven-game ban in November 2010 after biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal on the shoulder.
Excellent finishing? Prolific goalscoring? Discipline issues? Luis Suarez clearly is the next Wayne Rooney. All he has to do now is play in the Premier League and he's the Uruguayan copy of him.
Connor Wickham
24 of 25A player wanted by all the top clubs in England, 17-year old striker Connor Wickham is the another top young talent the country is going up in arms about.
Said to be as good as what Wayne Rooney was at the same age, Wickham scored the winning goal for the England U-17s in the summer in the European Championship final against Spain.
And having already racked up over 50 appearances in the professional game, at League Championship standard for Ipswich Town, Wickham is a constantly improving player.
He may not be prolific in front of goal just yet, but the signs are positive for the young Englishman, who scored against Doncaster Rovers last weekend to seal a 3-2 win for his side.
The next Wayne Rooney he could well be, having already played for the England U-21s at the age of just 17. Will he be the next Rooney though? Only time will tell.
Gael Kakuta
25 of 25He caused controversy and was banned for four months due to a supposed breach of contract with RC Lens, which led to his club having a transfer embargo, but judging by Gael Kakuta's talent, it could all be worth it in the end for Chelsea.
Recently shipped out on loan to Fulham, 19-year old Kakuta has been tipped as one of the biggest talents to come out of the Chelsea youth ranks.
His dynamic pace with and without the ball, as well as his top draw finishing across the ground, good link-up play and versatility across the frontline have had pundits again up in arms over yet another future prospect.
To put into perspective how good Kakuta could become with time and experience, here is what Michael Ballack said to reporters after he played in a reserve game alongside Kakuta. "Go see the French lad, he is the star."
Of course Kakuta does have his weaknesses, mainly his indecision and lack of concentration, as well as a slight lack of confidence playing for the first-team, but such issues will go with experience, meaning this is one player who can achieve real big things with Chelsea.
Chelsea's answer to Wayne Rooney? He could be.
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