Manchester United duo Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, along with some other exciting young talents, have made the shortlist of nominees for the Kopa Trophy award, Soccernet.football reports.
The Kopa Trophy, voted on by former Ballon d’Or winners, is awarded to the best-performing under-21 player globally. Although the winner won’t be announced until the ceremony in Paris on October 28, the list of contenders has now been released.
Garnacho and Mainoo deservedly make the list of nominees after impressing in the 2023/2024 Premier League season. Despite United’s struggles, the two youngsters stood out during the entire campaign, both going on to contribute a goal each to guide the Red Devils to FA Cup victory over their local rivals.
Garnacho also went on to enjoy a successful summer with the Argentina national team as La Albiceleste made it back to back Copa triumphs in America. Carrying on with his impressive form, Mainoo starred in England’s run to the 2024 Euros final in Germany.
While the two young Devils have genuinely earned a shout, another worthy contender on this list is Barcelona and Spain prodigy Lamine Yamal. The 17-year-old made the headlines with his performances for La Roja in Germany, playing a significant role as they cruised to glory.
Other nominees include Real Madrid’s Arda Guler, Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi, Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel, Man City’s Savinho, PSG’s Joao Neves and Warren Zaire-Emery, and RB Salzburg’s Karim Konate.
The likes of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are previous recipients of this award which will soon be given to the most outstanding young player during the 2023/24 season.