Kylian Mbappe omitted from Golden Boy shortlist, Trent Alexander-Arnold makes the cut Liverpool and England defender Alexander-Arnold on a five-man shortlist Last Updated: 21/11/18 3:36pm French star Kylian Mbappe has been surprisingly omitted from the final five-man shortlist for the prestigious 2018 European Golden Boy award.
The award, established by Italian publication Tuttosport, is given to the best player under the age of 21 in Europe.
Mbappe, who won the award last year, has been left out despite winning the Young Player of the Tournament award at the 2018 World Cup. Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has made the shortlist after helping Jurgen Klopp's side reach the Champions League final and breaking into Gareth Southgate's England squad.
He is joined on the final shortlist by AC Milan's Italian forward Patrick Cutrone after a breakthrough season that saw him score 18 goals for the Rossoneri and win his first cap for Italy. Two Netherlands internationals are included with Roma forward Justin Kluivert and Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt both named. The final name on the list is Real Madrid's 18-year-old Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior, who joined the Spanish side from Flamengo in July.
Manchester City's Phil Foden, Manchester United's Diogo Dalot, Everton's Tom Davies and Celtic's Odsonne Edouard were each included on a shortlist of 20 finalists released earlier this month but failed to make the final five.
Former winners of the award include Wayne Rooney (2004), Lionel Messi (2005), Sergio Aguero (2007), Paul Pogba (2013), Raheem Sterling (2014) and Anthony Martial (2015).
The winner, which will be announced on December 18, will be decided by 30 journalists from media outlets across the continent.
Ajax star De Ligt wins Golden Boy award Sacha Pisani Last updated 1 hour ago
Ajax star Matthijs de Ligt has been crowned the 2018 Golden Boy as the most promising Under-21 player in Europe.
Linked with La Liga champions Barcelona and Premier League titleholders Manchester City among others, the 19-year-old centre-back claimed the Tuttosport award after receiving the most votes from an international panel.
De Ligt beat compatriot and Roma winger Justin Kluivert, Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, AC Milan forward Patrick Cutrone and Real Madrid teenager Vinicius Junior to the honour, which was won by Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe last year. Kluivert was previously seen as the leader for the award midway through the voting process, but instead his former Ajax teammate was recognised on Monday as the 2018 winner.
Netherlands international De Ligt – under contract until 2021 – has been a revelation since making his debut for boyhood club Ajax in 2016, establishing himself in the heart of the Eredivisie club's defence.
A first international call-up followed last year and De Ligt has since blossomed into a key player for Ronald Koeman's team, partnering Virgil van Dijk in the back line.
Named Ajaxcaptain this season, De Ligt continues to attract interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs, with Barca and City reportedly at the front of the queue.
De Ligt previously stated that he considered himself a "normal boy" more than a Golden Boy , but now the Dutchman joins illustrious company as winner of the prestigious award.
Previous winners of the award include Mbappe, Paul Pogba, Wayne Rooney, Raheem Sterling, Isco and Lionel Messi.
De Ligt is the first ever defender to win the award with eight midfielders and seven forwards having previously won the title. He is also the second Dutchman to be given the title, following 2003 winner Rafael van der Vaart, who also won it during his time at Ajax.
De Ligt has made 27 appearances for Ajax this season and scored three goals, helping them reach the second round of the Champions League for the first time in 13 years.
Erik ten Hag's men are currently second in the Eredivisie, two points behind leaders and reigning champions PSV after 16 matches.
