Who were the best U23 players in Europe throughout May?

Welcome back to the ESPN FC Hot List, which each month highlights some of the most in-form talent aged 23 or younger across Europe.

Generally, young but established stars such as Manchester City‘s Erling Haaland, Real Madrid‘s Jude Bellingham or Barcelona‘s Gavi aren’t included — otherwise they’d be on the list every month. But we’ll shine a light on some of those who deserve praise for their performances and could potentially be European football’s next big names.

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Having arrived from Fenerbahçe in 2023 for around €20 million, the Turkey international was kept out for most of the season by injuries. But the Bernabéu crowd finally got a taste of what’s to come when he was unleashed toward the end of the campaign. The left-footed midfielder — inevitably dubbed “The Turkish Messi” because of his similarities in style — scored in the final three fixtures for Real Madrid, including a brace against Villarreal.

Arda’s exceptional one-vs.-one abilities, low centre of gravity and intelligent combination play are well-known, but his calm and confident finishing is also something that deserves praise. The same applies to his swift adaptation to Madrid’s attacking moves, as he times his runs from his favoured position wide on the right to perfection. Arda is undoubtedly worth monitoring as a breakout teenager at Euro 2024.

Signed by Almería for €6m last summer, the former Real Madrid attacker finished off a reasonably successful season in style with nine goals — the majority of which were tap-ins, and three coming in May.

At 5-foot-7, Arribas was seen as too lightweight to become a key player at Madrid. But he proved he can still be a more-than-useful performer at the highest level with Almería and will surely depart the club after one season after their relegation. His touch on the ball is exquisite and he moves elegantly, and with little effort, setting up one-twos or progressing into the box with the ball at his feet. He’s naturally left-footed, but is skilled with either, and the 22-year-old looks to have a lot more potential in his locker.

One of the standout LaLiga defenders of the past campaign, the Girona left-back is in for quite a summer as interest has grown from Premier League clubs.

A physical defender with a penchant for powerful attacking runs, Gutiérrez has a great understanding of tactics, well-rounded technical skills, consistency and the added versatility to tuck into central areas during a buildup. The former Real Madrid man scored his second goal of the season in early May in the famous 4-2 home win against Barcelona, and his attacking contribution is showcased by his 0.2 expected assists (xA) over the season — which is an impressive number for a full-back.

The latest from a magnificent crop of Stade Rennais prospects, Doué took over from Jérémy Doku when he left to join Manchester City for €65m before the season began. The pair share certain similarities and Doué sports the same relentless willingness as Doku to beat his man in one-vs.-ones, as well as the urge to push into the box.

While Doué might still lack some of Doku’s strength, the Frenchman arguably possesses a better touch and is more comfortable playing through the middle. Doué is also avid in his defensive work (7.1 defensive duels per 90 minutes, of which 54% are won). And, as he has become accustomed to playing the full 90 minutes, he has also added a higher degree of concentration to his game.

Likely to become one of the top transfer targets in the summer, Doué reportedly already has Arsenal and Manchester United interested in signing him.

The Greece international winger may not have impressed at Norwich City when he joined in 2021, but his career took off while on loan in the second tier of German football.

Though Düsseldorf took up the €5m option to sign him permanently, they could move him on quickly this summer for a profit — especially given their dramatic loss on penalties to Bochum (having won the first leg 3-0) in the Bundesliga promotion/relegation playoff.

Indeed, Tzolis’ performances have been of such a high standard that German top-tier clubs are likely to start a bidding war to sign him. The fiery winger was phenomenal in the first leg of the playoff, providing three assists and tormenting the opposition from his position on the left wing. Moreover, during the regular season he scored 22 goals — as the club’s joint top scorer — and made a huge impact with his excellent finishing abilities. His accuracy rate of 43% from 2.6 crosses per 90 minutes also underscores his ability to provide for teammates.

Looking outside the top European leagues, it’s a bit of a mystery why the Danish midfielder is still plying his trade in Norwegian football. Sure, he’s winning titles, he gets to play in European competition — even progressing to the Europa Conference League knockout playoffs before falling to Ajax — and he turned down the chance to join MLS side Charlotte FC earlier this year. Yet, it’s rare to see such a quality youngster stick around in Norway for long.

On the back of a superb 2023, Grønbæk is the league’s joint-top scorer with seven goals after 10 rounds — four of which came in May. He’s essentially an attacking No. 8, is exceptionally good at pushing into the attacking box (4.2 touches per 90 minutes) and is an expert finisher. Furthermore, the 23-year-old likes to drive forward with the ball from midfield and his acceleration and dribbling ability render him highly useful in wide areas too.