2022 Golden Boy award: List of nominees cut down to final 20 - Bellingham among favourites

The list of the remaining 40 players for the 2022 Golden Boy award has been cut down for the last time to 20 youngsters now. Seven players owned by Premier League clubs still had a chance to win before the finalists were published – only three of those finally made the cut. The voting, established by Italy’s Tuttosport, involves young talents who stood out at their clubs and national teams with particularly good performances within the last calendar year. They must be younger than 21 and have played in Europe during the corresponding seasons.

The list, initially published with 100 names in mid-June, was reduced by 20 players on the 15th of each month, with a last cut in October, leaving just 20 talents for the final vote. Four Spaniards and four Italians, three Portuguese, two Germans and two Frenchmen are among them, as well as an Englishman, a Dutchman, a Croatian, a Slovenian and a Pole with Italian roots. No longer among them after the cut are Arsenal’s Marquinhos, Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, Man United’s Anthony Elanga and Wolves’ Fábio Silva (currently on loan at Anderlecht). The only English player left, Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund, is one of the favourites to win the prestigious award in 2022, together with Barça midfielder Gavi, Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid.

Premier League players from Leeds, Liverpool and Spurs on Golden Boy list

From the Premier League, the following players are still in the race:

Leeds: Wilfried Gnonto

Liverpool: Fábio Carvalho

Tottenham: Destiny Udogie (currently on loan at Udinese)

In addition to a vote by fans, 40 journalists from Europe’s major media outlets, including L'Équipe, Marca, The Times, Bild, France Football, De Telegraaf, La Gazzetta dello Sport and Blick, will help to decide the winner using a points system. In the previous year, Pedri of FC Barcelona received the award. The Spaniard followed on Man City’s summer signing Erling Haaland, who played for Borussia Dortmund at the time.