Who are Germany's most exciting U21 talents?
Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz have been lighting up the world stage as youngsters in the Germany senior setup, but the U21s have a few gems of their own. bundesliga.com looks at five of the best upcoming talents...
Stats correct as of 26 March 2025
Nick Woltemade
Position: Striker
Club: Stuttgart
Date of birth: 14 February 2002
U21 appearances/goals*: 13/7
Since making the step up from the U20s, Woltemade has been the main man up front for Antonio Di Salvo's Germany U21 side. His incredible consistency in output is reflected in the numbers: across 13 appearances for his country's U21s, Woltemade has struck seven times and assisted a further seven as well.
Most recently, he scored a hat-trick against Spain's U21 side, in a 3-1 friendly win for Germany's young stars.
The 2024/25 season has been one where his Bundesliga career has really taken off. Making his league debut for Werder Bremen as a 17-year-old in 2020, Woltemade's rise to the top has certainly been a slow and steady one. Though he is now reaping the rewards of patience. For Stuttgart this season, Woltemade has scored a career best nine Bundesliga goals and could well eclipse that before the end of the campaign.
Watch: The best of Nick Woltemade
The Stuttgart star has set his sights on a place with the senior side for the 2026 World Cup, but coach Julian Nagelsmann believes he needs to show more "consistency" before being considered. He was nominated for the Bundesliga's Player of the Month award in January.
Unusually good with his feet for a player of his size, standing at 6"4', Woltemade has contested the most duels at Stuttgart (459) and won 50 percent of those this season.
Currently on a run of four goal contributions across five games for his club and well on course for double figures for goals, Woltemade's World Cup dream certainly feels achievable if he can finish the season strongly.
Paul Nebel
Position: Winger
Club: Mainz
Date of birth: 10 November 2002
U21 appearances/goals*: 8/0
Another nascent Germany U21 Germany star, Mainz man Nebel's displays home and away have lit up Bo Henriksen's team in the Bundesliga this season.
The now 22-year-old has been involved at every level of Germany's youth setups, starting out in the U15 side in 2017. After a slow start to his Mainz career, Nebel had to get consistent minutes and found game time in consecutive seasons at Karlsruher, making more than 30 appearances between 2022 and 2024 before returning to Mainz to fight for his place. It's safe to say, his fight is going very successfully at the minute.
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Nebel has scored seven times and assisted twice for Mainz so far this season across 24 appearances, making him the club's fourth-best player for goal contributions. He has even been nominated for the Bundesliga Player of the Month award once.
Playing behind the clinical Jonathan Burkardt in Mainz's attack, Nebel's playmaking ability and low centre of gravity makes him a dangerous presence between opposition lines. On top of that, he is a tireless worker off the ball, a manager's dream of a creative player. His average of 12.7 km distance covered per game and 31 sprints per match is better than any other player at Mainz this season.
Nebel has grabbed his first-team opportunities with both feet this season, not something many Mainz fans would have predicted at the start of the season.
“I had to fight my way into the Mainzer first team,” said the Germany U21 international. “Of course, I always want to be on the pitch for both club and country. Here (with the U21 team), we have to show what we’re made of in the next two games and remain successful in order to prepare for the European Championship.”
Noah Atubolu
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Freiburg
Date of birth: 25 May 2002
U21 appearances/clean sheets*: 17/5
Dubbed the 'penalty killer' already at the age of 22, Freiburg No.1 Atubolu's reputation is certainly one that is trending upwards with each clean sheet he keeps. He has already kept 10 of those in the Bundesliga this term - only Manuel Neuer and Péter Gulácsi have more with 11 and 13, respectively.
Freiburg-born Atubolu made his debut for Germany's U17 side back in 2018 and now finds himself a regular at U21 level, making 17 appearances to date, keeping five clean sheets in the process.
On the domestic front, Atubolu's record-breaking shot-stopping has seen him rise up in the record books. He has now completed 609 minutes (and counting) in the Bundesliga without conceding, joining the top 10 Bundesliga goalkeepers who have gone on the longest runs without conceding.
Watch: The best of Noah Atubolu
Looking at 'Big Chances' created by the opposition, Atubolu has saved 32 percent of those coming his way, underlining his abilities as a shot-stopper of the highest order.
It is no wonder, therefore, that Atubolu's name has repeatedly come up as a prime candidate for Germany's No.1 jersey for the future. The likes of Neuer, Kevin Trapp and Marc-André Ter Stegen have always been involved but there is a way for Atubolu now, who was awarded the bronze medal in 2021 for the Fritz Walter award amongst U19 talents born in 2002.
"It’s nice that my name is being mentioned among seven or eight options, but it would be even better if it were part of a much smaller, elite group," said Atubolu, speaking to bundesliga.com earlier this season.
"The ‘keepers you named as part of that golden generation are still playing. But eventually a new generation will take over."
Rocco Reitz
Position: Midfielder
Club: Gladbach
Date of birth: 29 May 2002
U21 appearances/goals*: 12/2
A poster boy of a new generation of Gladbach youngsters coming through the academy, Reitz has been at Borussia Park since the age of seven, making his first-team debut at the age of 17, in 2020.
The all-round midfielder started his national team journey with the U16s and then jumping over to the U21s, making his debut in 2023.
Reitz's versatility, quality and energy in and out of possession make him a huge asset for his team. This season, he has spent most of his minutes in defensive midfield alongside the ever-reliable Julian Weigl in a double pivot.
Ahead of Euro 2024, Nagelsmann invited Reitz to training with the senior side, alongside then Mainzer Brajan Gruda. The national team's coach reflected positively on Reitz's 2023/24 season, where he notched six goals and provided three assists.
"Reitz has had a very good season, is very hard-working. He tries to initiate a lot of attacks," said Nagelsmann on Reitz's callup to training last year.
This season, Reitz has averaged an impressive 11.7 kms per match in the Bundesliga, winning 51 percent of his contested duels. Furthermore, his technique on the ball means that he is also the target of fouls from the opposition. He has drawn 32 fouls from his opponents this season, and has only committed 12 fouls of his own - impressive discipline shown from him in the defensive midfield role.
Nathaniel Brown
Position: Left-back
Club: Frankfurt
Date of birth: 16 June 2003
U21 appearances/goals*: 9/1
Last, but certainly not least, is Brown, the German-American who is making quite the mark on Frankfurt's season in his debut Bundesliga campaign.
Signing for Die Adler in January 2024, Brown was sent back to parent club Nuremberg to finish the 2023/24 Bundesliga 2 season. Now, at the Deutsche-Bank Park, Brown has recorded three goals and four assists across 18 Bundesliga appearances, playing across the left in Dino Toppmöller's system.
Brown made his debut for Germany's U21 side back in September 2023 and scored his first goal against Denmark in November 2024, in a 3-0 friendly win for Germany.
On the domestic front, Brown's impressive displays have earned two nominations for the Bundesliga's Rookie of the Month award, winning back-to-back in November and December, 2024.
Watch: Nathaniel Brown named December's Rookie of the Month!
Brown reflected on his progress speaking to bundesliga.com in January, and believes he still has room for improvement in his position as a versatile wing-back, who has been compared to Philipp Lahm after his sparking displays.
"It’s a difficult position because you need to be strong in both attack and defence," said the Frankfurt defender. "I see myself in more of an attacking role, but I cannot neglect my defensive duties, and this is something I still need to work on."
Given his obvious strengths going forward and promise as an industrious wing-back, it may not be long before this Germany U21 star makes the step up to Nagelsmann's senior setup.
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