11 Players Across Europe Who Had Breakthrough Seasons in 2022/23

The 2022/23 European football season is almost at its conclusion, with only the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan remaining.

Man City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich retained their respective league titles, while Barcelona displaced Real Madrid as La Liga champions and Napoli were crowned Serie A champions for the first time in 33 years.

Some established stars made their mark on the season as expected, though some were disappointing. But some unknown stars came to the limelight and had their best season ever.

Sports Brief looks at the 11 stars who had their breakthrough season in Europe, including Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Kaoru Mitoma.

1. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Arguably the most significant breakthrough star of the season, Kvaratskhelia helped Napoli to their first Scudetto in 33 years. He was named the league’s MVP with 12 goals and 13 assists. He also made six goals contribution in nine Champions League games.

2. Kaoru Mitoma

The Japanese is a late bloomer at 25 and a few years ago, was writing a thesis on dribbling at a university. His 13 goal contributions in the Premier League helped Brighton qualify for the Europa League for the first time in their history.

3. Alejandro Balde

The La Masia graduate stepped up into Barcelona’s first team and made the left-back position his own. He made 33 league appearances as La Blaugrana clinched the La Liga title for the first time since 2019.

4. Folarin Balogun

The Arsenal academy star made his breakthrough on loan at Stade Reims. The 21-year-old scored 21 league goals in the French Ligue 1. According to Metro UK, this has made him the subject of attraction from the Milan clubs.

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5. Moises Caicedo

The Ecuadorian midfielder made his breakthrough at Brighton and almost forced a move away in January. He is set to earn his move this summer as Evening Standard reports Chelsea are leading the £80 million battle.

6. Julian Alvarez

The World Cup winner joined Manchester City from River Plate and was mainly a deputy for Erling Haaland. He scored 17 goals, assisted five in all competitions, and won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scoring four goals.

7. Alejandro Garnacho

Garnacho joined Manchester United from the Atletico Madrid academy and permanently moved to the first team this season. He had 10 goals contribution and won the Carabao Cup in his breakout year.

8. Rasmus Hojlund

The 20-year-old Danish striker joined Atalanta at the beginning of the season, scoring nine goals and assisting four times in 32 games. He is attracting interest from European clubs but is said to prefer Manchester United.

9. Randal Kolo Muani

The French international will probably be remembered for his last-minute miss against Argentina at the World Cup, but he has proven to be a proficient goal-scorer for Eintracht Frankfurt. Bayern Munich, PSG, and Man United are all interested in him.

10. Alexis Mac Allister

This is arguable, but the World Cup winner had his highest goal contribution for Brighton in the Premier League this season at 15, which has earned him a £35 mil move to Liverpool, a transfer described by many as an absolute steal.

11. Mohammed Kudus

The 22-year-old Ghanaian has been at Ajax since 2020 but stepped up last season. He scored 15 goals and provided five assists across the Eredivisie and UCL, and is one to watch for by top European clubs.

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