With 17 matchdays in the books, the Eredivisie is in the middle of a three-week pause for its annual winter break period.

While league play is on hold and 2024 is coming to an end, we thought it'd be worth taking a closer look at some of the league's breakout young players so far throughout this season and over the course of the year as a whole.

We've chosen five players to single out for this piece.

All are under 23, and for the sake of balance, there is only one player per club.

Some of the hottest and most sought-after players in the league who fall into this age group have already been covered at length on our website, including Jorrel Hato, Malik Tillman and Sem Steijn.

This article will focus on some other names that may not have received as much attention previously, or at least not recently.

This scout report and player analysis will take a closer look at what the data says about these chosen five and why they're worth keeping an eye on in 2025 as they further their development in one of Europe's top leagues.

1 - Anass Salah-Eddine - FC Twente (Left-Back, 22 Years Old)


We start this list off with a defender, but a predominantly attack-minded one at that, with Twente left-back Anass Salah-Eddine.

Salah-Eddine is a player who has been regarded as a big talent for years while learning his craft in the AZ Alkmaar and Ajax academies, but it wasn't until he moved initially on loan to Twente in the summer of 2022 that he got his first team look at the age of 20.

After spending a couple of years on the fringes at both Twente and Ajax after returning from loan for a period before returning to Enschede last winter, he finally got his opportunity to become a starter this season.

He has repaid the faith shown in him, being one of Twente's fourth-most productive offensive players, contributing four goals in the Eredivisie and establishing himself as an important part of the team in the first half of the season.

Anass Salah-Eddine Radar Chart

When we examine his league data this season, we notice his high-ranking attacking metrics, particularly his dribbling and goal contributions per 90 minutes.

But equally impressive is how strong he is in possession, both in his passing accuracy and ability to create opportunities for his team moving forward.

He also has solid defensive numbers regarding his positioning and defensive duels won percentage.

His well-balanced data profile highlights his effectiveness both on and off the ball.

It depicts him as a well-rounded full-back with no obvious weaknesses, which is why he's become a staple in Twente's team this season.

Anass Salah-Eddine High Regains Map

The high regains map above is another piece of data that highlights his importance to his team from a different angle.

There, we can see his defensive contributions, such as pressing higher up the field and recovering his balls within seconds of losing possession of his team.

With over 30 recoveries recorded in that graphic, Salah-Eddine averages over two per game this season in the opposition half, comparable to someone like Andy Robertson for Liverpool in the Premier League this campaign.

That's not bad at all, considering how dominant Liverpool has been and Robertson's importance on that same flank, both on and off the ball.

Salah-Eddine has finally found his footing in senior-level football this season at the age of 22, having had limited opportunities previously to show what he can do, and one can only imagine where he'll go from here given his natural talents and understanding of the game on both sides of the ball.

2 - Paxten Aaronson - FC Utrecht (Central Midfielder/Attacking Midfielder, 21 Years Old)


In the case of Paxten Aaronson, he is a player that has been covered here before.

Still, given that nowadays he's playing in a different league with a different role whilst also amassing far more professional experience in European football ever since, he's still worthy of inclusion here.

Aaronson played mostly as an attacking midfielder or left winger throughout his early career.

However, this season, he has reinvented himself as a deeper central midfielder in FC Utrecht's double-pivot midfield.

Interestingly, this has also combined with the most productive season of his senior career.

He is already halfway through the campaign, with eight goals and assists recorded domestically.

He hasn't lost any of his offensive effectiveness in this new role, but let's look at his data profile to see how he's fared overall in life following this change of position and the added (defensive) responsibilities that come with it.

Paxten Aaronson Radar Chart

Offensively, he hasn't lost a beat.

He ranks in the top 15 percentile by every attacking metric among players in his position within the league.

But his defensive success rate when it comes to duels won shows that he has adapted well to this new role on the other side of the game as well, making it an interesting development for Paxten Aaronson in an area of the field deeper than he has been used to playing for years.

His attacking contributions need no further explanation, but let's look at what he's brought defensively to FC Utrecht in this more withdrawn midfield role.

Paxten Aaronson Defensive Territory Map

His defensive territory map above, which collects his defensive actions, interceptions, and fouls, suggests that Pax has adapted well to the added responsibilities of playing in front of the defence.

The black circles mark most of his interceptions, which come in his own half, with a fair few in and around his penalty area.

This shows that he is not one to shy away from working without the ball when called upon.

It remains to be seen whether this will be the position and role he grows into in the long term, but so far, he has done a commendable job for his current club this season.

USMNT fans will especially want to keep a close eye here.

3 - Anis Hadj Moussa - Feyenoord (Right-Winger, 22 Years Old)


Anis Hadj Moussa is next on our shortlist, and he has probably had the most interesting journey to where he's at out of all the players on this list.

Going from playing semi-professional football in Belgium to a man-of-the-match performance at Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League in under two years, it's been a stunning turn of events for the French-born Algerian international of late.

He caught Feyenoord's eye last season while on loan at a struggling Vitesse team.

He shone there despite playing in a side that struggled to score goals.

That move seems to be paying off, as he has found another level since moving to Rotterdam in the summer.

Anis Hadj Moussa Radar Chart

As someone who is seen as a technically gifted talent with plenty of flair in his locker, it's no surprise to see him rank in the top two percentile when it comes to dribbling, as well as performing quite well when it comes to his progressive passing and touches in the opposition box.

Although he has more work to do to become a consistent goalscoring threat and performer, it's quite a climb for a player in such a short period that few could have foreseen, perhaps even himself.

Anis Hadj Moussa Penetrating Carries Map

One of his standout skills is his ability to carry the ball forward into dangerous areas and take players on.

This is demonstrated by the data visualization map above, which shows his dominance on the right side once the ball is in the opposition's half.

To draw a comparison, he has the same amount of ball carries as Manchester United's Amad Diallo in the Premier League, albeit with 500 fewer minutes played in the Eredivisie.

Whether he can continue translating this to higher-level competition and opposition remains to be seen.

Still, given the recent climb, it might not be wise to doubt his potential to raise his game to another level.

Just ask Manchester City.

4 - Mika Godts - Ajax (Left-Winger, 19 Years Old)


From one winger, we go to another on the opposite flank with a player from Feyenoord's archrivals, Ajax.

Here, we're talking about the exciting Belgian prospect, Mika Godts.

Mika Godts' path has been the opposite of Moussa's, as he had already made a name for himself by performing well in the Belgian 2nd tier before moving and debuting for Ajax, all before his 18th birthday.

Fast-forward to this season.

He looks every bit the player many had such high hopes for, even drawing comparisons to Eden Hazard, given his similarly impressive technical and short-dribbling abilities.

Mika Godts Radar Chart

His attacking metrics are quite impressive, with him ranking in the top 10-15 percentile among left-wingers in the league.

However, he needs to improve in making more of his goalscoring opportunities.

While not quite as good, his possession metrics are also solid, and they certainly fit in with the traditional Ajax style of play.

Although he suffered a hamstring injury in November, which slightly hampered his previous trajectory, expect him to continue to do big things in 2025.

Mika Godts Ball Progression Map

As a player who likes to take defenders on and operates well in tight spaces, we've chosen his ball progression map to highlight how talented he is off the dribble, with a good amount of success in these situations.

Godts is an exciting talent who will catch more attention the further he progresses, as long as his health serves him well.

His development is in the right hands, with his manager, Francesco Farioli, showing a lot of faith in him since his arrival.

Adding to the likes of Jérémy Doku, Johan Bakayko, Cyril Ngonge and Julien Duranville, Godts can be added to a growing list of electric young Belgian wingers in the top European leagues right now.

5 - Troy Parrott - AZ Alkmaar (Centre-Forward, 22 Years Old)


Last but not least, we have Irish striker Troy Parrott who has found his footing in the game since moving to the Netherlands after a series of loans across the English Football League while under contract at Tottenham.

Troy Parrott is an all-round forward who likes to drop between the lines and support his team in possession while also getting his share of goals, especially since leaving England.

His loan spell at Excelsior last term turned out to be his big breakthrough moment, as he netted 17 times in 32 appearances, including a blistering seven goals in the Eredivisie relegation play-offs at the end of the campaign.

This hot run sold him permanently to AZ Alkmaar from Spurs in the summer, and he's only grown leaps and bounds since.

He's established himself as one of the Eredivsie's top marksmen this season.

Troy Parrott Radar Chart

Parrott has been able to just about outperform his xG contribution this season, which is impressive given that he doesn't rank high among forwards in the league in terms of shot attempts or xG.

However, he is right up there when it comes to getting involved and on the ball in opposing penalty areas.

His work on the defensive side should also not be understated.

He heavily outperforms the number of defensive and aerial duels he faces per game compared to the percentage of those duels he wins.

Troy Parrott Heatmap

His heatmap above depicts a good picture of the kind of forward he is, as far as his movement and involvement in games goes with a higher intensity, evidenced by the darker red blocks throughout the attacking half.

He is a striker who fits well in the Dutch game and may have found his place after a series of underwhelming loans back home in England.

One would expect he'll give it another crack in his birth country again someday as he continues to establish himself at a high level, but for now, Parrott is enjoying life leading the line in Alkmaar.

Conclusion


As we've covered here, these are five of the many exciting young players currently ply their trade in the Netherlands.

If their current trajectory and development are any indication, we can expect to hear more about them in 2025 and beyond.

It will be interesting to track the progress of these players next year, especially given how much each has developed over the past 12 months.

The Eredivisie has been known as a hotbed of talent, both Dutch and foreign, for many a year now, and with players like these, it will continue to be so for hopefully a very long time.

Who do you think might see a similar progression to these five players next year?

Where do you see these five ending up when it's time to make their next moves?

Let us know!