5 Top Talents From the TSG Hoffenheim Youth Academy by Adam Khan
Despite being engaged in a debilitating power struggle and relegation battle at the senior level, TSG Hoffenheim remains unquestionably one of the top talent developers in German football. Since Dietmar Hopp became the club’s financial backer in 2000, Hoffenheim has claimed the U19 Bundesliga title twice and produced a number of standout players, including Nadiem Amiri, Niklas Süle, Jonas Hofmann, and, more recently, Tom Bischoff.
The previous season was particularly historic, as the U19 team, led by 31-year-old Tobias Nubbemeyer, became the first team in German football history to win both the league and the cup at the U19 level.
A large portion of that talented squad has now moved into key roles within the club’s U23 team that is currently leading the charge for promotion to 3. Liga. However, a new generation is emerging this season, with hopes of becoming just the second team after Borussia Dortmund to defend their league title.
In this article, Adam highlights five promising players from Hoffenheim’s U19 side who are poised to make an impressive professional career in the near future!
Tiago Poller
Among a wealth of incredibly talented players, Tiago Poller stands out as the crown jewel of Hoffenheim’s emerging generation.
Born in Apartado, Colombia, and adopted by German parents at just three years old, Poller, the footballer, represents a unique fusion of South American flair with the tactical and technical discipline honed in Germany’s youth system. At only 17 years old, he demonstrates remarkable composure and elegance on the ball, remaining unflustered as he escapes pressure or deftly dribbles past opponents with ease. It is striking to witness how calmly Poller manipulates even the most difficult of passes. Whether flicking play immediately over the head of an opponent, or gently bringing play down to the ground, the German U18 international has answers for everything, and an innate ability to make the challenging appear effortless.
This same quality extends to his creative passing. In 28 U19 matches, Poller has registered 16 assists, consistently threading the ball through tight spaces and narrow windows of time with exceptional weight and precision. While many players, even seasoned professionals, may rush into a pass or zealously overhit play in similar situations, Poller remains unfazed. Whether accelerating play or patiently waiting for the perfect moment, he always adapts and molds his game to what the situation demands.
Poller’s physical attributes are another key feature that cannot be ignored. Standing at 1.71 meters, he is often the smallest player on the field, but rather than hindering him, his stature becomes a tactical advantage in the German football system. His low center of gravity allows him to navigate tight spaces with unmatched grace and agility, leaving larger and less mobile opponents scrambling to keep up with his quick changes of direction and sharp body feints. Even in physical duels, Poller shows remarkable resilience, having developed a well-balanced frame that allows him to maintain his footing and ride challenges despite the pressure from more imposing opponents. These physical concerns are further alleviated by his track record of excelling in older age groups. Poller made his U19 debut just five months after turning 16 and had an outstanding season last year, contesting 21 matches despite still being eligible for under-17s football.
Should he continue to develop at his current trajectory, Poller has the potential to follow in the footsteps of TSG Hoffenheim academy products like Tom Bischof and Max Moerstedt and secure a spot in the first team while still eligible for U19 football. In October, he had the privilege of training with Hoffenheim’s senior squad, but unfortunately, a meniscus injury sidelined him shortly after. Such an injury can have a lasting impact on a young and dynamic player, but if Poller can return to his pre-injury form, there is enormous potential in this talented playmaker, who reminds me of one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting diminutive magicians at the moment— Enzo Millot.
Luca Erlein
Luca Erlein may not yet enjoy the same level of international reputation as his teammate Tiago Poller, but the German center-back is a talent that top European clubs should have firmly on their radar. Like Poller, Erlein is a key figure in the German U18 national team, and despite being eligible for U17 football last season, he ended up playing a pivotal role in the u19 league and Pokal triumphs.
Promoted to Tobias Nubbemeyer’s side last February, Erlein quickly cemented his place as a starter, going on to play every minute of the decisive DFB Pokal and Bundesliga playoffs. His standout qualities lie in possession, where he excels as a progressive passer. He has sharp, line-breaking passes that slice through central lines, Erlein also has a knack for deception, often delivering disguised passes that catch opponents by surprise and unlock entirely new pockets of space. i
Long-range switches of play are another weapon in Erlein’s arsenal. While he uses them sparingly, these aerial passes are executed with impeccable weight and timing, often unleashing a far-side winger into a direct 1v1 duel.
Finally, Erlein also shines with his short ball carries, using this technique to expertly draw out an opponent’s press. By engaging defenders, he creates new passing angles that he then exploits with remarkable precision and ease.
Erlein is another member of this squad who has had the opportunity to train with Hoffenheim’s first team, even joining Pellegrino Matarazzo’s preseason camp and leaving a positive impression on the now-departed American coach. However, there is still a long road for him to go, with certain aspects of his game requiring refinement to ensure his continued rise. His positional sense is an area requiring attention. While athletic, Erlein lacks the elite agility to recover play purely through physical supremacy. To succeed in senior football, he must improve his timing and decision-making in front-footed defensive actions, as he is sometimes caught in dead zones where he neither applies sufficient pressure nor effectively covers depth in the backline.
Nevertheless, Erlein serves as yet another testament to the exceptional work being done within Hoffenheim’s youth system. His progress highlights once more how important it is to provide young talents with opportunities to compete in older age groups, accelerating their overall development by adapting to the faster pace and greater physical demands of higher-level football.
Leonard Krasniqi
Leonard Krasniqi was already an important figure for Tobias Nubbemeyer’s side last season, starting 13 of 26 regular-season matches, but the German-Kosovan winger has truly come into his own this campaign, establishing himself as one of the senior talismen in the group.
Although primarily a left winger, Krasniqi rarely confines himself to wide areas, often drifting into central zones to create immediate scoring threat. He dominates the attacking half-spaces, picking up impactful attacking positions that are frequently unaccounted for by opponents.
Krasniqi’s positional intelligence is matched by his complete skill set on the ball. He excels at engaging open space through ball carrying, driving at opponents without hesitation, and forcing them into uncomfortable defensive actions. Crucially, Krasniqi rarely indulges in aimless dribbling. Instead, he demonstrates excellent awareness of when to release the ball, expertly bypassing one defender before either setting up an open teammate or making a direct move towards goal.
In this manner he has already contributed two assists this season, but it is his finishing that truly makes him stand out. With 9 goals in 11 matches, including a goal in each of Hoffenheim’s first six Bundesliga fixtures, the 18-year-old is proving to be a reliable outlet in the final third. He is particularly dangerous from long range, capable of curling strikes into the far post with lethal accuracy when afforded time and space in and around the penalty area.
From Florian Wirtz to Kerim Alajbegović and now Leonard Krasniqi, there is a notable rise of influential half-space attackers in German youth football. While Krasniqi will need to be utilized strategically to maximize his talents, his undeniable skill and potential make him one of the most exciting goal-scoring wingers in an ultra-talented 2006 generation of German football.
Marlon Faß
A few weeks ago, Adam created an in-depth individual report on Artem Stepanov, the Ukrainian forward who is widely regarded as one of the top striker prospects in world football. While TSG Hoffenheim don’t have a player quite like Stepanov, they do have Marlon Faß, a center-forward with some strikingly similar characteristics to the Ukrainian talent.
Faß’s prolific goal-scoring ability is the first clear indication of his quality. In just 14 matches this season, he has netted an astonishing 17 goals—no player across Germany’s eight regional U19 divisions has scored more often this campaign. He is effective in the air, excels at minimizing the time between receiving the ball and taking a shot, and possesses exceptional timing when it comes to entering the penalty box to connect on crosses.
The young striker’s athletic profile is another crucial element to his success. Standing at 1.89m, Faß is far from a traditional target man. He combines his towering presence with impressive agility and speed, making him a constant threat with expansive runs that look to exploit space behind opposing defenses. This versatility makes him exceptionally difficult to contain. Against a high defensive line, he has the pace to run in behind; against a deeper block, his physicality and hold-up play allow him to bring his team into dangerous attacking positions with just one well-placed long ball.
At the U19 level, Faß has proven nearly impossible to shut down, but to replicate even a fraction of this impact at the senior level, he will need to continue refining his game.
While Faß excels in basic passing and link-up play, more creative or intricate passing remains a challenge. He often fails to deliver when trying to release pressure or create threat for teammates. Additionally, his off-ball movement in midfield needs significant improvement. He can sometimes be caught offside unnecessarily, despite having the physical tools to remain more patient in these moments.
Faß’s career trajectory will be fascinating to watch, especially given that Max Moerstadt, who is the same age, is viewed as Hoffenheim’s long-term solution for the center-forward position. Faß has made a strong case for himself throughout this U19 season, but it may ultimately be a club outside of Hoffenheim that benefits from his complete physical profile at the senior level.
Finn Sherlock
The youngest player to feature on this list, Finn Sherlock is one of two Irish players now part of TSG Hoffenheim’s academy. The new Brexit regulations have made it impossible for Irish players to take the traditional path into English academies, but TSG Hoffenheim has capitalized on this shift, recognizing the growing prominence of the Irish talent pool and the emerging market it represents.
Midfielder Matthew Moore has unfortunately not made an appearance this season with a knee injury, but his compatriot Finn Sherlock has established a formidable reputation as an expansive attacking fullback. The former Shelbourne youth player excels at making penetrating runs and carrying the ball into attacking zones. With his teammate Krasniqi often drifting inside, Sherlock’s wide movements become pivotal in stretching the opposition and creating space for offensive plays.
While Sherlock’s final product could still improve—sometimes under-hitting crosses or failing to pick his head up at the right moment—his consistent final third presence and sheer volume of attacking actions has earned him an impressive 6 assists this campaign.
Sherlock’s primary strength lies in his offensive contributions, but he doesn’t neglect his defensive responsibilities. His relentless box-to-box work ethic allows him to make trademark lung-bursting runs in both directions, and with a robust 1,79m stature, one does not get the impression that is very often the youngest player on the pitch.
Honorable Mentions
There are a few other intriguing players who I couldn’t go into detail today, but they are certainly worth your attention. Zidan Tairi (2007) was arguably the closest to breaking into this top five. The versatile midfielder is an excellent midfield/wing hybrid, possessing natural technical quality to navigate tight spaces and seamlessly release possession out of pressure.
Right-back David Girmann (2006) also stands out. An exceptional 1v1 defender, who possesses superb technique and timing in his defensive duels. Those are qualities that are relatively rare in youth football, where many players rely more on physicality to win such battles.
Speaking of outstanding physical profiles, Jykese Fields (2007) and Tristan Spranger (2007) both fit that mold. Fields, a US youth international standing at an imposing 1.89m, has an incredible goal-scoring record of 11 goals in just 534 minutes. He is bound to go down a similar path as Faß once he earns a starting role next season. Spranger, even taller at 1.90m, commands the backline alongside Erlein. Another junior member of the squad, he already displays excellent qualities to aggressively win the ball high up the pitch in midfield.
Lastly, Blessing Makanda (2006) is a name to put on your shortlist. A dynamic and explosive winger, he thrives at coming off the bench to exploit fatigued defenses. The Angolan-born talent also has excellent shot fakes and body feints that complement his natural burst of speed. While his opportunities in the Bundesliga have been limited, he has played a pivotal role in the youth league for Tobias Nubbemeyer’s side, starting all four games and contributing 2 goals and 3 assists.
If you are interested in sourcing Adam’s video-scouting expertise for your club, agency, or company, please reach him at business.adamkhan@gmail.com or on Twitter at @XxAdamKhanxX.