Real Madrid's Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema might be gone, but LaLiga is still loaded with talented players, many of whom have their whole careers ahead of them.
Continually producing and nurturing young players, there seems to be a conveyor belt of talent in Spain's top flight. With so many highly rated youngsters poised for bigger roles again this season, the 2023-24 LaLiga campaign is sure to produce another class of breakout youngsters.
ESPN's resident scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen picks out some of the top players aged 22 or younger who could make their mark this season.
It could come a year too early for the winger, but his performance in the Joan Gamper Trophy win against Tottenham this week will have left Xavi wondering whether he should keep the 16-year-old in the first-team setup. (Though Lamal has already become the youngest player to ever appear for the first team in an official game.)
With just 10 minutes to go vs. Tottenham, Yamal helped turn the game in Barcelona's favour. Not only did he set up Ansu Fati with a sublime assist for the equaliser, but through magnificent flair and quick thinking he also started the moves that led to another two late goals to drive Barca to a 4-2 win.
Arguably the star of the European Under-17 Championship earlier this year, Yamal usually drifts in from a wide-right position or picks up smart positions in space in the front line. Never afraid to get on the ball, he's extremely constructive with it and is always looking to break lines with dribbles, passes, or test the goalkeeper from distance.
The Morocco international experienced a mini breakthrough while on loan at Osasuna last season and has taken that excellent form into preseason at Barcelona (he even got on the scoresheet against Tottenham this week.) Alongside the emergence of 20-year-old midfielder Fermín López, he's been one of the positives this summer.
Though Abde tends to play on the opposite wing, the impending departure of Ousmane Dembélé to PSG may open up a chance for him to shine for the Spanish champions. Abde already showed promise for Barcelona during the 2021-22 season but, as proven in preseason, he's grown with age and the added exposure to senior football at Osasuna.
Brilliantly skilled in one-vs.-ones (3.5 successful dribbles last season), the winger is particularly hard to read and anticipate. He controls the ball expertly at high speed, is hard to knock off balance and is able to hit the target from long range too.
Despite being ruled out for parts of the club's preseason with a knee injury, there are huge expectations for the Turkey international once he's fit. Real Madrid shook off competition from an ensemble of elite European top clubs to sign him for his €17.5 million release clause and he is arguably the most promising Turkish player for generations.
An attacking midfielder who can operate across any role in the final third, but prefers to start his movements from wide right, Guler has exceptional skill and close control. He also has an elusive way of escaping tight situations with the ball at his feet.
Courtesy of a wonderful left foot, Guler is a gifted playmaker with a penchant for finding gaps with weighted passes, while he can create imbalance in wide areas with his tremendous one-vs.one skills (6+ successful dribbles per 90 minutes last season.)
