Who Are the Best Goalkeepers Aged 21 or Under in Europe?

With the summer transfer window coming up, Football Park's team of scouts have put together a list of the best up and coming goalkeepers in the world.

Guillaume Restes - Toulouse - aged 19

First up on our list, is arguably the hottest goalkeeping prospect coming out of the French first tier.

Toulouse have produced some fine goalkeepers along the years, including current OG Nice player Alban Lafont.

Restes has played all 30 of Toulouse's league games in 2023/24, including 11 appearances in the UEFA Europa League.

The youngster possesses a fine range of passing, and can handle set pieces superbly. In the modern world of football, Restes could be an answer for many top sides across Europe.

🧤Goalkeeper: Guillaume Restes - FC Toulouse pic.twitter.com/UM5dSby5Il

— PanoScout 🔍 (@PanoScout) December 1, 2023

James Beadle - Sheffield Wednesday (Brighton & Hove Albion) - aged 19

Brighton & Hove Albion have gotten themselves so the stage where any youngster tied to the club, is suddenly regarded as one of the best around.

Beadle though, is exactly that.

The thing that stands out about the 19-year-old is his insane reaction skills. Simply look up a montage of Beadle, and there are numerous clips of players standing with hands on heads, shocked out of their mind after a stunning save from Beadle.

Another quality would also be his ability to deal with one-on-one situations. Standing at 6 foot 2 inches, Beadle can make himself look as big as possible, turning a huge goalscoring chance for the opposition into almost impossible.

James Beadle has returned to his parent club Brighton and Hove Albion.

We thank James for his efforts during his time with the U’s and wish him well for the rest of the season.

— Oxford United FC (@OUFCOfficial) January 8, 2024

Gabriel Slonina - K.A.S. Eupen (Chelsea) - aged 19

Slonina commands his box like a prime Petr Čech. He's also a tall lad, standing at 6’4”, a more than intimidating player that's not even 20 yet.

During his time in the MLS with Chicago Fire, he made the rest of the league look embarrassing.

At a time of uncertainty for Chelsea between the sticks, perhaps Slonina is the answer to their goalkeeping problems.

Hello there, @GabrielSlonina 👋🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/1tqbIEM3ff

— Premier League USA (@PLinUSA) January 9, 2023

Doğan Alemdar - Troyes - aged 21

This right here, could quite possibly be the next international Turkish No.1 goalkeeper.

His ability for his age is brilliant. Although he isn't playing in a top-flight league yet, he's a regular in the French second tier and has displayed fine shot-stopping skills.

The thing we like about Alemdar, is his ability to react to a shot that is ever-changing. Whether it be a deflection, a header bouncing awkwardly from a corner or a swerved effort, Alemdar is on it.

👉 Plusieurs de nos recrues ont effectué leurs premiers pas sous le maillot troyen en compétition officielle face à Dunkerque ! ☑️👀

𝗗𝗼𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗱𝗮𝗿 🧤
𝗔𝗯𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲 𝗡𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘆𝗲 👊
𝗜𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗲̈𝗹 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮 🌪
𝗥𝗮𝗳𝗶𝗸𝗶 𝗦𝗮𝗶̈𝗱 💥
𝗠𝗼𝘂𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗼𝗽 🔥… pic.twitter.com/H4AFfHy9tZ

— ESTAC Troyes (@estac_officiel) August 6, 2023

Konstantinos Tzolakis - Olympiacos - aged 21

Tzolakis may only be 21, but he commands the pitch like a veteran. A statement emphasised by his performance in the penalty shootout against Fenerbahce last week, securing a semi-final spot for his side in the Europa Conference League in the process.

The youngster started off by winning the coin toss for his side like he was prime Oliver Khan, a huge moment considering Olympiacos were away in Turkey. Next up came a magnificent save for Fenerbahce's first penalty, an immensely impressive dive onto his bottom-left corner to deny Dušan Tadić.

He then goes and gets a hand to Michy Batshuayi's arrowing shot into the top-left, so close to keeping it out. Tzolakis, now furious with himself for not saving the second penalty, goes on to single handedly win the shootout for the Greek giants. Saving shots from Cengiz Ünder and Leonardo Bonucci.

Watch out for Tzolakis, because as well as a European title to his name by this summer, he could also have pen to paper at a big club.

Olympiacos' penalty shootout hero 🦸‍♂️

What a performance from 21-year old Konstantinos Tzolakis 👏@olympiacosfc || #UECL pic.twitter.com/ZfNV4NZTZG

— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) April 19, 2024

Noah Atubolu - Freiburg - aged 21

They say save the best until last, and we've done just that with Atubolu.

The German youngster has been brilliant for Freiburg this season. With his side currently 7th in the league, Atubolu could be on the way to qualify his side for Europe with the addition of the extra Champions League place being introduced.

Atubolu has played all 30 of Freiburg's games this season. At only 21 years of age, he's kept the 3rd most clean sheets in the German top-flight. That's more games without conceding a goal than Frankfurt's Kevin Trapp, Borussia Dortmunds Gregor Kobel and Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer (although that one is a bit cheeky considering Neuer's injuries this campaign).

Dear NFF, Goalkeeper alert 🧤

Noah Atubolu of Freiburg is still eligible to play for Nigeria.

Atubolu has represented Germany's Junior teams.

The 21-year-old goalkeeper has kept his team last two League matches.

Where is Agent Pinnick? pic.twitter.com/ttPxGzbDNS

— Adepoju Tobi Samuel 🇳🇬 (@OgaNlaMedia) August 26, 2023