Laurens: Phil Foden has been fantastic, especially at 20, and it's a real shame Kylian Mbappe was not fully fit for the first leg of the semifinal and out for the second leg, but Riyad Mahrez was truly a clutch player and unstoppable at times during the knockout phase. However, there can only be one winner here, and it's Kante. He was exceptional both against Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, destroying both midfields on his own. His performances against Real, especially, were even more impressive when you take in consideration that he is currently fasting every day for Ramadan.
Marcotti: I feel like I should pick somebody who is playing in the final, so I'm going to pick Foden. It feels weird selecting an individual out of Manchester City when it's so collectively based and, of course, Mahrez or Ruben Dias or Kevin De Bruyne would all be strong candidates too. But Foden hasn't just played very well, he allowed City to come together and play a certain way.
Ogden: Foden. He is now unquestionably a first-team regular at the age of 20 and he has come of age in the Champions League, with his two goals in the quarterfinal against Borussia Dortmund underlining his ability to influence the biggest games. Mahrez, who scored three of City's four goals in the semifinal win against PSG, has also delivered when it matters most, while Christian Pulisic, Mount and Havertz have been outstanding for Chelsea. Honourable mention too for Jude Bellingham, whose performances for Borussia Dortmund at just 17 highlighted how he will become a huge figure in the game in the years ahead.
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