Football news - Sancho, Kenny, Ampadu - The Brits to look out for as the Bundesliga returns

Young British players thriving in a different league would be unheard of not long ago, but it has become commonplace in recent years and Germany is now home to some of the brightest stars looking to make their way in the game.

Here’s our selection of British players currently plying their trade in Germany’s top flight to look out for this weekend…

No prizes for predicting who would be at the top of this list, it’s Borussia Dortmund’s 20-year-old sensation. The Manchester City youth player took a bold move in fleeing England for Europe in search of first-team football back in 2017.

That is exactly what he has got at Signal Iduna Park and he has gone from strength to strength at the club, becoming the first Englishman to play for them in the Bundesliga in the process.

The south London-born winger’s blistering pace, skill and scoring ability earned him a first England call-up and he has become one of the most coveted players in world football with a reported price tag of over £100million.

With 14 goals and 16 assists this season, Sancho will be a key figure in Dortmund’s bid to become Bundesliga champions this season, with a mouth-watering Ruhr Derby against Schalke his first challenge this weekend.

Everton loanee Jonjoe Kenny broke into the Toffees team back in the 2017/18 season but joined Schalke this season after seeing his first-team chances in England hard to come by under then-boss Marco Silva.

The right-back has excelled since deciding to briefly step away from his boyhood city, starting all but two league games for David Wagner’s side and recording three assists and scoring one himself.

The club seem very keen to keep him around beyond this season and, while his long-term hopes still appear to be with Everton, he will be looking to do all he can to help his adopted German club into the Europa League this season.

Rabbi Matondo began his journey with Cardiff City before moving to Manchester City in 2016 and catching the eye with the club’s youth team.

The proud Welshman secured his big move to Schalke in January 2019 for a reported fee of £11million and has become an important player for the sixth-placed Bundesliga side.

The Wales international, who plays as a forward predominantly on the right, has emerged as a surprise target for City’s rivals Manchester United, who may focus their efforts on him if they are unable to secure a deal for Sancho this summer.

Ethan Ampadu is one of two British players currently trying to force their way into the high-flying RB Leipzig team. The 19-year-old Chelsea loanee but hasn’t quite had the impact many anticipated when he made the move last summer.

The Welshman, who mostly plays as a midfielder but has featured in defence as well, has been restricted to fewer than 300 minutes this season by manager Julian Nagelsmann but excelled when thrust into the team in the Champions League against Tottenham in February.

The cultured midfielder looked well beyond his years when he made his Wales debut at the age of just 17 and while he is less easy to spot nowadays after shaving off his eye-catching dreadlocks, he is certainly a man to look out for this weekend.

Another player to have been on the books at Everton, Ademola Lookman raised eyebrows of many including then-boss Sam Allardyce for joining RB Leipzig on loan in 2018.

The striker responded impressively during his initial loan spell though, scoring five goals in 11 appearances at the back-end of the campaign. The 22-year-old rejoined Leipzig on a permanent deal at the start of this season but has failed to impress in his second spell with the club, registering no goals and being restricted to just 167 minutes.

The return of action and the increased audience will provide Lookman with a chance to reinvigorate this season, but he faces a tough challenge forcing Leipzig’s other bright stars out of the team as they remain in the hunt for the title.

Reece Oxford burst onto the scene when he made his West Ham debut at the age of just 16 years and 198 days as he controlled the midfield in his Premier league debut against Arsenal.

Now 21, Oxford is already at his second German club after joining Borussia Monchengladbach in 2017 before a move to Augsburg two years later.

Despite his early promise, the midfielder-come-defender has struggled to nail down consistent form for either club and now looks set to return to England in the summer.

With officials from many English clubs now bound to be watching the Bundesliga this weekend, Oxford, like others on this list, has the perfect opportunity to impress any potential suitors during the season run-in.