Every Premier League club’s most exciting young player
Nothing is more satisfying in football than seeing a youngster or academy graduate break through into the first team.
Every season, a handful of teenagers enter the footballing psyche and have us all excited about how far they can go — especially if it’s for your team.
Fans are desperate for “the next x” or [insert location] with a famous player (e.g., “Stockport Iniesta,” “Croydon De Bruyne”) to burst onto the scene and save their club a pretty penny in the transfer market.
Clubs like West Ham (known as the Academy of Football — and who sold Declan Rice for a British-record fee just last summer) pride themselves on having a talented production line.
But what about other clubs? The Premier League is awash with precocious stars everywhere; some are already prominent fixtures in the 2023/24 season, and others are on the verge of making their breakthrough. Others, of course, have already experienced a big-money transfer in their short careers but remain in the “wonderkid” category.
Every club has one talented tyro, a wishful wunderkind on whom all fans pin their hopes. Here, we look at those individual stars who could be the next to emerge. So, read on for every Premier League club’s most exciting young player…
Arsenal – Ethan Nwaneri
- Age: 17
- Position: Midfielder
Ethan Nwaneri was 15 when he made his Arsenal debut. Let that sink in for a minute. When most of us were using school jumpers for goalposts on a concrete playground, Nwaneri rubbed shoulders with footballing heavyweights on a pristine Premier League pitch. The kid looks destined for greatness.
Indeed, he is the youngest Premier League player ever — and Arsenal, of course, have high hopes for him. After a contract dispute was finally settled, with several Premier League clubs looking to turn his head (cough, Chelsea, cough), he is now looking to kick on in North London.
Hale End has a formidable reputation when it comes to developing talent. Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, and Eddie Nketiah are all tremendous advertisements. The likes of Harry Kane, Serge Gnabry, Eberechi Eze, and Emiliano Martínez have all also been on the books at some point. Nwaneri is in capable hands.
Aston Villa – Jhon Duran
- Age: 20
- Position: Forward
John Duran still has a long way to go in his development, and finding consistency will be key if he’s to become a true Premier League striker. However, he has shown flashes of the talent that pushed Aston Villa to pay a fee close to £18 million to bring him from the Chicago Fire, notably bagging two goals against Liverpool at home to all but seal Villa’s place in the 2024/25 Champions League.
Durán’s speed and physicality are already major assets, which other clubs have noticed, and there’s a chance he could depart the Birmingham-based club, which has no shortage of emerging stars, including Dutch fullback Ian Maatsen, signed from Chelsea, while forwards Morgan Rogers and Jaden Philogene are ones to keep an eye on.
Bournemouth – Alex Scott
- Age: 20
- Position: Midfielder
It’s not too often that you see Bournemouth spending in the region of £25m for a player, but that’s how highly they regard Alex Scott.
Already a 24-time international for England across various youth levels, Scott has not looked out of place as a top-flight footballer, thanks to his flawless technical proficiency and an ability to read the game far exceeding his 20 years of age. The latter has allowed Scott to affect games from attacking and deeper positions. The former Bristol City youngster managed two goals and four assists across all competitions last term, averaging 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per 90 minutes in Premier League play.
If Scott can keep up these levels across more consistent minutes next season, that fee will look increasingly more like a steal.
Brentford – Fábio Carvalho
- Age: 21
- Position: Midfielder
Thomas Frank has a pretty good track record of identifying unknown talents and transforming them into stars. The Bees naturally have to flourish in this department to keep up with the Premier League heavyweights who can blow them out of the water with gargantuan sums of money.
Portuguese winger Fábio Carvalho can’t exactly be classed as an ‘unknown’ talent, given that he’s well-experienced in the Premier League, Championship, and Bundesliga with Fulham, Liverpool, RB Leipzig, and Hull City, respectively. He also cost Brentford an initial £27.5m.
It will be well worth it if Carvalho quickly becomes one of the most important attacking assets to the team, which is something he’s capable of doing, as we’ve seen flashes of brilliance. It’s worth remembering he’s still just 21 years old.
Brighton – Yankuba Minteh
- Age: 20
- Position: Forward
The Seagulls have established themselves as real-life “Football Managers” in recent seasons, mopping up unheralded gems from across the globe, integrating them, and making them household names. With 12 top-flight goals to his name—ten of which came on loan at Dutch powerhouse Feyenoord last season—Yankuba Minteh is well on his way down that path.
He never quite made the grade at Newcastle; perhaps there was too much competition. But his stint in the Eredivisie reminded us why the Magpies acquired his services in the first place. And it’s Brighton who will benefit from unleashing the Gambian winger in England’s top division. A productive pre-season has created exciting chatter about things to come. If he starts fulfilling his potential as a future star, expect clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea to be regularly linked to him.
Chelsea – Cole Palmer
- Age: 22
- Position: Midfielder
Cole Palmer spent the start of last season scoring in both the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup for Manchester City. Shortly after, he turned heads by completing a shock £42.5 million move to Chelsea. Despite the Blues’ struggles, the switch has paid off on a personal level, with Palmer notching an incredible 27 goals and 15 assists in 42 appearances. He stood out in a disappointing season at Stamford Bridge, leading to a two-year contract extension that keeps him at the club until the summer of 2033.
Crystal Palace – Matheus Franca
- Age: 20
- Position: Midfielder
Crystal Palace is not usually the club you associate with tapping into the Brazilian emerging talent market, but they made waves when they spent £26 million to bring Matheus Franca from Flamengo. Still only 20, Franca has had to be patient while waiting for his chances with the Eagles, but the attacking midfielder’s time will surely come soon. He certainly showed enough during his formative years with the Flamengo powerhouse to suggest he will become a star.
Everton – Jarrad Branthwaite
- Age: 22
- Position: Defender
Jarrad Branthwaite nearly broke into the Everton team a couple of years ago under Frank Lampard, but it was decided that he needed one more loan with Dutch giants PSV to toughen him up. That stay in the Netherlands has worked a treat, with Branthwaite now a mainstay under Sean Dyche and arguably Everton’s best player.
The European Championship this summer came just a little too early for Branthwaite, and heading into the 2024/25 season, they’re managing to keep hold of their latest wunderkind.
The next John Stones?
Fulham – Jay Stansfield
- Age: 21
- Position: Forward
Harvey Elliott, Fábio Carvalho, Eberechi Eze, Ryan Sessegnon, and Moussa Dembélé are just a few of the talented players that have come through Fulham’s academy in recent years. Jay Stansfield looks set to be the next star to emerge from the club’s conveyor belt of talent.
The Tiverton-born forward was handed three Premier League appearances by Marco Silva two seasons ago. He then continued his development at Birmingham City last season, scoring 12 goals in 43 league outings.
Whether Stansfield is part of Silva’s plans for the upcoming season remains to be seen. He has shown enough potential to be a useful squad player, but it would be understandable if he sought regular playing time elsewhere.
Ipswich – Liam Delap
- Age: 21
- Position: Forward
Never making the grade at Manchester City should not be held against those who continue their careers elsewhere. A pathway to senior football under Guardiola is not a guarantee, and though Liam Delap was highly thought of, he would be brave to think of dislodging Erling Haaland, and it is not as if the Norwegian marksman would be departing the English champions anytime soon. Delap spent last season on loan at Hull City, where he bagged eight goals across 31 league outings. That earned him a Premier League move with promoted Ipswich, hoping the son of Rory can help them maintain their newfound status.
Leicester – Abdul Fatawu
- Age: 20
- Position: Forward
The promising Argentine forward Facundo Buonanotte has joined Leicester City on loan from Brighton, but it’s Ghanaian forward Abdul Fatawu whom supporters are keen to see test his wits against Premier League defenders as the former English champions made an immediate return after relegation. Fatawu bagged six goals across 40 matches in last season’s Championship while creating a further 13 for his teammates. A notable highlight was a stunning performance in a 5-0 success over Southampton where he registered a hat-trick and provided one assist.
Liverpool – Harvey Elliott
- Age: 21
- Position: Midfielder
Whether or not Jürgen Klopp meant for Harvey Elliott to play such a prominent role last season —starting 27 games across all competitions — is unclear, but injuries and fixture congestion have left him no choice. In turn, however, the 21-year-old’s development has accelerated at an exceptional rate.
On the wing or in midfield, Elliott has displayed incredible ability with the ball, while he’s coping much better with the elite levels Liverpool demand when it comes to the physical side of the game. He was even used to fill in for Mohamed Salah whenever the Egyptian forward was unavailable.
Man City – Oscar Bobb
- Age: 21
- Position: Forward
Oscar Bobb does not fall into the “unknown talent” category. However, no one could have foreseen how quickly he would adjust to the pressures of playing for a treble-winning side.
One of the great hopes of Norwegian football, Bobb already has five direct goal involvements (2G/3A) across all competitions for the Cityzens, but Bobb, as head coach Pep Guardiola was also keen to point out, “has something unique.” “To be stopped, no movement, and then the first one or two steps, right and left, are unbelievable,” he said.
Bobb, quite simply, has the wherewithal to become one of the most exciting talents in the Premier League right now. His playing time may not be as extensive, and the same could be said for another emerging star, James McAtee, who has been likened to City great İlkay Gündoğan.
Man Utd – Kobbie Mainoo
- Age: 19
- Position: Midfielder
Kobbie Mainoo made three appearances under Erik ten Hag last term and one in the Premier League, but that was just the opening act. This season, Mainoo has become a regular in the Man Utd midfield, playing 35 times across all competitions and, to be honest, often putting some of his more senior colleagues to shame.
Mainoo has abundant composure, ability, and tenacity and may well be the solution the Red Devils have long been searching for in midfield. Perhaps even for England, as he earned his way into Southgate’s team as the Three Lions reached the Euro 2024 final.
Former Man Utd defender Wes Brown has even compared Mainoo to Real Madrid, AC Milan and Netherlands legend Clarence Seedorf.
“Do you know what? He does. I watched him, obviously at the youth team, but I have been watching him. [He’s] very calm and I know there’s a lot talked about him. But to me, I think he plays like Clarence Seedorf,” he told Squawka in an exclusive interview.
“Even the way he runs, the way he takes the ball, shields the ball. I played against Clarence a few times and he was absolutely quality, big, strong, did his job perfectly and had the calmness as well to play for a big team, in big games. I would say Clarence Seedorf.”
Newcastle – Lewis Miley
- Age: 18
- Position: Midfielder
Lewis Miley was set to go with England to the U17 Euros in May 2023, but Eddie Howe blocked the move so he could feature in Newcastle‘s final three matchday squads. He duly did, even appearing off the bench against Chelsea on the final day of the campaign. Last season, through a combination of sheer talent and rotten injury luck in the North East, Miley has played 30 times across all competitions, finding himself lining up against the likes of AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, and PSG in the Champions League before he’d even passed his driving test.
The 18-year-old is the most exciting prospect we have seen come through Newcastle in quite some time.
Nottingham Forest – Elliot Anderson
- Age: 21
- Position: Midfielder
Big things were expected of Elliot Anderson when he broke through at his boyhood club, Newcastle United, where many tipped him to become an integral part of Eddie Howe’s team in the future. However, that promise will not be fulfilled on Tyneside as Anderson — a Scotland U21 international eligible to represent England — completed an eye-catching move to Forest, where he joins a team brimming with youngsters on the cusp of truly making a name for themselves.
Southampton – Taylor Harwood-Bellis
- Age: 22
- Position: Defender
Another who came through Manchester City’s academy but saw the pathway to regular first-team football blocked. The plethora of solid central defenders saw Harwood-Bellis endure numerous loan spells before landing at Southampton, where he helped Ralph Hasenhüttl’s men end a long stay away from England’s top division. An imposing presence in the Saints’ backline, the 22-year-old is ready to make his Premier League debut and test himself against some of the best-attacking talent playing in Europe today.
Tottenham – Archie Gray
- Age: 18
- Position: Midfielder
There may be a few exciting prospects heading out on loan from Tottenham, but right now, Archie Gray, who swapped boyhood club Leeds United for North London, is the young name on supporters’ lips.
Born into Leeds footballing royalty — father (Andy), grandfather (Frank), and great-uncle (Eddie) all played for the Elland Road club — he made 52 appearances for the Peacocks. He was part of their unsuccessful promotion-chasing side last season.
It was, however, a breakthrough campaign for the England U21 international. He switched between playing in midfield and right back, drawing comparisons to several successful Premier League players who excelled in similar dual roles.
Understandably, concerns about regular playing time with Gray joining last season’s fifth-place Premier League side will exist. The expectation is that he will start as a squad player seeking to dislodge Pedro Porro or win a place in Tottenham’s midfield, but such a challenge does not faze him.
West Ham – Crysencio Summerville
- Age: 22
- Position: Forward
It’s been an intriguing summer for West Ham, who have done very good business that could bode well into the 2024/25 season. Julen Lopetegui has replaced David Moyes, potentially changing the club’s style of play. Someone who could thrive under Lopetegui is Dutch forward Crysencio Summerville, who lit up the Championship last term while representing Leeds. No stranger to Premier League football, where he previously bagged four goals and two assists in 34 appearances, he was ruthless in England’s second tier last season: 19 goals and nine assists through 43 matches. Hammers faithful will be hoping he can carry that momentum into the upcoming season.
Wolves – Rodrigo Gomes
- Age: 21
- Position: Forward
Wolves have a mixed record for young players, with more foreign talents tasting success than domestic ones. Rodrigo Gomes could end up being another who falls into that category, with the Portugal youth international joining from Braga this summer. Last season, on loan at Estoril, he bagged seven goals across 30 league appearances while registering a further seven for his teammates. He might need to bide his time at Molineux, but the potential to break through and maintain a starting berth is there.
