A youngster to watch at each Premier League club this season

August 4, 2026 No Comments

A youngster to watch at each Premier League club this seasonImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Liverpool’s Trey Nyoni (left), Arsenal’s Max Dowman (centre) and Manchester United’s Shea Lacey will all be looking to make a big impact in the Premier League in 2026-27ByMichael EmonsBBC Sport journalistPublished4 minutes agoWhich youngsters will make their mark on the 2026-27 season?The Premier League is not far away, with reigning champions Arsenal hosting newly promoted Coventry City on Friday, 21 August.

We have picked 20 prospects, one from every Premier League club, who will be looking to mark their mark and enjoy a breakthrough season.

Who knows, some of these listed could provide a real bargain for you Fantasy Premier League managers out there.

Arsenal – Max Dowman (attacking midfielder/forward)

Max Dowman scoring for Arsenal against Everton — Image caption,

Max Dowman became the youngest scorer in the Premier League when he netted against Everton in March at the age of 16 years and 73 days

Alex Howell

Football reporter

It feels strange to say that a player who has already scored a goal in the Premier League is about to have a breakthrough season – but that is exactly the case for Max Dowman.

He broke the record to become the youngest scorer in league history last season and made his first league start on the final day of last campaign, too.

The attacker is still only 16 years old, and made six appearances in the league last season, but after being given a taste of first-team action is set to be more involved this time around.

Dowman scored in a pre-season friendly win over Girona and going forward is likely to be a legitimate option for manager Mikel Arteta, both on the wing and as a number 10.

Arteta will still protect the highly rated youngster, but this season could be the time we see Dowman in the Arsenal first team on a regular basis.

Aston Villa – George Hemmings (midfielder)

George Hemmings pointing while playing for Aston Villa — Image caption,

George Hemmings made two substitute appearances for Aston Villa in the Premier League last season

Nick Mashiter

Football reporter

The midfielder has been highly rated at Villa Park for some time and is considered the best of their recent crop of talent to come through the academy.

He made his first-team debut at Arsenal last season and made four appearances for Unai Emery overall, including two in the Europa League.

A strong start to pre-season, including a goal in the defeat by Real Sociedad, underlines the 19-year-old’s potential.

Bournemouth – Veljko Milosavljevic (defender)

Veljko Milosavljevic playing for Bournemouth — Image caption,

Veljko Milosavljevic made his international debut for Serbia aged 17

Centre-half Veljko Milosavljevic is already a Serbia international and became the youngest Bournemouth player to start a Premier League match when he played against Brighton in September.

Milosavljevic, who turned 19 on 28 June, featured in seven Premier League games in 2025-26, with the Cherries winning four and drawing one.

However, the 6ft 4in defender has not featured since January because of a knee injury, but will be hoping to get back to his best and continue his impressive start at Vitality Stadium.

He joined the Cherries from Red Star Belgrade on deadline day at the start of September in 2025, for an initial fee of £13m.

Brentford – Kaye Furo (striker)

Kaye Furo playing for Brentford — Image caption,

Kaye Furo has made one substitute appearance for Brentford in the Premier League

In January, Brentford paid £8m to sign Belgian striker Kaye Furo from Club Brugge.

A 6ft 3in quick and powerful striker, Furo had played in the Champions League against Arsenal before moving to west London with Bees boss Keith Andrews saying: “Kaye is someone we have tracked for a while that we are really excited about bringing to the club.

“His attributes are ones I like and feel we can develop within the environment we have created. I have no doubt he will be a big player for us.”

Furo played two FA Cup ties for Brentford before making his Premier League debut in May, coming on as a late substitute in a 3-0 victory over West Ham, and Andrews will be hoping for a big season from the 19-year-old.

Brighton – Zadok Yohanna (winger)

Zadok Yohanna playing for AIK Stockholm — Image caption,

Zadok Yohanna became the most expensive player to be sold by a Swedish club when he moved to Brighton in June

Brighton have established a reputation for finding exciting young talent and Seagulls fans will be hoping they have done it again with the purchase of 19-year-old Nigerian right-winger Zadok Yohanna.

The club agreed a £21.5m deal to sign Yohanna from Swedish club AIK Stockholm, where he scored five goals and provided four assists in 18 appearances.

Former Brighton midfielder Warren Aspinall, speaking on the Albion Unlimited podcast, felt the club’s fans had every reason to be optimistic.

“It’s a little bit of a scalp because two other big clubs in England were chasing him in Chelsea and Newcastle, so they got ahead of them which is very good,” mentioned Aspinall.

“It might be the right price and the going rate for an up-and-coming, good player.

“Have we got another diamond to polish up? That’s what we’re looking for – these rough diamonds to polish up and sell on for big money.”

Chelsea – Dastan Satpaev (forward)

Dastan Satpaev playing for Chelsea — Image caption,

Dastan Satpaev joined Chelsea for £3m from Kairat Almaty

Nizaar Kinsella

Football reporter

Kazakhstan striker Dastan Satpaev, 17, appears the most likely of Chelsea’s young prospects to break through, having received praise from new manager Xabi Alonso.

Satpaev opened the scoring against Western Sydney Wanderers with a powerful near-post finish and looks quick, powerful and capable of finding the net regularly.

He already has Champions League experience and is a superstar in his homeland, winning nine caps since 2025.

There have also been impressive cameos from midfielders Landon Emenalo, who has been converted into a left-back, Reggie Walsh, Reggie Watson and Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli.

Coventry City – Kai Andrews (midfielder)

Kai Andrews playing for Coventry — Image caption,

Kai Andrews has played three times for the Wales senior team

Central midfielder Kai Andrews made his Coventry City debut aged 17 at the start of the 2023 season.

Andrews, now 19, can also play on the left and featured 10 times for the Sky Blues last season before spending the second half of 2025-26 on loan at Hibernian.

That was his second spell in the Scottish Premiership after a loan spell at Motherwell the campaign before. He scored his first senior goal in Hibernian’s 2-1 league victory at Celtic in February, and he has already been capped three times by Wales.

Andrews has been back in Coventry colours in pre-season and will be hoping to force his way into Frank Lampard’s Premier League line-ups.

Crystal Palace – Joel Drakes-Thomas (winger/wing-back)

Joel Drakes-Thomas playing for Palace — Image caption,

Joel Drakes-Thomas has played in two Premier League matches, one FA Cup game and one in the Conference League

Crystal Palace’s successful Conference League campaign, which ended with the Eagles winning their first European trophy, provided an opportunity for young players to impress.

Joel Drakes-Thomas was one of those to shine as, aged 16 years and 192 days, he made his senior debut in the 2-2 draw with Finnish side KuPS, producing a player-of-the-match performance.

He played against Leeds two days after the KuPS match, becoming the youngest player to turn out for the club in the Premier League.

Drakes-Thomas, who can play as a right wing-back or on the wing, turned 17 in June and signed his first professional contract with the Eagles at the beginning of July after being with the club since the age of six.

He has already made four senior appearances and will be hoping for many more in 2026-27.

Everton – Harrison Armstrong (midfielder)

Harrison Armstrong playing for Everton — Image caption,

Harrison Armstrong started six Premier League matches in 2025-26 and made a further seven substitute appearances

Central midfielder Harrison Armstrong has been with Everton since the age of five and established himself as a key member of the first team in the second half of last season.

He made his Toffees Premier League debut early in the 2024-25 campaign and has now played 16 times in the top flight as well as having half-season loans in the Championship, firstly with Derby County and then Preston North End.

His performances led to him being named Everton’s young player of the season and he has regularly featured for England Under-19s. The 19-year-old can play either as a defensive midfielder or in a more advanced role.

“He’s not looked out of place in the Premier League. That’s the biggest compliment I could give Harrison,” mentioned Everton boss David Moyes in January.

Fulham – Jonah Kusi-Asare (forward)

Jonah Kusi-Asare runs with the ball for Fulham — Image caption,

Jonah Kusi-Asare made two Bundesliga appearances for Bayern Munich before joining Fulham

It promises to be a big season for exciting forward Jonah Kusi-Asare after he completed a £5m permanent move to Fulham in the summer

The Swede, who turned 19 in July, joined on a five-year deal with an option for a further 12 months after he had played 10 times for the Cottagers while on loan from Bayern Munich last season.

Kusi-Asare is 6ft 5in and has represented Sweden at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level.

He made seven substitute appearances in the Premier League last season. However, with last season’s top scorer for Fulham, Raul Jimenez, moving to Wolves in the summer, expect Kusi-Asare to play a larger role this term.

Hull City – Calvin Okike (left-back/central defender)

Calvin Okike playing for Hartlepool — Image caption,

Calvin Okike played five games on loan at Hartlepool United to gain some first-team experience earlier this year

Eighteen-year-old Nigerian defender Calvin Okike is tipped for a bright future at Hull City and signed his first professional contract in the summer, a two-year deal with the option of a third.

He largely featured for the under-21s last season, but was an unused substitute in a 2-0 win over Norwich City in the Championship.

Okike had a loan spell at National League club Hartlepool United this year, scoring within a minute on his senior debut. Although expected to stay largely with the under-21s in 2026-27, he has featured in Hull City’s friendly victories over Turkish sides Konyaspor and Caykur Rizespor, 3-0 and 2-1 respectively.

Okike won the academy player of the year award in 2025-26 and will be looking to push on into the first team this campaign.

Ipswich Town – Luca Fletcher (winger/forward)

Luca Fletcher playing for Manchester City — Image caption,

Luca Fletcher played in the 2025 FA Youth Cup final as Manchester City lost to Aston Villa

Nineteen-year-old striker Luca Fletcher joined Ipswich Town on a permanent deal in the summer after a successful loan spell from Manchester City.

While at City, rapid forward Fletcher, an England Under-17s international, helped the club reach the FA Youth Cup final in 2024 and 2025 before impressing at Ipswich, scoring six times in the Premier League 2.

He is yet to play a senior game, but has been training with Ipswich’s first team, with new boss Gary O’Neil saying he has been impressed by the youngster.

Town’s attacking options look limited with unproven Brazilian striker Emersonn, 22, joining for £24m, and Japan’s Daizen Maeda also signing in an £8m move from Celtic.

In the Championship, the centre-forward duties were shared between George Hurst and on-loan Spaniard Ivan Azon.

However, Hirst, an unused member of Scotland’s World Cup squad, only scored 11 league goals, while Azon only got five and has returned to parent club Como.

Leeds United – Alfie Cresswell (midfielder)

Alfie Cresswell playing for Leeds — Image caption,

Alfie Cresswell was an unused substitute in Leeds’ Premier League games against Brighton and West Ham at the end of the season

When 19-year-old midfielder Alfie Cresswell makes his senior debut for Leeds, he will be the third member of his family to do so.

His dad Richard was a striker for the Whites from 2005 to 2007 and older brother Charlie, a defender who has represented the England Under-21s, came through the ranks at Elland Road and made 14 senior appearances before a £3.8m move to French side Toulouse in 2024.

Alfie Cresswell is the captain of the under-21s, featuring in the Vertu Trophy last season, and was an unused substitute in Leeds’ last two Premier League matches of 2025-26.

But a first senior Leeds start is not too far away, as he was included in their squad for the tour of the United States, playing in the 3-2 friendly loss to Wrexham in Florida and the 1-0 win over Sunderland in New Jersey.

Liverpool – Trey Nyoni (midfielder)

Trey Nyoni playing for Liverpool — Image caption,

Trey Nyoni has made six substitute appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League

Aadam Patel

Football reporter

Given last season was Rio Ngumoha’s breakthrough year and the 17-year-old is expected to play a much more prominent role this season, the focus must go on Trey Nyoni, who has been one of the standouts of Liverpool’s pre-season.

Nyoni, 19, was considered one of the players who could play in the first team under Arne Slot but was not given the opportunity he desired.

“Even when he [Trey] has one opponent quite close, he asks for that ball and he’s confident, he doesn’t rush. For me, that is very valuable,” new Reds manager Andoni Iraola mentioned.

With that in mind, the chances of the midfielder getting more game time this season have definitely increased.

Manchester City – Ryan McAidoo (winger)

Ryan McAidoo holding the FA Youth Cup — Image caption,

Ryan McAidoo helped Manchester City win the FA Youth Cup in May

Shamoon Hafez

Football reporter

Winger Ryan McAidoo, 18, scored on his first-team debut in the FA Cup last season, one of two appearances in the competition, and he may thrive in Enzo Maresca’s system if given the opportunity.

McAidoo was a real livewire in the friendly against Inter Milan, coming close to scoring the winner, and the manager was suitably impressed afterwards saying the youngster is the type of winger he “loves”.

The Italian will be watching his development closely in pre-season before making a decision whether to keep him with the first team or grant a loan move away to aid his development.

Notable mentions go to midfielders Divine Mukasa, 18, and Floyd Samba, 17.

Manchester United – Shea Lacey (forward)

Shea Lacey playing for Manchester United — Image caption,

Shea Lacey came off the bench in the Premier League to play against Aston Villa, Burnley and Brighton in 2025-26

Simon Stone

Chief football news reporter

Shea Lacey was on the fringes of the first team towards the end of Ruben Amorim’s time at Manchester United, sparkled immediately after the Portuguese’s dismissal at Burnley, then got sent off in the FA Cup against Brighton.

Although it was the final game of the season – also against Brighton – before he played senior football again, he did score a hat-trick on Premier League 2 duty. This pre-season he has been one of United’s best players.

He was outstanding against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm, winning the penalty Bryan Mbeumo scored to level and putting Atletico’s defence on the back foot. Best at starting on the right and cutting in, expect to see a lot of him being introduced from the bench.

Newcastle – Sam Alabi (midfielder)

Sam Alabi wearing a Newcastle training top — Image caption,

Sam Alabi was an unused substitute for Newcastle in their FA Cup third-round tie against Bournemouth in January

Ciaran Kelly

Football reporter

Sam Alabi only signed his first professional contract in July, but the 17-year-old has his sights set on a senior debut for Newcastle this season.

The dynamic midfielder was named on the bench on a handful of occasions in the previous campaign after fearlessly holding his own in training with the first team.

Alabi went on to suffer a season-ending shin injury in January, but former head coach Eddie Howe backed the teenager to have a bright future if he continued to work hard.

Although Newcastle have since spent £57m on a couple of young midfielders in Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba, Alabi is one to watch as someone who has already captained England at youth level.

Honourable mention for Mason Miley (17, defender or midfielder).

Nottingham Forest – Azae Bonnick (midfielder)

Nick Mashiter

Football reporter

Midfielder Azae Bonnick is a rising star in Forest’s academy and scored 39 goals and provided 14 assists, playing up an age group for the under-16s last season.

He has also earned a call-up to the England Under-15s.

Bonnick made his under-18s debut for Forest against Sunderland in March, just a week after turning 15.

Sunderland – Chris Rigg (midfielder)

Chris Rigg scores for Sunderland — Image caption,

Chris Rigg scored his first Premier League goal in Sunderland’s 4-3 loss to Aston Villa in April

Although only 19, English midfielder Chris Rigg is closing in on 100 appearances for the Sunderland first team.

He played an integral part in helping the Black Cats get into the Premier League with 42 league appearances in 2024-25, including starting the Play-Off final win over Sheffield United at Wembley.

Rigg, who can operate as a defensive or attacking central midfielder, then made the step-up impressively, starting 11 Premier League matches, with a further seven appearances from the bench.

Already a regular for England Under-19s, Rigg will expect to play a vital role for his club this season, especially with Sunderland having more games as they will be playing in the Europa League – their first major European campaign since the 1970s.

Tottenham – Luca Williams-Barnett (forward)

Luca Williams-Barnett running with the ball for Spurs — Image caption,

Luca Williams-Barnett made his senior Tottenham debut in September when he came on as a late substitute in the 3-0 Carabao Cup third-round win over Doncaster

Nizaar Kinsella

Football reporter

Attacker Luca Williams-Barnett, 17, has been described by Spurs manager Roberto de Zerbi as a “precious diamond” – and it is easy to see why.

Quick, skilful and always looking to get a shot away, the forward is playing as though he wants to break into the first team immediately.

The highlight was arguably his decision to take a Panenka penalty in the 4-2 shootout victory over Sydney FC last week.

He has impressed in all four of Spurs’ friendlies so far. Centre-back Malachi Hardy, 18, is another youngster who has earned praise from De Zerbi and excelled in the 2-1 win over Chelsea.

A youngster to watch at each Premier League club this season

Arsenal – Max Dowman (attacking midfielder/forward)

Aston Villa – George Hemmings (midfielder)

Bournemouth – Veljko Milosavljevic (defender)

Brentford – Kaye Furo (striker)

Brighton – Zadok Yohanna (winger)

Chelsea – Dastan Satpaev (forward)

Coventry City – Kai Andrews (midfielder)

Crystal Palace – Joel Drakes-Thomas (winger/wing-back)

Everton – Harrison Armstrong (midfielder)

Fulham – Jonah Kusi-Asare (forward)

Hull City – Calvin Okike (left-back/central defender)

Ipswich Town – Luca Fletcher (winger/forward)

Leeds United – Alfie Cresswell (midfielder)

Liverpool – Trey Nyoni (midfielder)

Manchester City – Ryan McAidoo (winger)

Manchester United – Shea Lacey (forward)

Newcastle – Sam Alabi (midfielder)

Nottingham Forest – Azae Bonnick (midfielder)

Sunderland – Chris Rigg (midfielder)

Tottenham – Luca Williams-Barnett (forward)

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Arsenal – Max Dowman (attacking midfielder/forward)

Aston Villa – George Hemmings (midfielder)

Bournemouth – Veljko Milosavljevic (defender)

Brentford – Kaye Furo (striker)

Brighton – Zadok Yohanna (winger)

Chelsea – Dastan Satpaev (forward)

Coventry City – Kai Andrews (midfielder)

Crystal Palace – Joel Drakes-Thomas (winger/wing-back)

Everton – Harrison Armstrong (midfielder)

Fulham – Jonah Kusi-Asare (forward)

Hull City – Calvin Okike (left-back/central defender)

Ipswich Town – Luca Fletcher (winger/forward)

Leeds United – Alfie Cresswell (midfielder)

Liverpool – Trey Nyoni (midfielder)

Manchester City – Ryan McAidoo (winger)

Manchester United – Shea Lacey (forward)

Newcastle – Sam Alabi (midfielder)

Nottingham Forest – Azae Bonnick (midfielder)

Sunderland – Chris Rigg (midfielder)

Tottenham – Luca Williams-Barnett (forward)

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