Premier League's Rising Stars: Young Talents to Watch

The Premier League’s new season is almost here, and with it comes the usual noise: title talk, transfer sagas, tactical debates. But beneath all that, another story is quietly forming — a generation of teenagers and early‑twentysomethings getting ready to crash the stage, just as Max Dowman did for Arsenal last year.

Some will arrive with big fees and bigger reputations. Others will slip in through cup ties and late cameos. All of them, though, are close enough now to feel the door move.

Here are the youngsters who could force it open.

Arsenal – Marli Salmon, 16, centre-back

Arsenal don’t hand out centre-back minutes lightly. Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba have built one of the league’s most secure partnerships, yet Marli Salmon has still managed to elbow his way into the conversation.

Once an attacker, now a defender, Salmon plays like someone who has seen the game from both ends. He reads danger early, steps in cleanly and doesn’t panic when pressed. At 16, he already dribbles out from the back with a calm that fits Mikel Arteta’s blueprint, and he can cover at right-back when needed.

Breaking up Gabriel and Saliba is a huge ask. But with an eye-catching preseason behind him, Salmon looks primed for cup games and the occasional Premier League cameo off the bench.

Aston Villa – Brian Madjo, 17, centre-forward

Aston Villa have a clear No. 9 in Ollie Watkins, yet Brian Madjo has wasted no time announcing himself.

Born in London, raised in Luxembourg, capped at senior level for the country before switching to England’s youth ranks, Madjo already carries an unusual backstory. On the pitch he is even harder to ignore: 6-foot-3, powerful, happy to press, and quick enough to attack the space behind defenders as well as operate as a classic target man.

Signed from Metz for around £10 million in January, he hit four goals in preseason and started against Bayern Munich while Watkins enjoyed his post-World Cup break. The message is clear: he’s not here to wait politely.

Bournemouth – Malcolm Dacosta, 18, defensive midfielder

At 6-foot-3, Malcolm Dacosta looks like a destroyer. He is more than that.

The Ecuador youth international covers ground, competes in duels and drives the ball forward with purpose. His long-range shooting is no afterthought either. Bournemouth named him their 2025-26 Academy Player of the Year, and he was close enough to the first team last summer to make the bench several times.

This preseason, under new manager Marco Rose, he has impressed again, even getting on the scoresheet in a 10-1 demolition of Genoa. For a club that thrives on developing undervalued talent, Dacosta feels like the next in line.

Brentford – Benjamin Fredrick, 21, centre-back

Benjamin Fredrick doesn’t arrive as a fresh-faced academy hopeful. He comes with a résumé.

Last season he played 15 times on loan at Dender in Belgium’s top flight, then stepped straight into the Nigeria national team, featuring in five 2026 World Cup qualifiers. That exposure has hardened his game. Quick, aggressive and capable at both centre-back and right-back, he relishes defending big spaces and dominates in the air.

Brentford rarely rush defenders, but Fredrick looks ready-made for Thomas Frank’s high line and bold approach. A debut feels less like a question of “if” than “when.”

Brighton & Hove Albion – Zadok Yohanna, 19, attacking midfielder

Brighton have built a reputation on spotting the next big thing before everyone else. Zadok Yohanna fits that pattern perfectly, only this time the price tag shouts louder than usual.

He left Nigeria for AIK last summer, made his Allsvenskan debut in August, started three days later, scored his first league goal in March and earned a Nigeria call-up by May before a hamstring injury halted that rise. Brighton still didn’t hesitate, breaking the Swedish transfer record with a €25 million move.

Yohanna’s acceleration and close control turned him into one of Sweden’s most dangerous one-on-one players. In several games he completed more than 10 successful dribbles, a staggering output at any level. His decision-making still needs polish, but the raw material is obvious. The Amex crowd may not have to wait long to see him in full flow.

Chelsea – Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, 16, central midfielder

Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli has grown up in Chelsea’s shadow, literally and figuratively. Born in Sydney but raised near Cobham, he joined the club at under-8 level and has climbed every rung since.

Last season he became Chelsea’s youngest UEFA Youth League starter and their youngest scorer in the competition. He can operate in various central midfield roles, blending physical presence with unusual composure for his age. New manager Xabi Alonso clearly likes what he sees: Nicoll-Jazuli travelled on the preseason tour of Asia and started alongside Moisés Caicedo in Hong Kong against Juventus.

At a club that has stockpiled midfielders, for a 16-year-old to cut through the noise says plenty.

Coventry City – Carlo Yirenkyi, 20, central midfielder

Coventry’s return to the Premier League has been built on shrewd recruitment. In Carlo Yirenkyi, they might have found the heartbeat of their midfield for years.

A product of Ghana’s Right to Dream Academy — the same pipeline that produced Mohammed Kudus — Yirenkyi spent the past two seasons at Nordsjælland, where he was named the Danish Superliga’s Young Player of the Season. He plays box-to-box, tackles aggressively and still finds the energy to influence the game higher up.

On the biggest stage so far, he delivered: starting Ghana’s World Cup opener against Panama and scoring a 95th-minute winner in a 1-0 victory. Coventry then made him their record signing, paying £23 million to bring him in. He arrives not as a prospect to stash away, but as a player to build around.

Crystal Palace – Joél Drakes-Thomas, 17, attacking midfielder

Crystal Palace know a thing or two about wide players who run at defenders without fear. Joél Drakes-Thomas looks like the next in that line.

At the club since the age of six, he plays primarily as a right winger or attack-minded wing-back. He is fast, direct and relentless in one-on-ones, yet he doesn’t neglect his defensive duties. His senior debut in the Conference League against KuPS was outstanding, and days later he became Palace’s youngest-ever Premier League player away at Leeds.

He helped the club’s U18s lift the Premier League Cup last season and signed his first professional contract in July. Selhurst Park has seen this script before: the raw talent, the early exposure, the crowd that loves a dribbler. Drakes-Thomas fits the stage.

Everton – Braiden Graham, 18, forward

For Braiden Graham, the dream started early. At 15, he became Linfield’s youngest-ever player in the Irish top flight. Three years on, he is at Everton, waiting for his first senior minutes in English football.

He is a versatile forward, comfortable off the left or through the middle, mobile and sharp in his movement, with a finishing touch that stood out at youth level. Twenty-one goals last season earned him a first Northern Ireland call-up and a preseason spent training with Everton’s first team.

At Goodison Park, where academy products are always watched closely, Graham is edging toward the moment when the manager turns and calls his name.

Fulham – César Palacios, 21, central midfielder

César Palacios knows how quickly a dream can stall. Seven minutes into his first senior outing for Real Madrid — a 2024 preseason friendly against AC Milan — he tore his ACL.

He rebuilt himself with Castilla, Real Madrid’s B team, and did so emphatically: 14 goals from central midfield last season, many of them the product of perfectly timed late runs into the box. Fulham moved decisively, paying €10 million to bring him to London and reunite him with Álvaro Arbeloa, who coached him at Castilla and now leads Fulham.

For a side that often relies on midfielders arriving from deep to support the striker, Palacios feels like a natural fit, and a player with unfinished business.

Hull City – Jens Hjertø-Dahl, 20, central midfielder

Jens Hjertø-Dahl grew up studying Sergio Busquets, but at 6-foot-4 and with an eye for goal, he has developed into something very much his own.

The Norwegian frequently drops deep to receive the ball, dictates play with a calm touch and then surges forward, timing his runs into the box. Where he departs from his idol is in front of goal: Busquets has 19 career goals in more than 700 games; Hjertø-Dahl scored seven in 14 league matches for Tromsø last season.

Hull City paid around €9.3 million to sign him this summer. His best position might take time to pin down — holding midfielder, No. 8, even a more advanced role — but one thing is clear: he needs the ball in dangerous areas, often.

Ipswich Town – Sindre Walle Egeli, 20, attacking midfielder

Ipswich smashed the Championship transfer record to land Sindre Walle Egeli last summer for £17.5 million. The first season was steady rather than spectacular: four league goals, flashes of quality, plenty of learning.

Now comes the real test — the Premier League.

A right winger with a cultured left foot, Walle Egeli loves to cut inside, whip curling shots toward the far corner and deliver in-swinging crosses and threaded passes. The raw numbers from year one won’t scare defenders, but the talent is obvious. With Ipswich stepping up a level, he has the platform — and the pressure — to turn promise into production.

Leeds United – Alfie Cresswell, 19, defensive midfielder

At Leeds, the Cresswell name is familiar. Richard led the line between 2005 and 2007, Charlie came through as a centre-back before moving to Ligue 1 in 2024. Now it’s Alfie’s turn.

Originally a centre-back, he has shifted into a holding midfield role. That background shows. He duels well, reads the game, and holds his position with discipline. On the ball, he has worked to sharpen his passing and composure.

The challenge is opportunity. Daniel Farke leaned heavily on senior players to keep Leeds in the Premier League last season. Whether he opens the door wider for academy products this time will dictate how quickly Cresswell’s story develops.

Liverpool – Trey Nyoni, 19, central midfielder

Trey Nyoni has been hovering on the edge of Liverpool’s first team for two seasons, waiting for someone to give him a real run. Six Premier League appearances last term hinted at trust without fully confirming it.

This summer in the United States, he made it impossible to ignore him.

Nyoni dictated Liverpool’s tempo on tour, spraying passes with confidence and showing an impressive tactical understanding for a 19-year-old. With Alexis Mac Allister still on a post-World Cup break, Nyoni stepped into the void and looked entirely at home. Some supporters already want to see him start alongside Ryan Gravenberch when the real games begin.

For a club in the middle of a midfield evolution, he has timed his surge perfectly.

Manchester City – Jeremy Monga, 17, attacking midfielder

Few teenagers arrive in the Premier League with Jeremy Monga’s list of firsts.

At 16 years and 34 days, he became Leicester City’s youngest-ever starter, breaking Peter Shilton’s 59-year-old record. Days later he surpassed Jude Bellingham as the Championship’s youngest goalscorer. Operating mainly from the left wing, he terrorised right-backs week after week.

No player in the Championship attempted more take-ons last season than Monga, averaging 6.5 per 90 minutes. That relentless willingness to dribble has earned him a £10 million move to Manchester City, where the competition will be fierce but the environment ideal for refining his decision-making.

If he adapts quickly to Pep Guardiola’s demands, Premier League full-backs will be in for long afternoons.

Manchester United – J.J. Gabriel, 15, forward

Even by Manchester United’s standards, J.J. Gabriel’s numbers at youth level are outrageous.

Twenty-three goals in 23 U18 Premier League games, against players up to three years older. The league’s inaugural U18 Player of the Season. The youngest winner of the Jimmy Murphy award, given to United’s best youth player, at just 15.

Gabriel can play wide or as a false No. 9. His acceleration, agility and balance make him a nightmare in tight spaces, and he finishes with the cold eye of a senior striker. Whether he makes his first-team debut this season is still unclear, but the stakes are obvious: if he appears before Oct. 25, he will become the youngest player in United’s history, beating David Gaskell’s 70-year-old record of 16 years and 19 days.

Records at youth level have already fallen. The next one sits within reach.

Newcastle United – Sean Steur, 18, central midfielder

Newcastle’s midfield has been ripped apart and rebuilt in a single summer. Sandro Tonali has gone to Tottenham Hotspur, Bruno Guimarães to Arsenal. Into that gap steps Sean Steur.

Signed from Ajax in a deal worth up to €27 million, Steur arrives with 26 senior appearances in Amsterdam behind him. Two-footed, comfortable as a deep-lying midfielder or slightly further forward, he combines a velvet first touch with crisp, incisive passing.

Without the ball, his positioning still needs work, but an impressive preseason under new coach Matthias Jaissle has pushed him toward the front of the queue. With so much turnover in midfield, he could find himself starting sooner than anyone expected.

Nottingham Forest – Zach Abbott, 20, centre-back

For most young defenders, an FA Cup semifinal against Manchester City would be a distant dream. For Zach Abbott, it’s already on the CV.

He started that tie in April 2025, then added three Premier League appearances and Europa League minutes last season. Calm, strong and physically equipped for the top level, he reads danger well and steps out of the backline confidently when in possession.

New boss Oliver Glasner favours a back three, a system that could suit Abbott perfectly. Three centre-back slots, more rotation, more chances. If he seizes them, he could become a regular at the City Ground sooner rather than later.

Sunderland – Timur Tutierov, 21, attacking midfielder

Timur Tutierov’s Sunderland career has been slow-burning rather than explosive.

He joined from Kolos Kovalivka in 2023, but only truly tasted senior football last season with a loan spell at Exeter City, scoring three goals in 17 League One games. Versatile across the front line, he looks at his best when running at defenders or darting in behind.

This summer could have taken him away from the Stadium of Light. Instead, he scored in preseason against York City and Liverpool, earned a new contract through 2028 and reset his trajectory. Sunderland have chosen to believe in him. Now he has to repay that faith.

Tottenham Hotspur – Luca Williams-Barnett, 17, attacking midfielder

Tottenham’s next wave of talent already has a focal point in Luca Williams-Barnett.

An attacking midfielder with the kind of profile Spurs fans instinctively warm to, he links midfield to attack with sharp movement and a willingness to receive the ball under pressure. At 17, he is still learning the rhythms of senior football, but his touch and vision mark him out as one to watch.

In a squad that has undergone significant change, creative sparks like Williams-Barnett could find the pathway clearing quicker than expected.

A season ago, Max Dowman stepped out of the shadows and into Arsenal’s first team, altering his career and the club’s plans in the process. Somewhere in this group, another story like that is waiting. The only question now is which of these youngsters will be the one we’re all talking about by May.