Inside the Rise of Adam Guram: The Next Ukrainian Star

For years, Vadym Shablii has quietly fed Ukrainian talent into the Premier League pipeline. Vitali Mykolenko at Everton. Yehor Yarmolyuk at Brentford. Both are now established in the world’s most watched league.

The next in line is still a teenager.

Adam Guram, a 17-year-old attacking midfielder at Hajduk Split, has not yet completed a full season of senior football. He has, however, already done enough to draw the gaze of Arsenal and Chelsea – and to convince his agent that the hype is rooted in something real.

Shablii sees it every day.

“Adam is a very young player, but even now he has a good understanding of the game, strong technical qualities and the right attitude to work,” he explains. Guram wants to learn. He wants to improve. That, more than any YouTube reel, is what has Europe’s elite paying attention.

The warning comes with the praise. “He still has a lot to go through and a lot to learn. The most important thing now is not to rush things and give him the opportunity to develop step by step.”

Guiding a teenager through the storm

Guram is walking into a world where the noise arrives long before the medals. First professional contract. Calls from superclubs. Headlines. Social media scrutiny. All before his 18th birthday.

That is where Shablii’s role stretches far beyond negotiations and signatures.

“When a player is very young, our role is not only to manage his career, but also to help him deal with different situations that he is facing for the first time,” he says. The job is part agent, part buffer, part mentor.

Young players are hit with interest from big clubs and a sudden rush of media attention that can twist a career off course. Shablii’s response is simple: build a circle of trust around the player, keep the advice honest, keep it objective, and keep the long term in focus.

“Our job is to support him, give objective advice, and help him make decisions that will be good for his development in the long term.” Responsibility, not pressure – that is how he frames it. The stakes, though, are obvious. Choices made at 17 can shape the next decade.

The big move question

Arsenal and Chelsea do not wait. When they see potential, they move early. For a teenager, that can be a dream – or a trap.

“A big transfer at such a young age is a serious step,” Shablii admits. It opens doors to world-class facilities, elite coaching and the fastest route to the top. It also piles on expectation and reduces patience.

So he strips the decision down to its essentials. It is not about the badge alone. “We need to understand whether this is the right step for Adam at this particular moment. We have to look at more than just the level of the team. We also need to consider playing time, the coach, and the opportunities for further development.”

One detail speaks loudly: Guram made his first-team debut for Hajduk Split at 17. That tells Shablii the boy is already mentally ready to handle senior football. It also strengthens the argument that minutes on the pitch matter more than the glamour of the move.

Academy prestige or first-team reality?

Every wonderkid faces the same fork in the road. Do you jump into the academy of a superclub, or stay where first-team football comes sooner?

“There is no one right answer or approach for every player,” Shablii says. Character, personality, timing – they all shape the route.

Yehor Yarmolyuk offers one template. Before becoming part of Brentford’s first team, he spent a season in the club’s unique Brentford B project, testing himself physically in friendlies against senior sides. No fanfare, no instant spotlight, just hard games and a steep learning curve.

For some, a top academy is perfect: elite infrastructure, high-level competition, top coaches. For others, regular minutes in a smaller league trump everything.

“The most important thing is that a young player is in the right environment, where he can get regular playing time and continue to develop.” Environment over ego. It is a recurring theme in Shablii’s work.

Chelsea’s eight-year promise – safety net or golden cage?

Chelsea have become known for handing out unusually long contracts to young players – deals stretching up to eight years. On paper, that looks irresistible: financial security and a clear signal of faith from one of Europe’s powerhouses.

“A long-term contract, especially with a club of this level, can of course be very attractive for a young player,” Shablii concedes. It shows the club sees potential and is prepared to invest in it.

But he refuses to let the length of a deal dictate a decision. “I don’t think the length of the contract itself should be the main factor when making a decision. For a young player, it is much more important to understand what role the club sees for him, what opportunities he will have to develop, and how much playing time he can get.”

The message to Guram and others is clear: a long contract is only as good as the pathway it comes with.

Yarmolyuk and Mykolenko: two blueprints that work

If Guram wants to know what a smart move looks like, he does not need to look far.

Yarmolyuk’s path at Brentford shows how patience can beat instant gratification. He arrived in England as a teenager from a very different football culture. New country, new language, new tempo. He needed time.

Shablii tried to clear everything around him – life off the pitch, adaptation issues – so the midfielder could focus on football. Step by step, the plan unfolded: Brentford B, then training with the first team, then matches, then a genuine role in a Premier League squad.

“The main lesson from his story is that a young player should not rush,” Shablii says. Find a club that knows how to work with young players. Trust the process. Work every day.

Mykolenko’s story at Everton carries a different lesson: what happens when the right fit is already in place. The left-back signed a new deal last month, a decision Shablii describes as the outcome of “serious discussions” but ultimately a natural one.

Mykolenko knows the club. He knows the league. He feels comfortable in the environment and understands his place in Everton’s long-term project. The key condition was simple: the club had to genuinely count on him.

“It was important for us to understand that the club really counted on him and saw him as part of their long-term project. In the end, we felt that continuing the relationship was the right decision for everyone.”

For Guram, those two examples – the gradual rise at Brentford and the settled status at Everton – form a kind of map. Different routes, same principle: stability, clarity, trust.

The Premier League pull – opportunity and imbalance

Hovering over all of this is the gravitational force of the Premier League. Its financial power has tilted the transfer market. English clubs can outbid almost everyone. Young players see it as the ultimate stage.

“The Premier League certainly has a special place in world football today, and the financial power of English clubs gives them a big advantage in the transfer market,” Shablii says. For his players, that means extra doors open, extra chances to test themselves at the highest level.

He still values balance. Football, he insists, needs healthy competition between leagues to stay compelling and strong. A single dominant ecosystem is not ideal for the global game.

Yet he does not resent the Premier League’s rise. “I don’t see anything wrong with the Premier League being so attractive today. It is the result of a lot of hard work by the clubs, the league itself and the huge interest in English football around the world.”

For Guram, that reality is both a lure and a challenge. The road to England is brighter, but also more crowded and unforgiving.

Somewhere between Hajduk’s training pitches and the boardrooms of London, a decision is coming. Arsenal and Chelsea can promise scale, status and the Premier League dream. Hajduk can offer minutes, patience and a calmer runway.

Shablii’s job is to strip away the noise and leave the 17-year-old with one question: which path gives him the best chance not just to arrive at the top, but to stay there?