1 month ago
19
Man Utd star included
©TM/IMAGO
The new Premier League season is upon us with champions Liverpool kicking off against Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday night. Arne Slot’s men are favourites to retain their title after investing heavily with Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong all expected to be regular starters. Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea will be expected to challenge Liverpool at the top of the table and it’s poised to be a thrilling season.
As ever, English clubs have been incredibly busy strengthening their squads during the transfer window with Premier League outfits spending in excess of €2.3 billion to date. Liverpool smashed the league transfer record to sign Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for an initial €125 million with eight English top-flight clubs spending in excess of €100m, including newly-promoted Sunderland. While the focus will be dominated by high-profile superstars, Transfermarkt have picked out ten U21 starlets to watch out for - only player per side has been selected.
Ten U21 Premier League starlets to watch
Chelsea won the race for Estêvão’s signature in June 2024 but he finally made the move to Stamford Bridge this summer. The prodigiously talented winger is widely viewed as the best young Brazilian prospect in years and he announced himself to the Blues support in style. Estêvão scored on his Chelsea debut against Bayer Leverkusen and he will be pushing for regular minutes this season, despite Enzo Maresca having a plethora of attacking options at his disposal.
Ethan Nwaneri was the most valuable U21 in the Premier League until Estevao’s arrival at Chelsea. The 18-year-old made his breakthrough at Arsenal last season and showed glimpses of his unquestionable quality. The challenge for Nwaneri is to add consistency to his game and for Mikel Arteta to entrust him with more minutes as he barely played towards the end of last season. Arsenal’s Hale End academy has delivered recently with Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly already established first-team squad members and they have a potential superstar emerging in Max Dowman.
Leny Yoro arrived amid huge fanfare last summer after Manchester United beat Real Madrid to his signature. Yoro’s adaptation to the Premier League was disrupted by a foot injury that kept him sidelined for several months at the start of the season. Despite some difficult moments, Yoro displayed why he was so coveted after breaking through at Lille. A defender won’t grab the headlines like attackers but Yoro has the potential to become a world-class centre-back.
Rayan Cherki has been categorised as a wonderkid since making his Lyon debut just weeks after his 16th birthday. Cherki’s development in France wasn’t always linear but he delivered 34 goal contributions in 38 appearances last season. Few players can rival Cherki’s creative and technical ability but it will be fascinating how he fares under Pep Guardiola. The France international thrives when afforded freedom that Guardiola rarely entrusts his players with.
It’s been a remarkably quiet window at Selhurst Park with just €2.3 million spent on new arrivals but Crystal Palace have crucially kept their best players, so far. Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze have remained despite significant interest but Adam Wharton is arguably the jewel in their crown. Wharton has been a revelation since joining Palace from Blackburn in January 2024 with his market value skyrocketing from €10m to €45m. The 21-year-old earned a call-up to the England squad for Euro 2024 and he’s one of the best young midfielders in the league.
Lucas Bergvall enjoyed an excellent debut season at Tottenham Hotspur and he will be aiming to build on that. The Swedish midfielder made 45 appearances in all competitions and he plays with a maturity that defies his age. The 18-year-old is incredibly comfortable on the ball, even when under pressure and his target should be cementing a starting role this season.
Sunderland have invested heavily this summer to equip themselves for the demands of the Premier League but Chris Rigg will remain a key player. The 18-year-old has already amassed 72 appearances for his boyhood club and his performances in the Championship attracted interest from major European clubs. It will be fascinating how Rigg deals with the step-up in quality in the Premier League but he’s a major talent.
Bournemouth completed the signing of Eli Junior Kroupi in February but he remained at Lorient for the second half of the season. The French youth international scored 22 goals in 30 appearances in Ligue 2 last season to highlight his potential but the Premier League represents a huge step up. The 19-year-old possesses the characteristics to shine in English football and he’s featured regularly in pre-season for the Cherries.
Charalampos Kostoulas became Brighton’s third most expensive signing in history with the Seagulls paying Olympiacos €35m for the Greek striker. The 18-year-old arrives with a big reputation after shining in the UEFA Youth League against Bayern Munich. Kostoulas is viewed as an ‘outstanding younger player’ by Fabian Hürzeler and he’s viewed as the best Greek prospect in generations.
Rio Ngumoha has the world at his feet and he’s shone for Liverpool in pre-season. Chelsea were absolutely furious that Ngumoha left Stamford Bridge for Anfield last summer and it’s clear why. Ngumoha is a generational talent and Arne Slot is expected to utilise him as a left-wing option next summer despite his age. The 16-year-old doesn't currently have a market value due to his age but that will change imminently.
