One U21 player to watch from each Premier League team
From the player who could become Man United's youngest ever to Brighton's next big thing, meet the Premier League's brightest young stars.
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The new Premier League season is almost upon us, bringing new opportunities for many budding young stars around the country.
Arsenal's 16-year-old forward Max Dowman came out of nowhere in 2025-26, so who could follow suit and make their case this time around?
ESPN's resident scout Tor Kristian-Karlsen outlines the players to keep an eye on, including a Manchester United forward who has a real chance of becoming the club's youngest-ever player and Brighton's next big thing.
ARSENAL
Converted from an attacker to a center back as a youth player, Salmon has emerged as one of Arsenal's most composed young defenders. He reads danger early, competes well aerially and is comfortable dribbling forward, while also offering cover at right back. Breaking up the Gabriel Magalhães-William Saliba partnership is a tall order, but after an encouraging preseason, Salmon is one to keep an eye on in cup competitions and from off the bench in the Premier League.
Marli Salmon is one of Arsenal's brightest upcoming youth prospects. David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images ASTON VILLA Brian Madjo, 17, center forward Born in London but raised in Luxembourg, Madjo played three senior internationals for the European microstate before switching to the England youth setup. The 6-foot-3 frontman is powerful, moves well, presses willingly and can threaten in behind in addition to his developing as a target man. Signed from Metz for around £10 million in January, he scored four times in preseason and started vs Bayern Munich, although first-choice striker Ollie Watkins is yet to return from his post-World Cup break.
BOURNEMOUTH
At 6-foot-3, Dacosta is unusually tall for a central midfielder, but his size doesn't necessarily restrict him to a holding role. In fact, the Ecuador youth international covers ground well, competes in duels, dribbles the ball forward and has a decent long shot. He was named Bournemouth's 2025-26 Academy Player of the Year and appeared on the first-team bench on several occasions last summer. He has reportedly impressed new manager Marco Rose this summer, including when he got in on the action and scored in Bournemouth's 10-1 preseason win over Genoa.
BRENTFORD
Fredrick looks set for his Brentford first-team debut with more experience than most promoted youth players. He made 15 appearances on loan at Dender in the Belgian top-flight last season and was fast-tracked into the Nigeria squad -- he even played in five 2026 World Cup qualifiers. He is a quick, aggressive defender who can play at both center back and right back. In both positions, he is strong in the air and comfortable defending large spaces.
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
Last summer, Yohanna left his native Nigeria to join Swedish side AIK. That was the first milestone in his journey abroad. The left winger made his Allsvenskan league debut in August and his first start three days later. In March, he scored for AIK for the first time and by May, he received his first call-up for the Nigeria national team, although he had to withdraw with a hamstring injury.
This summer, Yohanna made his biggest leap yet: Brighton broke the Swedish transfer record to land him in a €25 million move. His acceleration and close control made him one of the Swedish top flight's most effective players in one-on-one situations -- in several matches he completed an astonishing 10-plus successful dribbles. Yohanna is still raw with his decision-making, but he is a very promising talent who could make an impact as early as this autumn.
CHELSEA
Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli has already earned the praise of new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso. Steve Christo - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images Born in Sydney but raised near Chelsea's Cobham training base, Nicoll-Jazuli has been on the club's books since under-8 level. Last season, he became the club's youngest UEFA Youth League starter, and their youngest scorer, too. He is comfortable in various central midfield roles and displays a striking physical and mental maturity. New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso included him on the club's preseason tour of Asia, and he started next to Moisés Caicedo for the 1-0 defeat to Juventus in Hong Kong.
COVENTRY CITY
The Right to Dream Academy in Ghana has produced multiple top-level players, including Tottenham Hotspur winger Mohammed Kudus, and its latest budding star may be ready to star in the Premier League this season.
Yirenkyi spent the past two seasons at Danish club Nordsjælland, which is partnered with the Ghanaian academy, and was last year named the Superliga's Young Player of the Season. He is a tireless box-to-box midfielder and an aggressive ball-winner, who can also impact the game further up the pitch.
Yirenkyi started Ghana's World Cup opener against Panama, scoring a 95th-minute winner to hand his country a 1-0 win. Later this summer, he joined newly promoted Coventry in a club-record £23 million deal.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Having been at Crystal Palace since age six, Drakes-Thomas is a fast, direct wide player who operates as a right winger or attack-minded wing-back. He thrives on taking on defenders, but he doesn't lose sight of his defensive responsibilities. He was brilliant on his senior debut against KuPS in the Conference League last season, and he became Palace's youngest-ever Premier League player days later away at Leeds. Drakes-Thomas was a part of the club's U18 Premier League Cup-winning side last year and signed his first professional contract in July.
EVERTON
Graham is his boyhood club Linfield's youngest-ever player, having made his Irish top-flight debut aged 15 in March 2023. Three years later, having since joined Everton and carrying on his development, he will be hoping to make his senior debut in English football this season.
He is a versatile forward who can also play on the left wing. In terms of playing style, he is mobile and nimble with an impressive finishing ability. He netted 21 goals at youth level last season, enough to earn his first international call-up for Northern Ireland. He has spent preseason training with the Everton first team and getting involved at senior level looks achievable for Graham this year.
FULHAM
Cesar Palacios joined Fulham in a €10 million deal from Real Madrid this summer. Sebastian Frej/Getty Images Palacios has not always been blessed with good luck. Just seven minutes into his first senior game for Real Madrid -- in a 2024 preseason friendly against AC Milan -- he suffered a torn ACL. He returned for the club's B team, Castilla, within a year, scoring an impressive 14 goals from central midfield last season. He is the kind of midfielder who perfectly times late runs into the box. Fulham paid €10 million to sign him this summer, reuniting him with manager Álvaro Arbeloa, who previously coached Castilla and took over as Fulham boss this summer.
HULL CITY
Jens Hjertø-Dahl is essentially a disciple of Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets. At 6-foot-4, the Norwegian modelled himself on the Spanish midfielder, although he often plays further up the pitch in an attacking midfield role. He drops deep to receive the ball, boasts an obvious calmness in possession and makes plenty of late runs into the box.
Where Hjertø-Dahl differs from Busquets is in front of goal. The Spanish midfielder has managed just 19 goals in over 700 career games, whereas Hjertø-Dahl scored seven goals in 14 league games for his boyhood club, Tromsø, last season. Hull City signed him in a move reported to be worth around €9.3 million this summer. The club may take time to discover his best position, but they will do well to ensure he gets plenty of touches in the final third.
IPSWICH TOWN
Ipswich made Walle Egeli the Championship's record signing when he joined the club in a £17.5 million move last summer. The right winger has a great left foot that he uses to cut in with curling shots toward the far left corner, as well as in-swinging cross and threaded passes.
His debut season in English football was unspectacular -- he managed just four goals in the Championship -- but a sophomore campaign and his first in the Premier League is as good a platform as any for him to breakout.
LEEDS UNITED
Football runs deep in the Cresswell family. Alfie Cresswell's brother, Charlie, is a well-regarded center back who graduated from Leeds' academy before leaving in 2024 to play in France's Ligue 1. Their father, Richard, was a Leeds striker between 2005 and 2007. Now, it is 19-year-old Alfie's turn to appear for the club.
Creswell is a center back who has converted to holding midfield. As such, he duels well and is positionally disciplined, although he has also made improvements at being in possession. His biggest obstacle at Leeds is opportunity. Manager Daniel Farke put his trust in senior players last season as he kept Leeds in the Premier League at the first time of asking. Whether he will trust more academy players this season remains to be seen.
LIVERPOOL
Having joined Liverpool from Leicester City at 16-years-old, Nyoni has spent two seasons on the fringes at Anfield -- he made six Premier League appearances last term -- as he waited for a manager to give him a proper chance.
Nyoni, for his part, may have forced the issue for new manager Andoni Iraola. The 19-year-old was arguably Liverpool's standout player on their preseason tour of the United States. He dictated the team's tempo, showed a superb passing range and looked at home tactically. Those performances came as Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister was still on a post-World Cup break, but some supporters are already campaigning for Nyoni to partner Gravenberch when the season begins.
MANCHESTER CITY
Few 17-year-olds arrive in the Premier League with a similar resume to Monga. Two years ago, aged 16 years and 34 days, the teenager erased former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton's 59-year-old record as Leicester's youngest starter, then beat Jude Bellingham's record as the Championship's youngest goalscorer days later. Operating mainly from the left wing, Monga stands out for his ability to beat players in one-on-one situations, repeatedly targeting opposition right backs.
No Championship player attempted more take-ons last season than Monga (6.5 per 90 minutes). He is in the Premier League now, though, having joined City in a £10 million deal this summer.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Still only 15 years old, J.J. Gabriel could yet become Manchester United's youngest-ever player. Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images J.J. Gabriel, 15, forward Gabriel made a mockery of the youth-level age gaps last season. He scored 23 goals in 23 U18 Premier League games against opponents up to three years older; he also won the league's inaugural U18 Player of the Season award and -- aged 15 -- became the youngest winner of the Jimmy Murphy award, which is given to Manchester United's best youth player.
Gabriel can play on the wing or as a false No. 9 and has loads acceleration, agility and balance as well as a clinical eye in front of goal. It is unclear whether he will earn his first-team debut for United this season, but he will break a 70-year-old club record as their youngest-ever player if he does before Oct. 25. The record is held by David Gaskell, who was aged 16 years and 19 days when he appeared for United in the 1956 Charity Shield.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
With Newcastle's midfield heavily depleted -- Sandro Tonali joined Tottenham Hotspur and Bruno Guimarães moved to Arsenal -- Steur will make up part of the rebuild.
Steur made 26 appearances for Ajax last season before joining Newcastle in a deal worth up to €27 million. He is a two-footed player who can play either defensive midfield or slightly further up. He has a superb first touch and fantastic passing ability. His positioning without the ball requires some work, but he has enjoyed an impressive preseason, meaning new boss Matthias Jaissle could make him an immediate starter in the first team.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
The biggest game of Abbott's young career to date is his starting role in Forest's FA Cup semifinal against Manchester City in April 2025. Last season he added three Premier League appearances and earned some minutes in the Europa League, and he will be hoping to play a bigger role going foward.
He is a composed, physically well-equipped center back. He can sense danger well and is confident stepping out of the backline when in possession. With new boss Oliver Glasner known for playing a back-three formation, Abbott could have a chance of becoming a regular in Forest's starting XI.
SUNDERLAND
Tutierov arrived at Sunderland from Ukrainian side Kolos Kovalivka in 2023, but he had to wait until last season for his first sustained spell in senior football. A January loan move to League One club Exeter City saw him score three goals in 17 games. He is a versatile attacker who can play any role on the front line, although he is at his best when driving at defenders or running in behind.
Tutierov may have been a candidate to leave the Stadium of Light this summer, but preseason goals against York City and Liverpool have meant Sunderland handed him a new contract until 2028.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Williams-Barnett has long shown a taste for the spectacular with some outrageous goals at academy level. A two-footed No. 10 or inverted winger, he can change direction in an instant, has excellent ball-striking and an ability to play in tight spaces. Williams-Barnett was Spurs' youngest Carabao Cup player last season and has impressed manager Roberto De Zerbi throughout preseason.
