Emerging Stars of the Premier League 2023-24

The Premier League’s new season is close enough to touch. The established stars will dominate the billboards and the broadcast promos, but as last year’s sudden rise of Arsenal’s 16-year-old Max Dowman proved, the real intrigue often lies just beneath the surface. Across the country, teenagers and untested imports are lining up for their shot at the spotlight.

Here are the young players who could force their way into the conversation.

Arsenal – Marli Salmon, 16, centre-back

Arsenal’s title push rests on the rock-solid axis of Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba, a pairing that feels immovable. Behind them, though, a 16-year-old converted forward is quietly learning how to dismantle Premier League attacks.

Marli Salmon has been reshaped into a centre-back and already looks unnervingly calm. He reads danger early, attacks the ball in the air and is brave enough to dribble out of pressure. He can also slot in at right-back, which gives Mikel Arteta more flexibility when rotating. Dislodging Gabriel or Saliba is a huge task, but Salmon’s composed preseason suggests he will start to appear in cup ties and late-game cameos. Once a teenager gets a taste, those minutes can snowball.

Aston Villa – Brian Madjo, 17, centre-forward

Brian Madjo’s route to Villa Park has been anything but straightforward. Born in London, raised in Luxembourg, capped three times by the country’s senior side, then switched to England’s youth ranks. Now he stands 6-foot-3, a hulking presence at the tip of Unai Emery’s attack.

Madjo isn’t just a battering ram. He runs the channels, presses with intent and can spin in behind as easily as he can pin a centre-back. Signed from Metz for around £10 million in January, he hit four goals in preseason and started against Bayern Munich while Ollie Watkins enjoyed his post-World Cup break. Watkins will reclaim the No. 9 shirt, but Madjo has already shown he is more than just a project for tomorrow.

Bournemouth – Malcolm Dacosta, 18, defensive midfielder

Malcolm Dacosta does not look like a typical holding midfielder. At 6-foot-3, the Ecuador youth international strides through games, covering ground with long legs and an even longer passing range.

He can screen the back four, yes, but he also drives forward on the dribble and carries a threat from distance. Bournemouth named him their 2025-26 Academy Player of the Year, and he has spent plenty of time on the first-team bench. This summer, he impressed new manager Marco Rose, even chipping in with a goal during a 10-1 preseason demolition of Genoa. That kind of performance is hard to ignore when the real stuff starts.

Brentford – Benjamin Fredrick, 21, centre-back

Benjamin Fredrick arrives at Brentford with more seasoning than most academy graduates. Fifteen top-flight games for Dender in Belgium and five appearances in 2026 World Cup qualifiers for Nigeria have already hardened him.

He is quick across the ground, aggressive in duels and comfortable both centrally and at right-back. In either role he defends big spaces without panic and dominates in the air. Brentford trust their recruitment model; Fredrick looks like the next data-backed bet ready to pay off.

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

Brighton have built a reputation for spotting talent before anyone else, but this time they smashed a record to do it. Zadok Yohanna left Nigeria only last summer for AIK in Sweden. Within months he had made his Allsvenskan debut, earned a starting spot, scored his first goal and received a Nigeria call-up, only for a hamstring injury to intervene.

Brighton still moved decisively, breaking the Swedish transfer record with a €25 million deal. The reason is obvious on tape. Yohanna’s acceleration and close control make him a nightmare in one-on-ones; in several games he racked up double-digit successful dribbles. His decision-making still needs sharpening, yet the raw material is electric. If Roberto De Zerbi unleashes him this autumn, full-backs across the league will feel it.

Chelsea – Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, 16, central midfielder

Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli has grown up in Chelsea blue. Born in Sydney but raised near Cobham, he joined the club at under-8 level and has been fast-tracked ever since.

Last season he became Chelsea’s youngest-ever UEFA Youth League starter and their youngest scorer in the competition. He can operate in multiple central roles, combining physical presence with an unusual level of 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. That is not a token gesture. It is a statement of trust.

Coventry City – Carlo Yirenkyi, 20, central midfielder

Coventry’s Premier League return needed a heartbeat in midfield. They may have found it in Carlo Yirenkyi, the latest standout from Ghana’s Right to Dream Academy, the same pathway that produced Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus.

Yirenkyi spent the past two seasons at Nordsjælland, where he was named the Danish Superliga’s Young Player of the Season. He is a relentless box-to-box runner, an aggressive ball-winner and a midfielder who can break lines with or without the ball. On the biggest stage so far, he started Ghana’s World Cup opener against Panama and scored a 95th-minute winner. Coventry paid a club-record £23 million to bring him in. They expect him to drive their survival bid, not just decorate it.

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

Crystal Palace know a thing or two about wide players who love a duel. Joél Drakes-Thomas has been in the club’s system since he was six and fits that tradition perfectly.

He is quick, direct and fearless, operating either as a right winger or an attack-minded wing-back. He constantly looks to isolate and beat his full-back but still tracks back with discipline. His senior debut in the Conference League against KuPS was eye-catching, and days later he became Palace’s youngest-ever Premier League player at Leeds. After helping the club’s U18s win the Premier League Cup and signing his first professional contract in July, he looks primed for more nights under the Selhurst Park lights.

Everton – Braiden Graham, 18, forward

At Linfield, Braiden Graham rewrote the record books, becoming the club’s youngest-ever player when he debuted in the Irish top flight at 15. Three years on, he is waiting for his first senior minutes at Everton.

Graham can play across the front line but often drifts in from the left, using his mobility and sharp finishing to torment defenders. Twenty-one goals at youth level last season earned him a first Northern Ireland call-up. He has trained with the first team throughout preseason. With Everton in need of goals and energy, the door is ajar.

Fulham – César Palacios, 21, central midfielder

César Palacios knows how quickly fortunes can turn. Seven minutes into his first senior outing for Real Madrid, a preseason friendly against AC Milan in 2024, he tore his ACL.

He fought his way back via Castilla, Real Madrid’s B team, and responded with 14 goals from midfield last season. His trademark is the late run into the box, timed to perfection and often finished with conviction. Fulham paid €10 million to sign him this summer and reunite him with Álvaro Arbeloa, his former Castilla coach and now the man in charge at Craven Cottage. Arbeloa knows exactly what he is getting: a midfielder who arrives, not one who waits.

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

Jens Hjertø-Dahl grew up studying Sergio Busquets, yet at 6-foot-4 and with a nose for goal, he offers a twist on the template. The Norwegian often plays higher up the pitch, dropping deep to receive before gliding forward with a calmness that belies his age.

Where he truly separates himself is in the penalty area. Busquets scored 19 times in more than 700 games; Hjertø-Dahl hit seven in 14 league matches for Tromsø last season. Hull spent around €9.3 million to bring him in and now face a pleasant dilemma: is he their metronome, their No. 10, or something in between? Whatever the answer, they will want him on the ball near the final third as often as possible.

Ipswich Town – Sindre Walle Egeli, 20, attacking midfielder

Ipswich shattered the Championship transfer record to sign Sindre Walle Egeli for £17.5 million last summer. The Norwegian winger did not explode immediately, managing just four league goals, but the raw tools are hard to miss.

Cutting in from the right onto his left foot, he whips curling shots toward the far corner and fires in-swinging crosses and threaded passes into dangerous areas. The Premier League will be a step up, yet a second season in England, with promotion secured, offers a clean slate. If he adjusts to the tempo, that left foot will start to decide games.

Leeds United – Alfie Cresswell, 19, defensive midfielder

The Cresswell name already carries weight at Elland Road. Alfie’s brother, Charlie, came through the Leeds academy before moving to Ligue 1 in 2024, while their father Richard led the line for the club between 2005 and 2007.

Now it is Alfie’s turn. Converted from centre-back to holding midfielder, he brings the duelling instincts and positional discipline of a defender to the base of midfield. On the ball he has improved steadily, offering cleaner distribution and more composure. His biggest challenge is not ability but opportunity. Daniel Farke leaned heavily on senior players to keep Leeds up last season. Whether he opens the door for another academy graduate will shape Cresswell’s year.

Liverpool – Trey Nyoni, 19, central midfielder

Trey Nyoni has been hovering on the edge of Liverpool’s first team since he arrived from Leicester City at 16. Six Premier League appearances last term hinted at the club’s belief. This summer, he made it impossible to ignore.

On the preseason tour of the United States, Nyoni dictated games. He set the tempo, sprayed passes over short and long distances and looked completely at ease within Andoni Iraola’s structure. Those displays came while Alexis Mac Allister rested after the World Cup, but they sparked a debate among supporters: should Nyoni start alongside Ryan Gravenberch when the season kicks off? When a teenager forces that kind of conversation at Anfield, something is shifting.

Manchester City – Jeremy Monga, 17, attacking midfielder

Few 17-year-olds arrive at Manchester City with a CV like Jeremy Monga’s. Two years ago, at 16 years and 34 days, he became Leicester City’s youngest-ever starter, breaking Peter Shilton’s long-standing record. Days later he overtook Jude Bellingham as the Championship’s youngest goalscorer.

Operating mainly from the left, Monga relentlessly attacks full-backs, thriving in one-on-one situations. No player in the Championship attempted more take-ons last season than his 6.5 per 90 minutes. City paid £10 million to bring him into their galaxy of attacking talent. Breaking into Pep Guardiola’s side is another challenge entirely, but Monga has already shown he does not scare easily.

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

J.J. Gabriel spent last season making a mockery of age groups. At 15, he scored 23 goals in 23 U18 Premier League matches against players up to three years older, claimed the league’s inaugural U18 Player of the Season award and became the youngest winner of Manchester United’s Jimmy Murphy prize for best youth player.

He can play wide or as a false No. 9, combining explosive acceleration with balance and a ruthless streak in front of goal. Whether he makes his senior debut this season is still unclear. If he does so before Oct. 25, he will eclipse a 70-year-old club record held by David Gaskell as United’s youngest-ever player. Old Trafford has seen generations of prodigies; few have had a shot at history quite this early.

Newcastle United – Sean Steur, 18, central midfielder

Newcastle’s midfield has been ripped apart. Sandro Tonali is at Tottenham, Bruno Guimarães at Arsenal. In their place, the club have turned to youth and potential, and Sean Steur sits at the heart of that plan.

Signed from Ajax in a deal worth up to €27 million, Steur arrives with 26 senior appearances behind him. He is two-footed, comfortable as a deep-lying midfielder or in a more advanced role, and boasts a velvet first touch with crisp passing to match. Off the ball, his positioning still needs polish, but his preseason performances have impressed new coach Matthias Jaissle. An immediate starting role is on the table.

Nottingham Forest – Zach Abbott, 20, centre-back

Zach Abbott has already had a taste of the big stage. He started Nottingham Forest’s FA Cup semifinal against Manchester City in April 2025, then added three Premier League appearances and Europa League minutes last season.

Tall, composed and physically strong, he reads danger well and steps confidently out of defence with the ball. New manager Oliver Glasner favours a back three, a system that could suit Abbott perfectly. With an extra centre-back slot to fight for, this could be the season he stops being a prospect and becomes a pillar.

Sunderland – Timur Tutierov, 21, attacking midfielder

Timur Tutierov’s Sunderland career took time to ignite. Signed from Kolos Kovalivka in 2023, he had to wait until a loan move to Exeter City last January for regular football, scoring three times in 17 League One games.

He can operate anywhere across the front line, but looks most dangerous when driving at defenders or darting in behind. This summer he seemed a possible departure candidate, yet preseason goals against York City and Liverpool forced a rethink. Sunderland responded with a new contract running to 2028. They are betting that his late surge was the start of something, not a blip.

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

Tottenham’s production line of technical attackers shows no sign of slowing, and Luca Williams-Barnett is the next name pushing towards the first team.

At 17, he already carries himself like a senior playmaker, drifting between the lines, demanding the ball and looking to pierce defences with sharp passes or quick bursts of acceleration. Spurs have been careful with his exposure, but as the season wears on and the fixture list thickens, his creativity could become a valuable weapon off the bench.

The Premier League will always belong, first, to its megastars. Yet every season, someone unexpected barges through the side door and refuses to leave. From J.J. Gabriel chasing a 70-year-old record at Old Trafford to Zadok Yohanna arriving on the south coast with a nation’s hopes on his shoulders, this new campaign is stacked with young players who are not content to wait their turn. The only question now is which of them will seize it.