One of the standout features of the Premier League season and restart in particular has been the rise of young talents in the country. Clubs all over the Premier League including the Big 6 are putting more of their faith in their youngsters and they are starting to reap the dividends. Academies like Chelsea and Arsenal are going through a purple patch currently with 4 and 5 graduates breaking into the first team and other teams like Manchester United are giving more and more impetus and importance to their youth. Part of this is down to the system that is created in each of the academies in the country and also the role of the youth system set up in St. Georges Park for the England youth teams which has enjoyed great success recently. In the past 4 years the England Youth Teams have won an U-20 WC, an U-17 WC, an U-19 European Championship and 3 Toulon tournaments. Clearly there is a special batch of youngsters in England at the moment and this season we are finally seeing some of that talent filter through in the premier league. But who are the standout talents in the league aged 20 or younger that are shining above the rest, lets take a look at the top 5.
5. Reece James
At number 5 we have Chelsea right back, 19 year old Reece James. England have been blessed with immense depth in the right back position, but Reece James has the ability to be the most complete one of them all. He joined Chelsea at age 6 and rose up the ranks in the immensely successful academy, winning the Chelsea academy player of the year in 2018. He also had a successful loan spell last season with Wigan, winning their player of the year award as well as being named in the Championship team of the season. This season he has had limited playing time but has managed 2 goals and 3 assists in all competitions. His major strengths are in the attacking third and he averages 6.4 crosses per game which is the most for any Chelsea player. He also has an xA of 0.17 per game which is pretty good considering the likes of Trent Alexander Arnold average an xA of 0.27 per game. He is also great with the ball on his feet and has a dribble success rate of nearly 75% which is the 3rd most for Chelsea players. Defensively as well Reece James is quite assured, and he averages 2.37 tackles per game as well as 2.73 blocks per game which is the most for any Chelsea player. At only 20, James still has plenty of time to improve and grow and he is set to be a key part of this Chelsea defense for years to come.
4. Gabriel Martinelli
Coming in at number 4 and the only non-Englishman on the list is 19 year old Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian forward was an unknown quantity coming to Arsenal from Brazilian side Ituano last summer for a fee of 6 million pounds, but he has hit the ground running at the Emirates. He has played as both a left winger and striker this season and has emerged in the spotlight thanks to his work rate, spatial awareness and predatory finishing. Jurgen Klopp even hailed him as the talent of the century and it’s not hard to see why. The teenager has scored 10 goals and bagged 4 assists so far this season and has averaged a goal contribution every 100 minutes which is nearly 1 per game. But those numbers don’t tell the entire story, it is his hunger and desire to play and work for the team that really stands out. He averages 33.4 pressures per 90 which is the most in the Arsenal squad and 7 more than the next best player, to add to that he averages an astonishing 1.7 tackles won per 90. Just last week Arsenal signed Martinelli to a new long term deal and he is set to be an integral part of their rebuild under Arteta.
3. Bukayo Saka
At number 3 on the list is another Arsenal teenager who recently signed a long term contract with the club and that is Bukayo Saka. Arsenal have had the likes of Eddie Nketiah, Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson break into the first team from the Hale End academy but undoubtedly the man who has made the most impact is 18 year old Bukayo Saka. He has scored 4 goals this season but more impressively he has bagged 12 assists this season in all competitions, which is only bettered by Kevin De Bruyne and Trent Alexander Arnold amongst PL players. Saka is an extremely proficient dribbler and averages 1.7 successful dribbles per game. He is also one of the main creative outlets for the gunners and is averaging 2.8 shot creating actions per 90 in the league. To add to that he has shown his defensive abilities during his time playing LB and he averages 2 attempted tackles each game. Also, the 18 year old has been so versatile this season, playing in various positions including Left Back, Left Wing Back, Left Wing, Right Wing and even Central Midfield. His ability to keep up his assist output despite being used in various positions for 3 different managers is a real testament to the quality that he possesses.
2. Phil Foden
If there was ever a poster boy for England’s next generation of superstars, it would definitely be Phil Foden. The Man City superstar rose to fame in the 2017 U-17 World Cup which England won and where Foden was awarded the Golden Ball. In the 3 years since then, Foden has won a whole host of silverware at Manchester City but has struggled to get loads of playing time in City’s star studded team. This season though he has been extremely impressive whenever he has played and even won the Man of the Match in the league cup final. Foden has 7 goals and 9 assists this season which is astonishing considering he has only played 1397 minutes, that means he is averaging a goal contribution every 87 minutes! He is also averaging 5.4 shot creating actions per 90 in the league which is 3rd amongst all Manchester City players. He is also 3rd amongst the squad for successful Dribbles per 90, averaging an impressive 2.3. With David Silva leaving Manchester next season, Foden is primed and ready take up his mantle in Central Midfield and show the world just how good he is.
1. Mason Greenwood
Without a doubt the number one talent in the Premier League is Manchester United star Mason Greenwood. There has not been as much hype about a young striker in England since the days of Wayne Rooney and so far, the Manchester United man has lived up to the hype. At 18 he has already become a regular first team player for the red devils and has scored the most goals in a PL season where the player turned 18 since Michael Owen in 1998. Greenwood has scored 16 goals this season on top of the 5 assists he has provided in all competitions. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer described Greenwood as the most natural finisher at the club and looking at the numbers it is not hard to see why. Greenwood has scored 9 goals in the PL this season despite having an xG of only 3.1. This means he has a league high difference between goals and xG of 5.9 and that means he is scoring goals from places which he statistically isn’t expected to and that is a mark of a great finisher. Also, he has a league high goals per shot of 0.27 and shots on target percentage of 54.5% which is another indication of his elite finishing. The 2 footed wonderkid is clearly years ahead of his age and is set to be a key member of this Manchester United and England set up for years to come.
This is a special bunch of talents coming through right now and they are set to be the face of this league for the best part of the next decade. But lets not get ahead of ourselves, the promise and talent is evident but it still needs to be matched with desire and hunger. And once that magic combination is achieved, for these extraordinary group of kids not even the sky is the limit.
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