Premier League Season Nears: Young Talents Set to Shine

The new Premier League season is less than a month away from starting on August 21. Before that, most clubs have started their pre-season tours and friendly matches worldwide to prepare for the 2026-27 season. However, due to the recently concluded World Cup, many teams are not yet fully prepared. Players who reached the knockout stages of the World Cup in North America are on extended leave, giving young players a great opportunity to showcase their abilities to secure a place in the first team. The players who will benefit most from these opportunities will mostly be teenagers. Some have come up from their own club's academy, while others are talents brought in from other clubs for the future. Last year, Arsenal's Max Dowman and Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha got opportunities in the first team after excellent performances in pre-season. This year, here is a list of 10 potential young players who will follow in their footsteps:

1. Jobe Abey (Liverpool)

Rio Ngumoha has set a very high standard as a teenager at Liverpool. However, it is believed that Jobe Abey within the club can have the same level of impact in the future.

16-year-old Abey will have the opportunity to train with Liverpool's senior team for the first time this pre-season. He participated in some training sessions with coach Arne Slot last season at just 15 years old. He got that opportunity after scoring eight goals and providing three assists in 10 league games for the Under-18 team. Although his season ended early due to injury, Liverpool managed to keep him at the club amidst interest from Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City. Abey, who plays with his left foot, prefers to cut inside from the right wing. With the departure of Mohamed Salah and new signing Victor Munoz joining the team late after Spain won the World Cup, Abey is expected to have ample opportunities to showcase his talent.

2. Landen Imenalo (Chelsea)

With Marc Cucurella moving to Real Madrid, there is a vacancy on the left side of Chelsea's defense. Even if new coach Xabi Alonso adopts a three or four-man defense system, the competition for that spot will be open. While Jorel Hato, Levi Colwill, Valentin Barco, and Gio Kenda are options, young Landen Imenalo also wants to stake his claim.

Landen, the son of former Chelsea game director Michael Imenalo, has performed excellently for the club and England's age groups. Although he is a midfielder, he can also play as a left-back. Ball control and passing ability are considered his strengths, which are believed to impress coach Alonso.

3. JJ Gabriel (Manchester United)

Manchester United's 15-year-old forward JJ Gabriel is currently one of the most talked-about young players. While in the academy, he was nicknamed 'Little Messi'. Since then, fans have been increasingly curious about when he will reach the first team.

United is playing friendly matches in Dublin, Gothenburg, and Wroclaw during their European tour. Although Gabriel did not get an opportunity in the first match, coach Michael Carrick is expected to play him before the new season. Having scored 23 goals in 23 league games for the Under-18 team last season, Gabriel was named the best player in the Premier League Under-18. He also played a significant role in taking the team to the FA Youth Cup final. Capable of playing as both a striker and a winger, he is considered one of Manchester United's most talented future players.

4. Braden Graham (Everton)

Although forwards Beto and Thierno Barry showed some improved performances towards the end of last season, the club needs more goal-scoring players. Eighteen-year-old Braden Graham is a potential young talent who could fulfill that need.

Graham scored 25 goals in 34 games for various Everton youth teams last season. Due to his excellent performance, he received his first call-up to Northern Ireland's senior national team in June. He is now close to securing his place in senior football by being included in coach David Moyes' pre-season squad. Although he played as a center forward for most of his youth career, due to his physique, he has been played on the wing for the past year. He has been particularly impressive on the left wing, catching the attention of coach Moyes.

5. Bryan Mbeumo (Aston Villa)

Bryan Mbeumo, who got the chance to play in France's top division Ligue 1 at just 16 years old last season, attracted a lot of attention. After playing five games for Metz, Aston Villa signed him for £10 million in January. However, FIFA blocked his registration, so he has not been able to play an official match yet. Having played three senior international games for Luxembourg, he falls under the category of a foreign player, which means international transfers are restricted until he turns 18. However, he is permitted to play friendly matches, and he proved he is fully fit by scoring two goals against Walsall. The 6-foot-4-inch Mbeumo is compared to former Belgian star Romelu Lukaku. His main goal now is to impress coach Unai Emery and await his official debut.

6. Stefan Mfuni (Manchester City)

With many players busy with the World Cup, coach Enzo Maresca is in a situation where he has to give opportunities to young players in pre-season. While Jeremy Monga is in the spotlight, center-back Stefan Mfuni will also be under special observation.

18-year-old Mfuni debuted for Manchester City in January. He then went on loan to Watford and had an impressive performance in the Championship. Although his loan spell was cut short due to injury, he is now fully fit. Mfuni, who plays with his left foot, is considered a player who could reach the England national team in the future due to his game-reading ability, passing, and ball control.

7. Marley Salmon (Arsenal)

While all attention is on Max Dowman, Marley Salmon is another talented 16-year-old player emerging from Arsenal's Hale End Academy. Within the club, he is expected to become a regular first-team member in the future.

He played four games for Arsenal's first team last season. With William Saliba absent and Ben White and Jurrien Timber still recovering from injury, Salmon has a good chance of getting ample opportunities in pre-season. Capable of playing both right-back and center-back, he is a highly-rated young defender due to his mature playing style and excellent ball control.

8. Søn Stuhr (Newcastle)

Although Newcastle has lost some important players this time, they have brought in talented young players for the future. Among them, the most talked-about name is Søn Stuhr.

18-year-old Stuhr came to Newcastle from Ajax in the Netherlands for £23 million. Due to his excellent passing ability, he made a good impression in the Eredivisie last season. With midfielders who played in the World Cup on leave, Stuhr is expected to get many opportunities in pre-season. He is seen as a player who can fill the void left by Sandro Tonali or Bruno Guimarães.

9. Luca Williams-Barnett (Tottenham)

Although the last few seasons have been tough, Tottenham's future looks bright. Coach Roberto De Zerbi is building the team, and excellent talents are emerging from the club's academy. Among them, Luca Williams-Barnett is particularly in the spotlight.

He debuted for the first team in September last year at 18 years old but did not get many opportunities afterward. However, after an excellent performance against MK Dons, he was included in the squad for the tour of Australia and New Zealand. Capable of playing as an attacking midfielder and winger, he is expected to compete for regular playing time this season.

10. Jadok Yohanna (Brighton)

As every year, Brighton has invested heavily in young talent this time as well. Along with signing defender Luka Vušković from Tottenham, they have brought in winger Jadok Yohanna from Swedish club AIK for £21.5 million.

19-year-old Yohanna has scored five goals and provided four assists in 11 games for the club since the beginning of this year. Chelsea also tried to sign him, but Brighton was ultimately successful. Due to his speed, excellent dribbling, and ability to constantly pressure the defense, he is considered one of the most exciting young players in pre-season. He will have the opportunity to showcase his talent in Brighton's pre-season, which begins with a tour of France.

– Goal.com