The 15 best under-21 players in the Premier League | OneFootball

Highlights

The Premier League has long been home to some of the best talents in world football. From Cantona to Henry, Drogba to Ronaldo, and more recently Salah to Haaland, England’s top flight has been star-studded ever since its rebranding in 1992.

That’s not to say that the division solely focuses on the biggest and brightest stars. English football has quite the track record when it comes to producing and developing some of the finest young talent in the game. Teams like Manchester United, Arsenal, and West Ham United have all, in different stages of their history, been home to some of the most promising prodigies in the sport.

Despite the money that floods into the competition every season, it hasn’t stopped clubs investing in their future. Whether that be through developing talent in their own youth system or taking a risk by bringing in unproven individuals full of potential, the Premier League remains the home of some of the next generation's biggest names.

Here at GIVEMESPORT, we have taken a look at all of them and whittled them down to a top 15. We have taken into account what they have achieved in their short careers so far, the potential they have, and the opportunities they have at their current clubs to develop. It was tough to whittle it down, but, without further ado, let's dive into our 15…

1 Evan Ferguson

Brighton & Hove Albion (19)

The Irish figurehead has been nothing short of superb since breaking through at The Seagulls. A testament to the way in which the South Coast club develops its youngsters, Ferguson is the first, but certainly not the last Brighton player to appear on this list.

Having been highly praised at the youth level, his breakthrough year came in the 2022/23 season, scoring 10 goals in all competitions. He has followed that up with another six goals this campaign, including his first professional hat-trick. He has since gone on to make his international debut for the Republic of Ireland and, unsurprisingly, has drawn interest from some of the Premier League’s biggest teams.

2 Levi Colwill

Chelsea (20)

Since the 2000s, Chelsea has not been perceived as a team inclined to provide opportunities for their youth players to thrive. This perception persists despite the club winning the FA Youth Cup seven times since 2010. However, since the imposition of their transfer ban in 2019, we have witnessed an increase in the promotion of academy products to the first team, solidifying their positions there. Examples of this resurgence include Mason Mount and Reece James, both pivotal in Chelsea's 2021 Champions League triumph.

Levi Colwill is the most recent illustration of this trend, even donning the armband for The Blues during the 2023/24 season at the youthful age of 20. Versatile in his capabilities at centre-back or left-back, the former Brighton loanee appears to be positioning himself as the next John Terry for club and country. According to WhoScored, he is currently among Chelsea's top performers and is poised to improve even further in the years to come.

3 Rasmus Hojlund

Manchester United (20)

The Dane’s agonizing wait for a Premier League goal finally came to an end in dramatic fashion on Boxing Day 2023. Completing his side's turnaround against Aston Villa, the relief across Rasmus Hojlund’s face was clear to see. However, in that time, he has shown glimpses of what he can become.

Alongside the five goals he netted in the Champions League before his first domestic strike, Hojlund’s energy and physical presence give him a brilliant foundation to build from. His misfortune is not always his fault. According to the Daily Mail, via Opta, stats from the middle of December showed that the striker was at the bottom in passes received in the entire Premier League. With that in mind, it is no wonder he has struggled to find the net.

Should his teammates be able to find him in better areas more often, we can expect to see confidence build, and Hojlund will blossom into the player Erik ten Hag believes he can be.

4 Alejandro Garnacho

Manchester United (19)

Following Hojlund on this list is his teammate Alejandro Garnacho. The Argentine wizard has already produced some spectacular moments in the early stages of his career: a late winner against Fulham in 2022, two goals that sparked Manchester United’s comeback against Aston Villa a year later, and, of course, the Puskas-worthy overhead kick at Goodison Park.

With stiff competition on the left-hand side, Garnacho has had to be patient in his pursuit for a run of starts. A couple of underwhelming games, and he may be at risk of losing his place in the team for a period. However, his dynamic nature is undeniably exciting and a breath of fresh air during what is a turgid time at Old Trafford. This shouldn’t be a surprise, though, given the fact that he has learned from both Messi and Ronaldo.

5 Romeo Lavia

Chelsea (19)

The Belgian midfielder was the talk of the town during the 2023 summer transfer window. Having adapted easily to the Premier League while at Southampton, a tug of war between Chelsea and Liverpool ensued for his signature. In the end, it was the Londoners who came out on top.

His progress since then has been blighted by injuries. As a result, he has only played 32 minutes of football since joining up with Mauricio Pochettino. Now on the comeback trail, an opportunity for Lavia to shine seems probable given the club's inconsistent form. If he displays the same level of dominance in the middle of the park as he did for the Saints, Lavia could be right back on track to fulfilling his potential.

6 Harvey Elliott

Liverpool (20)

Liverpool may have missed out on the young Belgian, but they do have their hands on another midfielder who has the potential to light up Anfield. Harvey Elliott became the youngest Premier League player when he made his debut at just 16 years old. Although that record has since been topped, so have Elliott’s accolades.

The Englishman has been a part of two domestic cup final victories for the Reds, and in 2023, he found himself becoming a pivotal super-sub for Jurgen Klopp’s men. Although he would likely prefer to be getting opportunities from the first whistle, the impact he has been able to make is promising and shows that he deserves his place in one of the top teams in the country.

Manchester City (19)

We've seen it before, where Pep Guardiola falls in love with a new youngster and carefully guides them to hit the highest of heights. It worked out well for Phil Foden, and there’s little to no doubt that it will work out for Rico Lewis.

Despite being a member of a packed Manchester City squad, the teenager has become a fairly frequent appearance maker since stepping into the first team. He has taken advantage of the fact that he is perhaps at his strongest in the left side of defence, an area that seems to be City’s weakest.

His performances have seen him make his England debut, and with fitness concerns always surrounding Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell, Lewis may find himself as England’s first-choice left-back for the 2024 Euros if he continues his positive development.

The calm and composed teenage sensation tantalized Manchester United fans during the 2023 pre-season with assured displays against the likes of Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund. This saw him rewarded with a start against Real Madrid. However, the 18-year-old would pick up an injury early on that ruled him out of the early stages of the campaign.

Upon his return, Mainoo has been settled in the middle of the park, a much-needed presence with the likes of Casemiro and Mason Mount missing through injury. Nothing seems to faze the Englishman, who has the potential to act as the next Michael Carrick for years to come.

Chelsea (20)

It seemed a fairly surprising move when Aston Villa let go of one of their most promising youngsters to a Premier League rival. Whether it turns out to be a smart move remains to be seen, but for now, we believe the midfielder has what it takes to reach his potential.

Having already featured more for Chelsea than at his previous club, there is no doubt there is some stock in the Austrian-born 20-year-old. However, given how stacked Chelsea’s midfield is, what may harm him is the lack of opportunities to surpass the likes of Fernandez, Caicedo, and company.

10 Julio Enciso

The Paraguayan attacker has made a strong impression since arriving at the Amex in 2022. Not only has he produced some exciting displays, but he’s even in line to win a major award at The Best FIFA awards later this month.

The 19-year-old is the favourite to win the Puskas award, thanks to a stunning 30-yard belter against, of all teams, Manchester City. That has been his standout highlight at the club so far, but it is a clear indicator of what he is capable of. Given Brighton’s track record with the likes of Caicedo and Cucurella, don’t be surprised if Chelsea decide to add him to their ever-growing squad before too long.

11 Alex Scott

Bournemouth (20)

The former Bristol City playmaker was impressing many with his skill and composure in the Championship, one of the toughest and most physical leagues in the world. It was then no surprise when Premier League clubs came looking, with Bournemouth securing a £25m deal for Scott.

The midfielder spoke of the difficulty the speculation surrounding him caused. However, he has now seemed to have found his feet at the new club. Having netted his first Premier League goal in a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham, the Englishman is beginning to show on the grandest stage just what the hype is about.

12 Facundo Buonanotte

Brighton & Hove Albion (19)

Yet another young Brighton player who will be looking to force his way to the top, Buonanotte has already featured for the Argentine national team despite only playing 14 times for the Seagulls up to that point. While he faces stiff competition and we arguably have not yet seen the best of him in the blue and white, the attacking midfielder is at the right club to develop his career further.

Although he may not reach the heights of some of the others that have come before him, we have enough faith that the 19-year-old will at least make another appearance for his national team before his time is done.

13 Jack Hinshelwood

Brighton & Hove Albion (18)

Last but certainly not least from the Brighton contingent is Jack Hinshelwood. The 18-year-old's inclusion in the first team was so abrupt that, as of the time of writing, WhoScored has yet to update his height and weight information. As unexpected as it was, he has made sure to make the most of his opportunity.

With injuries impacting the squad, the teenager moved from his traditional holding midfield spot and converted to the right side of defence with relative comfort. He has even chipped in with a couple of goals already this season, equaling that of Buonanotte’s Brighton tally.

14 Lewis Miley

Newcastle United (17)

Speaking of players who have made the most of injuries, Lewis Miley has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the ongoing injury crisis at St James’ Park. The 17-year-old has been fast-tracked to the first team and has featured in games against the likes of Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, and AC Milan.

While there is no doubt that Newcastle miss some of their key players, Miley’s performances have shown a level of maturity not expected from a player who has not long left school. Fans have been crying out for a superstar to come through the ranks in recent years. Could Miley be the answer to their prayers?

15 Aaron Ramsey

Burnley (20)

While this may seem like a strange pick given that Ramsey has so far only started two games this season, we feel as though he is the right profile of player to have a successful Premier League career.

Given the fact he had never made a top-flight appearance before joining Burnley, it is no surprise that the youngster has needed to adapt to the top level of English football. That, combined with the fact that Vincent Kompany’s men are struggling, means that Ramsey’s attacking nature is perhaps the opposite of what the club needs on the pitch right now. However, there is still a bright spark there, and given the fact that the 20-year-old has been a success in youth international football, we think there’s still time for him to develop further. Maybe another season in the Championship will do him no harm.