The best Premier League wonderkids under the age of 20: who's your club's top talent?
(Image credit: Getty)
Type 'Premier League wonderkids' into a google search and you'll get a lot of players we've known about for ages: Mason Greenwood, Mason Mount, Bukayo Saka, Curtis Jones...
But many of those wonderkids are already in their twenties; around the sort of age players are when they break into the first team. But what about the teenage talents lurking just behind them, waiting for their breakthrough?
Here we take a look at the brightest Premier League wonderkids, with one player from every club included in our list.
Arsenal: Charlie Patino
Age: 18 Nation: England Market value: €5m
Since Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are all 20 or over, let’s go with a player who’s not even featured in the Premier League.
Head of scouting at Arsenal, Sean O’Connor as called Charlie Patino the "best player who has ever walked through the doors at Hale End" while Arsenal scout Brian Stapleton has labelled him "the best kid I've ever seen." Note: Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere came through this academy. If Patino reaches his full potential, England have one hell of a midfielder on their hands.
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Aston Villa: Louie Barry
(Image credit: Getty)
Age: 18 Nation: England Market value: €1m
Diminutive no.9 Barry made national headlines when he swapped West Brom for Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy in 2019. Things didn’t work out in Catalonia, but a return to England, at Baggies rivals Aston Villa, has got things back on track. A well-taken goal against Liverpool in last season’s FA Cup third round reminded football fans what a talent he is. Now on loan at League One Ipswich, regular first team action is the name of the game.
Brentford: Myles Peart-Harris
Age: 19 Nation: England Market value: €8m
Brentford don’t often drop the ball on transfers. If they’re forking out for Chelsea academy products, you know they’re the real deal and not just Vitesse fodder. Myles Peart-Harris is just 19 but the attacking midfielder could well become a brilliantly well-rounded attacker while with the Bees: it’ll be intriguing to see how Thomas Frank handles his progress in the coming months.
After being loaned to League One side Rochdale last season, central defender Roberts was kept at the Amex this season, with Seagulls manager Graham Potter keen to integrate the youngster into the first team. A left-footer, Roberts could become a huge asset to Brighton and has already made several first-team cup appearances.
Burnley: Lewis Richardson
Age: 18 Nation: England Market value: €1m
Burnley have invested a lot of money into their academy, even before their recent takeover, as they look to sustain their status at the top of the football pyramid. Dwight McNeil has been a phenomenal success for the club and Lewis Richardson could be next, a bright attacking midfielder who would slot in on Sean Dyche’s right-wing like he was born for the job.
La Masia graduate Mbuyamba has been compared to fellow Dutch central defender Virgil van Dijk, thanks to his aerial presence (he stands at a whopping 6ft5), speed and composure in possession. He can also play right-back and may find himself in Thomas Tuchel’s first-team plans next season, with several Chelsea defenders looking likely to depart.
Crystal Palace: Michael Olise
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Age: 19 Nation: France Market value: €15m
Snapped-up from Championship side Reading for €10m over the summer, Olise has found himself swiftly integrated into Crystal Palace’s Premier League squad. The left-footed right winger scored his first top flight goal against Leicester on matchday seven, before bagging an assist at the Emirates a week later. Born in London, Olise has opted to represent France at youth level, which may explain Patrick Vieira’s desire to get him up to speed.
Everton: Lewis Dobbin
Age: 18 Nation: England Market value: €1m
Everton’s patience with Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been extremely fruitful, helping to develop one of the most sought-after forwards in England. Behind the young striker, Lewis Dobbin is stepping up to take substitute appearances under Rafa Benitez and could be the next off the conveyor belt. The Stoke-born teen is capable from the right or centrally and seems to have a natural instinct in front of goal.
Leeds United: Joe Gelhardt
Age: 19 Nation: England Market value: €1.5m
Born in Liverpool, Gelhardt has been part of the Whites youth set-up since signing from Wigan in the summer of 2020. Small, quick and incredibly hardworking (something any Marcelo Bielsa player needs to have), Gelhardt has made his first appearances for Leeds this season, coming off the bench in the club’s last two Premier League games. An assist against Wolves in the previous matchday will have done his chances of more first-team game time no harm.
Leicester City: Ben Nelson
Age: 17 Nation: Scotland Market value: €1m
Central defender Nelson was born in Northampton but has already made clear his intention to represent the Tartan Army. The 17-year-old was voted Leicester’s academy player of the year for 2020/21, and is developing well above his age group in the Foxes academy. He still has some growing to do, but has the technical ability to make it in the first team squad once he bulks up.
Liverpool: Harvey Elliott
Age: 18 Nation: England Market value: €25m
It’s hard to say how a player will recover from injury - especially at such a young age. But Harvey Elliott’s intelligence on a football pitch is incredible for his tender age and while he boasts physical speed, it’s his ability to know where to be along with a composure and assurance in possession that makes him truly exciting. He’s still got the potential to go to the very top - it might just take a little longer now he’s sidelined.
Manchester City: Liam Delap
Age: 18 Nation: England Market value: €1m
Son of former Stoke trebuchet Rory, Delap is a more attacking, nuanced player than his old man. The striker is known for his pace and composure and has already been given several runouts in Pep Guardiola’s first team, even scoring in the EFL Cup.
Manchester United: Amad Diallo
(Image credit: Getty)
Age: 19 Nation: Ivory Coast Market value: €18m
Signed from Atalanta in January 2021 for an initial €21.5m fee (which could rise to €39m with add-ons), Ivorian Diallo had been tracked by Red Devils scouts for years. Lauded for his speed, vision and close control, the winger is being slowly integrated into the first team. He has mainly started Europa League games for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side and has eight appearances, one goal and one assist to his name so far.
Newcastle United: Elliot Anderson
Age: 18
Nation: Scotland
Market value: €200k
Composed in possession and with an eye for goal, attacking midfielder Anderson has shone for the Magpies at various youth levels. Now the focal point of the club’s U23 side, the Scottish playmaker is looking to force his way into the first team at the earliest opportunity.
Norwich City: Christos Tzolis
Age: 19 Nation: Greece Market value: €10m
While the present is a slog for Norwich City, the future is bright - should their squad stay together. Todd Cantwell and Max Aarons are still just 23 and 21 respectively, Adam Idah and Josh Sargent up front are both 21 and Andrew Omobamidele is still a teen. The most exciting U20 at Carrow Road, though? Christos Tzolis is a thoroughly exciting prospect who can play across the front three and cost €10m in the summer. When the Canaries do pick up, he’s sure to excite fans.
Southampton: Tino Livramento
Age: 18 Nation: England Market value: €25m
Out of all of England’s right-back talent, Tino Livramento could become his country’s starter over the 2020s. The 18-year-old has been superb since moving to Southampton in the summer and with Chelsea still holding a buy-back clause on him, it looks like he’ll hit heady heights in the years to come.
Tottenham Hotspur: Dane Scarlett
Age: 17 Nation: England Market value: €10m
“I wanted to be the one to put him on in a Premier League match. Because I know that he will be somebody in a few years,” Jose Mourinho said of Dane Scarlett after giving him his league debut. While it was generally considered that Troy Parrott was the next Harry Kane, Scarlett might just beat him to the punch, impressing in youth football as well as making appearances in cup competitions and Europe over the last 18 months.
Watford: Kwadwo Baah
Age: 19 Nation: Germany Market value: €2m
Despite his young age, Kwadwo Baah has already had a spell at Rochdale, where he took well to the physical nature of the lower leagues and played over 20 times. The young German is tipped for big things at Watford and with the Hornets potentially fighting a relegation battle this season, he might get his chance to shine at some point on the big stage.
West Ham United: Amadou Diallo
Age: 18 Nationality: England Market value: €2m
Two-footed, incisive and brimming with confidence, Amadou Diallo has been a fixture for England’s youth sides alongside the likes of Jamal Musiala. Diallo is still hugely inexperienced and plying his trade in the Hammers’ youth set-up but his future is exciting.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Fabio Silva
(Image credit: PA)
Age: 19 Nation: Portugal Market value: €25m
After swapping Porto for Wolves in a massive €40m switch in September 2020, striker Silva has blown hot and cold in England. Clearly talented, the wafer-thin hitman needs to bulk up a little before he can unleash his full potential. He was called upon in the long-term absence of Raul Jimenez last season to little success, but Wolves are willing to remain patient on a player they believe can become a world-beater with the right guidance.
Ed is a staff writer at FourFourTwo, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career.
