Players whose stock will soar
The Premier League season is only two weekends old, with everything still to play for over the coming nine months. And while plenty of new signings have been made – some of whom feature in here – there are plenty more rising stars within clubs who are desperate to break out in 2018/19.
In this slideshow, we pick out one player per club who's set for a reputation-enhancing campaign…
Arsenal: Lucas Torreira
Torreira possesses the grit and dynamism that Arsenal’s midfield has long been crying out for, particularly in meetings with fellow top-fix opposition. The Uruguayan is still waiting for his first Premier League start, but it’s surely only a matter of time before he forces his way into Unai Emery’s starting XI.
Cases could also be made for Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson, but with Arsenal in flux and their future trajectory so uncertain, these are hardly the right conditions to blood younger players. It’s down to the 22-year-old Torreira, then, to provide some of what the Gunners have been missing.
Bournemouth: Lewis Cook
Cook is hardly on the fringes of the Bournemouth first team, having started 25 Premier League games last season. Nevertheless, there’s still so much more to come from him and, should the 21-year-old and his team enjoy a positive season, there’s every reason to believe that it might end with an England cap or two.
Cook’s defensive abilities remain a work in progress, as do Bournemouth’s generally, but improvements around him over the summer should help. When he reaches maturity, he’ll be one of the most cultured possession players in the country, and Eddie Howe is the ideal manager for a player of his ilk.
Brighton: Yves Bissouma
Bissouma cost £15m from Lille, so he’s hardly emerging from nowhere, but he looks like one of the most astute signings of the window. His career remains embryonic and, having never played in the Premier League before, the 21-year-old midfielder is entitled to an adjustment period – which is perhaps why he’s still waiting for a first start.
If Brighton struggle, English fans are unlikely to see the very best of him, but as and when they’re on the front foot – or transitioning between defence and attack – the full breadth of his skill set will become clear.
Burnley: Ben Gibson
It was important that Sean Dyche added depth over the summer as they juggle domestic and European commitments this season, and Gibson provides another excellent option at centre-back. He’s a typical Burnley player and should slot seamlessly into the defensive system, provided he can displace either James Tarkowski or Ben Mee from the starting line-up.
Much could depend on the Clarets’ Europa League play-off against Olympiakos; if Dyche’s side emerge victorious and advance to the group stage, they will need to rotate a great deal more in the winter. But after a first-leg defeat – and red card for Gibson – the signs are not promising.
Cardiff: Bobby Reid
He’s 25, but Reid will provide a nice, gentle contrast to the players around him. Neil Warnock has built his side on power, and if they are to survive it will be because of their physicality and muscle.
Yet the £10m signing from Bristol City is clearly a fine player, one who belongs at this level, and also someone whose selfless running and neat touches around the penalty box could add some valuable subtlety to Cardiff’s season. He’ll need to make the most of the chances that come his way if the Bluebirds are to beat the drop.
Chelsea: Callum Hudson-Odoi
Hudson-Odoi’s breakout season might come away from Stamford Bridge; Chelsea retain an aversion to young players and, despite having been so impressive in the Community Shield, the forward wasn’t even included in the matchday squad for the league opener at Huddersfield or the victory over Arsenal.
Direct and fearless, skilful and not shy of pulling the trigger, Hudson-Odoi is remarkably accomplished for a player of just 17 years old. A season in the under-23 league would do him no good really, so here’s hoping Maurizio Sarri either breaks the party line on academy products or Chelsea are able to place him somewhere smart for the year.
Crystal Palace: Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Wan-Bissaka was handed a baptism of fire upon breaking into the first team last season, facing Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea in his first three outings as a professional. The right-back performed admirably, though, and then got even better as the season went on.
He’s started the current campaign brilliantly too, notwithstanding the red card he received for a last-man foul on Mohamed Salah last time out. Athletic, bold and tough in the tackle, Wan-Bissaka has taken over from Joel Ward as Palace’s first-choice right-back under Roy Hodgson, so he should receive plenty of game time in 2018/19.
Everton: Tom Davies
Davies has been in the Promising Young Player category for a long time now, and the momentum he needs to break out of it remains elusive. Ademola Lookman has a chance of a good season, but Richarlison’s arrival is an extra layer of competition he could do without; Kieran Dowell also has an exciting future ahead of him, but this season will likely be a little too soon for him to make an impact.
So it’s down to Davies, who’s looking to impress yet another Everton manager in Marco Silva. Can the Portuguese get the best out of the energetic, industrious midfielder?
Fulham: Ryan Sessegnon
The 18-year-old Sessegnon is one the brightest talents English football has seen for some time and, having been a mighty force in the Championship in the last couple of years, this first Premier League season will provide a useful measure of his progress.
What he ultimately achieves will depend on the performance of the team as a whole, though, because Sessegnon is more component than pure individual. His best work is seen in well-timed runs on the left, measured finishing and cutting through-balls, so he’ll need his team-mates to step up in the top tier too.
Huddersfield: Philip Billing
A peripheral figure last year and now into his fifth season at the club, Billing has the attributes – and now the age (22) – to be very useful in defensive midfield. Standing at 6 ft3in, he’s intimidating physically and distributes the ball efficiently.
Aaron Mooy will start whenever he’s fit, but there’s a place in the engine room up for grabs alongside him. Jonathan Hogg got the nod more often than not last season, but this could be Billing’s time to seize the starting jersey.
Leicester: James Maddison
Give him 10 games, a month or two of trial and error, plus the opportunity to develop some chemistry with the players around him. Then, look and admire.
Maddison’s dead-ball ability is arguably his standout quality, but his creativity from open play is also hugely impressive. So too is his top-flight demeanour; he carries himself with a swagger, strutting around the pitch and radiating self-belief. He turned in a promising debut performance against Manchester United at Old Trafford, before netting in a 2-0 victory over Wolves – likely the first of many goals this season.
Liverpool: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Alexander-Arnold comes replete with all the usual athleticism found in a modern right-back, but his defending is also on a gradual upward curve and his delivery – both from set-pieces and open play – is a prominent strength too.
The good news for England (and Liverpool) is that the 19-year-old could eventually become a blend of all the best parts of Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier. It speaks volumes that Nathaniel Clyne’s career at Anfield could be on the verge of ending, with Alexander-Arnold now the undisputed first choice at right-back.
Manchester City: Phil Foden
Lukas Nmecha is an intriguing forward, but he’s been loaned to Preston for the season. Elsewhere, Brahim Diaz looks unlikely to ever break through with the competition ahead of him, so Foden is the only credible option.
The much-vaunted 18-year-old enjoyed a strong Community Shield display and certainly has his manager’s faith, but it’s really difficult to see how and under what circumstances he gets significant Premier League minutes – even with Kevin De Bruyne sidelined for two months. Hopefully that’s proven incorrect, though, because one day he really will be a super player.
Manchester United: Eric Bailly
Bailly endured a horrific afternoon against Brighton last weekend, and was probably the worst performer in an all-round dismal display from Manchester United. The Ivorian made several basic errors at the Amex, but he’s proven in the last two years that he’s a fine defender who possesses plenty of positive attributes.
A centre-back pool of Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling doesn’t represent the strongest competition for Bailly, who was one of United’s better players in the opening-night defeat of Leicester. He can be great –United certainly need him to be if they are to finish in the top four – and this might be the season when that £30m starts to look like a steal.
Newcastle: Kenedy
It’s a bit of a kick in the teeth, because Kenedy isn’t even Newcastle’s player. The Chelsea loanee is still potentially excellent, though, and will add the pulses of flair to an otherwise-pragmatic side. It’s a Catch-22, though: can anyone really see Mike Ashley ever paying the money to make this deal permanent?
That means if the 22-year-old Brazilian plays to his potential, it will actually be to Newcastle’s detriment in the long run. He’ll probably never play for Chelsea again – they seem to have already moved on – but a strong season will draw the attention of various suitors and probably price him out of the Magpies’ range.
Southampton: Stuart Armstrong
Armstrong has never played in England before and few fans south of the border will have seen him play. Signed from Celtic for £7m, the attacking midfielder has immediately been dropped into Mark Hughes’s starting XI.
Following Southampton's opening-day draw with Burnley, Armstrong’s manager made a point of praising his runs from midfield and his willingness to get forward. Interestingly, that’s the very quality which Southampton have been lacking in recent seasons, so expect him to be a hit on the south coast in 2018/19.
Tottenham: Harry Winks
Winks suffered a recurrence of an ankle injury in 2017/18, a setback which limited his involvement and probably cost him a place at the World Cup. There’s no doubting his talent, though, and the Englishman should receive plenty of minutes this term.
Distribution is the 22-year-old’s defining attribute and that habit of always finding a forward pass is precious. But he possesses a fantastic mentality too and, with Spurs having kept their chequebook in the drawer this summer, Winks’s fearlessness on the ball should give him a real chance to establish himself in Mauricio Pochettino's side.
Watford: Ben Wilmot
A transfer which was barely noticed, but a rare dip into the English market for the Pozzo family. Wilmot was signed for around £1.5m from Stevenage and those who know all say that the 18-year-old is one to watch.
More importantly for him, he’s a centre-half and, given Watford’s annual issues in that position, he should get a chance before too long. The Hornets have started the season well with Craig Cathcart and Christian Kabasele in the heart of the backline, but there will be opportunities for Wilmot to make his mark before the season is out.
West Ham: Declan Rice
A ball-playing centre-half at West Ham? Of course the natives are excited. Rice showed what a good defender he could be last year when he successfully broke into David Moyes’s team, and he’ll be hoping to maintain that momentum under Manuel Pellegrini.
One obstacle might be positional uncertainty; as seen in the 4-0 thumping by Liverpool on the opening weekend of the campaign, he’s not an accomplished holding midfielder (yet). His success will depend on him not becoming typecast as an East End Eric Dier, flitting between two positions.
Wolves: Ruben Neves
Head and shoulders above every other player in the Championship last season, Neves is the one to watch at Molineux. If that was in doubt, the 22-year-old’s stunning free-kick against Everton on the opening weekend of the season has already made him so.
The Portuguese midfielder was brilliant in 2017/18, so in a sense he’s already broken out, but regularly replicating that level of performance in the Premier League will put him on a different level entirely and push his value into the stratosphere. Watch this space.
