The English Premier League is bursting with young talent, and the future of English football has never looked more exciting. With the best young English players lighting up the pitch, fans are witnessing the emergence of a new generation poised to dominate the sport.
Among them, the best young English strikers, midfielders, and defenders are leading the charge, showcasing incredible finishing, intelligence, and work rate. With the football expertise of our guest author, Evelyn Balyton, we’ll dive into the best young players in the Premier League, spotlighting those destined to be the next superstars of the game.
Get ready to meet the four future icons of English football:
- Jhon Duran
- Kobbie Mainoo
- Rico Lewis
- Alejandro Garnacho
The 4 Best Young Premier League Players in 2024/25 [Ranked]
Jhon Duran
Of course, Jhon Duran has shot up the list of best youngsters in the Premier League after his explosive start to the 2024/25 season. Interest in signing Duran over the last transfer window proved the world already knew of Duran’s potential. But no one foresaw his remarkable ball-striking ability, which is steadily outclassing even the best forwards.
Interestingly, Jhon Duran hasn’t started one of Aston Villa’s seven Premier League matches this season.
Fact: he came off the bench to score the winning goal in three of the only four games the Lions have won so far.
But that was only the beginning for this young Columbian.
Aston Villa finally qualified for the Champions League after 40 years and was immediately tasked with overcoming an unstoppable Bayern Munich at home. With the scoreline reading 0-0 by the 70th minute, Unai Emery took the gamble of replacing Watkins for Duran up the pitch.
Ten minutes later — there was a goal, and it was the 20-year-old again. Duran netted a beautiful one-time volley over the outstretched gloves of the great Manuel Neuer. Aston Villa went on to win the match, all thanks to Duran.
In 10 games with only one start, Jhon Duran is Aston Villa’s highest goal scorer with 6 goals so far in all competitions. Stats like this make Duran worthy of topping the list of best young players Premier League offers.
Jhon Duran has become so scary in front of goal that savvy sports bettors are taking advantage of the ‘Player to Score’ betting market after understanding reverse bets in sports. The average odds for Duran to score off the bench have been as high as 5 odds or more, considering he is not yet a main starter. Amazingly, Duran has beat the odds five out of eight times this season, giving bettors immense value for their stake.
Kobbie Mainoo
Mainoo the midfield maestro might be the youngest and most promising of all the players on this list. Kobbie Mainoo stepped on the pitch wearing a Man U jersey as a senior player for the first time in late 2023. Barely one year later, Mainoo has emerged as one of the best young English players of this generation.
Mainoo’s performance in the middle of the park has been nothing short of spectacular. From bossing the midfield against a dominant Liverpool side to scoring the FA Cup Final winner against a star-studded Man City and scooping the FA Cup Player of the Year – Kobbie Mainoo is announcing himself to the world in style.
“He’s a fantastic player. To come into Manchester United’s team at any time is really difficult and he’s come in at one of the most difficult times in the club’s recent history and he’s just stood out as someone whose temperament and composure is off the scale,” said Gary Neville.
His stellar performances for the Red Devils earned him a call-up to play in the Euros for the Three Lions, making Mainoo one of the country’s youngest starters. Kobbie Mainoo featured in all Euro knockout games, carefully guiding his team all the way to the finals, where England eventually lost 2-1 to Spain.
With Manchester United starting Mainoo in all seven Premier League games so far, it’s clear they see him as the club’s future. Some have even gone beyond calling Kobbie one of the best youngsters in the premier league to comparing him to greats like Sergio Busquets and Clarence Seedorf.
Rico Lewis
It’s not the fact that Rico Lewis is a 2x Premier League winner, Champions League winner, or treble winner that makes him one of the best young players Premier League has to offer. It’s his versatility and intelligence on and off the ball.
As Guardiola puts it, “He [Rico] can play in every position, he is so smart. You ask any player: ‘What is your position?’ And they say: ‘I play holding midfielder. I play winger. I play that.’ Rico plays football. If you put him in one position, he knows exactly what he has to do. He’s so intelligent. He’s playing [this season] because he’s playing really good.”
If anyone can spot a promising young talent, it’s Guardiola. And given that Rico Lewis is a Man City academy player, the Spanish coach has watched him play much more than the audience. He featured in 25 games last season, even becoming the 16th youngest scorer in the Champions League.
After an impressive showing, Guardiola has handed the 19-year-old Englishman six starts for Man City of the seven Premier League games so far. And with two brilliant assists for the full-back in just six games, Rico can go on to become one of the youngest Premier League players with such potential in his position.
Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho is only 20 and already has 64 Premier League matches under his belt. He is still one of the youngest Premier League players at the moment, but he is already becoming a household name amongst football fans. Garnacho brings lighting pace, versatility on both wings, and a ball-striking ability that wins crucial games.
We got a taste of what he can do with a ball when he scored a spectacular overhead kick against Everton that won Goal of the Season. Such bravery should be expected from Garnacho, a player who idolizes Ronaldo and has the opportunity to play alongside Messi.
Only the future can tell us whether he reaches the greats, but what’s certain is Alejandro Garnacho is among the best young Premier League players today.
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