Nowadays football is a billionaire business and the economic pressure has a heavy influence on the club’s decisions. It means that many times the pressure doesn’t allow the clubs to look at their academies and invest in the young talents. This is evident all around the world, but more in the richest clubs, like the big ones in the Premier League. Even so, some top division clubs start to look to internal talents and the panorama could change in the next years.
In the current season, some of the big English clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, or Liverpool gave some opportunities to young players. And the academy players showed that they are ready. We selected three young stars that could shine in the Premier League next season.
William Saliba (Arsenal)
Arsenal is one of the biggest European clubs that give good opportunities to young talents. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are two of the most recent examples of this successful policy led by the Gunners. The next name to appear in the top flight could be William Saliba. The Frenchman stood out at Saint-Etienne with only 19 years old and was bought by the Gunners.
In the current season, he is on loan at Saint-Etienne and continues with the good performances in Ligue 1. In 2020/21 Arsenal should count on him, also because the defensive problems are evident. And the Arsenal weaker point could be a big opportunity for Saliba. Saliba usually plays as a center-back, but he can also play as a right-back.
Harvey Elliot (Liverpool)
The youngest player ever to appear in a Premier League match isn’t a surprise in this list. Elliot seems destined to have a big career and next season could be a big one for him. At 17, the English prodigy already has 8 appearances with the Liverpool first team and for many fans, he is already a true idol. Not only because of his quality but also because he’s a true Liverpool fan. In the past, he refused to meet Sergio Ramos on a visit to the Real Madrid training center because he remembered the episode of the Spanish defender with Salah in the 2018 Champions League final.
Ian Maatsen (Chelsea)
Chelsea has already shown that they are able to make a significant financial effort to prepare for the next season. Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner are two of the names already confirmed, but the Blues have also proved this season that they can do great things with younger players. Reece James (20 years old), Mason Mount (21), Billy Gilmour (19) or Hudson-Odoi (19) are some of the young academy stars who have already earned their place on Chelsea’s squad.
The next in line is Ian Maatsen. The 18-year-old Dutch left-back could be a valid alternative for Lampard next season. The good performances in Chelsea’s Under-23 team and also with the Dutch national team are being closely monitored by the Londoners’ coach, who has even called him to make his first-team debut early in the season, in an EFL Cup game.
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