Premier League’s Rising Stars: Teenagers Set for Summer Auditions

The Premier League’s next wave is already forming, and it’s gathering this summer in airports, training camps and far‑flung friendlies. Tours used to be about fitness and photo ops. This year, they’re auditions.

Across England’s elite, teenagers are being thrown into the deep end. Some are already carrying heavy expectation. Others are stepping into gaps left by superstars. All of them are about to find out how close they really are.

Liverpool’s next right‑sider: Abe steps into the Salah void

Liverpool have been here before. A precocious winger, still in school, drifting in from the right and making seasoned pros look slow. Last year it was Trey Nyoni and Amara Nallo catching the eye; before that, the club watched Kaide Gordon’s rise. More recently, the bar has been set by Ngumoha, whose pre-season impact forced his name into senior conversations.

Now comes Josh Abe.

Abe will get his first sustained spell with the first team on Liverpool’s tour of the United States, having already dipped into a few of Arne Slot’s sessions at just 15. Those came as a reward for a ruthless run with the Under-18s: eight goals and three assists in 10 league games, numbers that travel well at any level.

His season ended early through injury, but the impact lingered. So did the interest. Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City all circled, sensing opportunity. Liverpool dug in and kept him on Merseyside. He turned 16 earlier this month and remains theirs.

A left-footed winger happiest cutting in from the right, Abe could hardly have picked a better moment. Mohamed Salah has gone. Victor Munoz, fresh from Spain’s World Cup triumph, will arrive late. The space on that flank is real. Pre-season minutes might be limited, but the stage is big and the depth chart is thinner than usual. If he’s good enough, this is how the door opens.

Chelsea’s new left side: Emenalo Jr joins the fight

At Chelsea, the vacancy is more literal. Marc Cucurella has gone to Real Madrid, leaving the left-hand side exposed regardless of whether Xabi Alonso goes with a back three or a four.

The options are already stacking up. Jorrel Hato and Levi Colwill are the obvious, senior-squad candidates. New signings Valentin Barco and Geovany Quenda can both operate at wing-back, though Quenda is more naturally drawn to the right.

Into that traffic steps Landon Emenalo.

The surname is not subtle. He is the son of former Chelsea director of football Michael Emenalo, but the club’s staff are talking about his feet, not his family tree. A midfielder who can also fill in at left-back, he stands out for his composure on the ball, the kind of calm that tends to catch a coach’s eye in chaotic pre-season games.

Alonso is expected to take him on Chelsea’s tour of Australia and Asia, part of a cluster of academy talent heading out into the glare. Reggie Walsh, Shim Mheuka and Ryan Kavuma-McQueen are all tipped for big futures in west London and are likely to travel too.

For Emenalo, though, the pathway is clear. A new manager, a reshaped left flank, and a squad still in flux. If you’re a teenager who trusts his technique, you want this kind of summer.

“Little Messi” at United: JJ Gabriel steps out of the myth

Every academy has its whispers. At Manchester United, they’ve had one for years: JJ Gabriel, “Little Messi”.

Nicknames like that are usually a curse. In Gabriel’s case, they’ve only added to the anticipation. Inside the club, his rise has been tracked closely, the expectation quietly building towards a moment like this.

That moment should arrive over the next few weeks as United embark on a rapid tour of Europe, with stops in Dublin, Gothenburg and Wroclaw. Gabriel did not feature in the opening friendly against Wrexham, but Michael Carrick is expected to give him chances before the Premier League kicks off.

He turned 15 in October. It didn’t matter. Last season he dominated United’s U18s, scoring 23 goals in 23 league games and claiming the U18 Premier League’s Player of the Season award. He also drove United’s run to the FA Youth Cup final, leading the line with the swagger of someone far older.

Already capped by England at U17 level, Gabriel can play as a central striker or wide forward. Inside the club he is viewed as one of the most gifted academy forwards United have produced in decades. That’s a heavy tag. It’s also why there is genuine belief that when he finally steps onto the pitch this summer, he won’t need long to show why the nickname stuck.

Everton’s finisher-in-waiting: Graham hunts goals and minutes

Everton finished last season with signs of life from Beto and Thierno Barry, but not enough goals. The club wants Europe again, for the first time since 2017-18. To get there, they need more firepower.

Enter Braiden Graham.

The 18-year-old hit 25 goals in 34 games for Everton’s youth sides last season, a haul that earned him a first call-up to the senior Northern Ireland squad for their June friendlies. That’s not a normal trajectory for a teenager still finding his way at club level.

Now he joins David Moyes’ squad for pre-season, edging towards his first taste of senior football. For most of his youth career he played through the middle, a classic No.9. His slighter frame has nudged him out wide over the last year, and he has flourished off the left, cutting in and attacking defenders one-on-one.

Moyes likes forwards who work, who press, who run beyond. Graham has the instincts of a pure finisher and the hunger of someone who has had to adapt quickly. Everton need exactly that profile.

Villa’s Lukaku-style prodigy stuck in limbo

Some stories this summer are about opportunity. Brian Madjo’s is about frustration.

In the early weeks of last season, a 16-year-old English striker was starting Ligue 1 games for Metz. It barely registered in the UK, but scouts noticed. Aston Villa moved first, paying £10 million in January to bring Madjo to Villa Park.

Then FIFA stepped in.

Madjo, who turned 17 shortly before the transfer, had already earned three senior caps for Luxembourg before switching allegiance to England, where he was born. Under FIFA rules, those appearances classify him as a foreign player who cannot be transferred outside his “home nation” until he turns 18. Villa have challenged that at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but for now the ruling stands.

The teenager has been forced to watch from the sidelines in competitive action. He is allowed to play in friendlies, though, and wasted no time reminding people what he can do, scoring twice against Walsall in Villa’s first pre-season outing as Europa League winners.

At 6ft 4in, with power to match, Madjo has drawn comparisons to Romelu Lukaku. Within England’s youth ranks, he is viewed as one of the standout striker prospects. Whether he can feature in the first half of Villa’s season remains unclear. What is certain is that this summer still matters: Unai Emery will see him up close, and Madjo will have the chance to prove he’s worth the legal fight.

City’s new Maresca era and the rise of Mfuni

Manchester City’s squad is heavy with World Cup miles. Enzo Maresca knows he will have to lean on youth when City head to Asia.

Jeremy Monga, signed from Leicester City after City beat Arsenal to his signature, will draw plenty of attention. The one to really watch, though, might be at the other end of the pitch: Stephen Mfuni.

The 18-year-old centre-back made his City debut in January before heading out on loan to Watford. In the Championship, he impressed quickly, handling senior football with a maturity beyond his years. Injury cut that spell short, but he returns fit and ready.

Left-footed, composed in possession and sharp in his reading of the game, Mfuni looks built for modern elite defending. Premier League clubs are already queuing for a loan if City decide he needs another step before regular minutes at the Etihad.

Maresca’s system demands defenders who can play, who can step into midfield, who can control space. If Mfuni gets minutes on tour, City fans will see why there is already talk of a future England international in their ranks.

Arsenal’s next Hale End defender

Arsenal’s academy has been under the spotlight thanks to Ethan Nwaneri and, more recently, the buzz around Dowman. Yet Hale End has produced another 16-year-old who is quietly moving into Mikel Arteta’s plans: Marli Salmon.

Salmon made four first-team appearances last season, a significant number at that age in a title-winning side. Circumstances now offer him more room to grow. William Saliba is unavailable, while Ben White and Jurrien Timber continue their recoveries from injury.

When Arsenal’s pre-season friendlies start in early August, the versatile defender should see plenty of minutes. He can play at right-back or in his preferred position at centre-back, and is highly rated in north London for his calmness on the ball and his decision-making under pressure.

Hale End has supplied Arsenal’s attack for years. Salmon is a reminder that the production line at the back is alive as well.

Newcastle’s Ajax import: Steur to steady the midfield

Newcastle’s summer has been turbulent again. Key players have gone, the balance of the squad has shifted, and Eddie Howe has had to look to youth and smart recruitment to plug the gaps.

Sean Steur is a prime example.

Signed from Ajax for £23 million after breaking into their first team last season, the 18-year-old arrives with a reputation as one of the Eredivisie’s most gifted young passers. He was linked with several top Premier League clubs before choosing Newcastle, where he is expected to help cover the space left by Sandro Tonali and, potentially, Bruno Guimaraes.

With other midfielders still on post-World Cup breaks, Steur should see plenty of action as Newcastle spend most of pre-season in the UK. His range of passing and ability to dictate tempo could quickly make him a favourite in Howe’s possession phases.

This is not a speculative punt. It’s a significant fee, a defined role and a clear need. If Steur settles fast, he could move from pre-season curiosity to first-team regular in months.

Spurs’ homegrown spark: Williams-Barnett pushes for minutes

Tottenham have spent two years trying to redefine themselves. Under Roberto De Zerbi, they have a coach with a clear attacking vision. They also have a wave of academy talent ready to ride it.

Luca Williams-Barnett sits near the front of that queue.

The 18-year-old made his first-team debut last September but has had to wait for more chances. His patience might finally be rewarded. He impressed in Wednesday’s win over MK Dons and has been named in De Zerbi’s squad for the tour of Australia and New Zealand.

An attacking midfielder who can also play wide, Williams-Barnett offers the kind of fluid movement and sharp passing that fit naturally into De Zerbi’s style. His opportunities could increase further if fellow academy star Mikey Moore heads out on loan again.

Tottenham’s recent problems have often been about identity. Williams-Barnett, and others like him, give the club a chance to build one around their own.

Brighton’s big swing on Yohanna

Brighton have built a reputation on smart, low-cost bets on emerging talent. This summer, the numbers have changed, but the strategy hasn’t.

They have already agreed a £46 million deal for Tottenham centre-back Luka Vuskovic. Then came another statement move: £21.5 million to AIK for winger Zadok Yohanna.

The 19-year-old arrives on the south coast with serious momentum. Since the turn of the year he has scored five goals and provided four assists in just 11 club appearances, form that put him on Chelsea’s radar before Brighton struck.

Yohanna is quick, direct and armed with a full bag of tricks. He relishes one-on-ones and looks built to torment full-backs in transition. As Brighton head to France for the first leg of their pre-season, he will be desperate to show why the club were willing to pay so heavily for potential.

Brighton’s track record with this profile of signing is strong. If Yohanna follows that pattern, the fee will soon stop being the story.

Across the league, these tours will be remembered less for results and more for revelations. Somewhere in the heat of a training session in Texas, a friendly in Dublin or a night in Asia, a teenager will step out of the shadows and force a manager to rethink his plans.

Which of them turns a promising summer into a permanent place is about to be decided.