Garnacho, Ferguson and 10 teenage Premier League stars to watch in 2023-24
Cameron Smith
- 10 Aug 2023 14:45 BST
- 7 min read
The 2023-24 Premier League season is right around the corner and the 20 clubs in England’s top flight have been very active in the summer transfer window so far.
Arsenal have spent over €230 million on the additions of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, while Chelsea’s spending under Todd Boehly has continued with the arrivals of Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson and more.
However, while big-name signings have once again dominated the headlines this summer, there are several teenage stars who will be looking to impress this season.
MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers: All the Done Deals
Some have already experienced breakout seasons but remain in their teenage years, and others will be looking to burst onto the senior stage with aplomb.
FootballTransfers takes a look at 10 teenage Premier League stars to watch in 2023-24.
MORE: Fantasy Premier League: The 10 most expensive FPL players in 2023-24
Alejandro Garnacho - Man Utd (18)
Alejandro Garnacho racked up 34 appearances in all competitions for Manchester United last season, but was mostly utilised as an impact substitute by new boss Erik ten Hag.
However, the Argentine, who made his senior international debut back in June, looks set to be handed a more starring role at Old Trafford this term.
Although Marcus Rashford also plays in Garnacho’s preferred position on the left flank, the former Atletico Madrid academy star is expected to feature heavily in 2023-24 after a promising pre-season in which he started games against Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Lens.
Evan Ferguson - Brighton (18)
Brighton & Hove Albion were one of the many surprise packages last season, with Roberto De Zerbi guiding the Seagulls to the Europa League for the first time in their history.
One man who played a key role in their climb up the Premier League table was Republic of Ireland forward Evan Ferguson.
The 18-year-old may have only amassed 1,344 minutes of action last season, due to a combination of competition from Danny Welbeck and a few injury problems, but he bagged 10 goals and provided three assists during his time on the field, and he’s set for an even bigger season this year.
Lewis Hall - Chelsea (18)
Chelsea youngster Lewis Hall is on the verge of signing a new long-term contract at Stamford Bridge before being loaned out to Crystal Palace for the 2023-24 season.
That loan move hasn’t been officially announced yet, but Hall will join a crop of fellow talented youngsters at Selhurst Park and should be given the platform to shine.
He was one of Chelsea’s standout performers in a poor 2022-23 campaign, but would be behind Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella in the left-back pecking order and wasn’t trusted in midfield by Mauricio Pochettino in pre-season.
At Crystal Palace, Hall could well feature in central midfield due to the presence of Tyrick Mitchell and that could give Chelsea the litmus test needed to determine whether he’s good enough to play in the middle of the park at Stamford Bridge in the future.
Carney Chukwuemeka - Chelsea (19)
One midfielder who is set to be handed a key role at Chelsea is 19-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka.
The England youth international was signed by the Blues from Aston Villa last summer, but was only given small cameos in which to display his immense talent. However, Pochettino used him regularly in pre-season and Christopher Nkunku’s injury has given him a free run at the No.10 position in Chelsea’s 4-2-3-1.
Chukwuemeka is full to the brim with talent and he could be set for a breakout year in west London.
Andrey Santos - Chelsea (19)
Yet another Chelsea youngster appears on this list, in the form of Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos.
The Blues splashed €12m on the 19-year-old in January, but loaned him back to Vasco da Gama for the rest of the 2022-23 season.
He’s now fully integrated into the Chelsea first-team after an impressive pre-season in which he was often deployed in Pochettino’s double pivot.
Santos may not start the campaign as first-choice, particularly if Chelsea sign a big-name central midfielder before the end of the window, but he’s likely to be given a fair crack at the whip as the Blues look for their best midfield configuration.
Matheus Franca - Crystal Palace (19)
Crystal Palace new boy Matheus Franca will miss the start of the new campaign through injury, but he could be set for a big first year in Europe.
The highly-rated Brazilian has arrived from Flamengo on a five-year deal after the Eagles fought off competition from Chelsea and Newcastle for his signature.
The attacking midfielder made over 50 appearances for Flamengo, netting nine goals, and could add a spark in Palace’s final-third following Wilfried Zaha’s exit.
Julio Enciso - Brighton (19)
Julio Enciso is another Brighton wonderkid who burst onto the scene last season. The Paraguayan took a while to force his way into De Zerbi’s thinking, but he became a pivotal cog in Brighton’s attack during the second half of 2022-23.
His brilliant strikes against Chelsea and Manchester City were the obvious highlights, but Enciso’s all-round game was equally impressive at such a young age.
The arrival of Joao Pedro and the return of Simon Adingra from loan means that competition for places is rife in the Brighton frontline, but Enciso is talented enough to become a mainstay at the Amex Stadium.
Kobbie Mainoo - Man Utd (18)
Man Utd look set to sign Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat this window, but youngster Kobbie Mainoo has garnered heavy praise this summer after his eye-catching performances in pre-season.
The 18-year-old started three pre-season games in the double pivot, with Mainoo often the deepest of the two. Casemiro will be first-choice and Amrabat will be his back-up if he arrives, but Mainoo looks to be trusted by Ten Hag and could be in for a big year.
Divin Mubama - West Ham (18)
Divin Mubama could become West Ham’s starting striker this season following the departure of Gianluca Scamacca and interest from several clubs in Michail Antonio - as exclusively revealed by FootballTransfers.
The 18-year-old academy graduate finished as the top goal-scorer in last season’s FA Youth Cup, with West Ham beating Arsenal in the final to win the competition.
Mubama also scored his first senior Hammers goal last campaign, thanks to a deflected effort against FCSB in the Europa Conference League.
2023-24 could be the season he announces himself on the Premier League stage.
Milos Kerkez - Bournemouth (19)
Bournemouth have pulled off a masterclass with the addition of Hungarian left-back Milos Kerkez from AZ Alkmaar.
The 19-year-old was one of the most promising young full-backs in Europe last season and he racked up over 4,000 minutes in all competitions for AZ.
He bagged five goals and provided four assists during that time, with his attacking verve catching the eye. Kerkez is quite frankly one of the most exciting teenage defenders in world football and could grow into a superb left-back under Andoni Iraola.
