As the new Premier League campaign gets under way, attention is turning to a fresh crop of young talents who could make a significant impact for their clubs this term.
Newcastle United moved early in the transfer window, before Eddie Howe's departure, to sign Dutch teenager Steur from Ajax in a deal reportedly worth up to £23m. Having made 25 appearances for the Amsterdam club last season, Steur is a two-footed midfielder comfortable both in a defensive role and further forward. Observers believe his composed passing and fearless temperament could see him seize opportunities at St James' Park, even if he is unlikely to be a guaranteed starter immediately. He will also have the benefit of learning alongside Lewis Miley, who has faced similar challenges adapting to first-team football at a young age.
Newly promoted Coventry City have broken their transfer record to sign Ghanaian midfielder Yirenkyi from Danish club FC Nordsjaelland for around £25m. The 'Right To Dream Academy' graduate, whose name is pronounced 'yur-INCH-ee', played every match for Ghana at the World Cup, including a start on the right of a back five against England, and also found the net against Panama. Named the Danish Superliga's Young Player of the Year last season, Yirenkyi is regarded as a versatile and energetic performer who prefers a central midfield role. Manager Frank Lampard is seen as well placed to help him develop further.
At Aston Villa, teenage striker Madjo has already turned heads with a string of pre-season goals. Born in London to Cameroonian parents and raised in Luxembourg, where he earned senior international caps, Madjo switched allegiance to England and has represented the Under-17s. Signed for just over £10m in January before a lengthy registration process was resolved, he scored four times in pre-season friendlies against Walsall, Real Sociedad and an Indonesia All-Stars side, then netted again on his competitive debut in the Super Cup win over Paris St-Germain. His physical presence has already drawn early, if premature, comparisons to Erling Haaland, and with Villa competing in the Champions League this season, he is expected to be given opportunities alongside established forwards Ollie Watkins and Tammy Abraham.
Bournemouth's reputation for developing low-profile defensive recruits into Premier League regulars — following the likes of Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi — could continue with Serbian defender Veljko Milosavljevic. He made his debut against Brighton last season despite then-head coach Andoni Iraola admitting uncertainty over his readiness, having only trained with him briefly after international duty with Serbia's Under-21s. Milosavljevic went on to make seven top-flight appearances before a knee injury in December ended his season, though a pre-season setback may delay his return this time.
Villa's midfield picture has also been shaped by the departures of Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, alongside Amadou Onana's ACL injury, opening a path for academy product Hemmings. Having progressed through Nottingham Forest's youth system before joining Villa's academy in early 2024, Hemmings has been developed under Unai Emery's demanding methods, with the manager previously noting he had spent more time