With less than 40 days to go for the new season of the Premier League, managers are busy strengthening their squads in order to add quality to ensure the top prize. While millions are being spent on a number of players, there is a specific set of players who are keen for the season to arrive so that they can prove to their respective managers that they belong in the first team plans, the youngsters.
In this segment, we look at 5 U-21 players who can become crucial to their respective club’s plans in the coming season.
#1 Marcus Rashford: 18 Years Old (Manchester United)
The 18-year-old striker was handed his big opportunity due to an injury to Anthony Martial in the warm-up prior to the game against Midtjylland in the UEFA Europa League and the player repaid his manager’s trust in his abilities with a brace. While the Manchester United fans were still rejoicing his emergence, the player gave them some more reason to cheer as he followed up his Europa League act with a brace and an assist on his Premier League debut against Arsenal.
With 8 goals and 2 assists in his 18 appearances, many might consider him a sure starter in the coming season. However, the arrival of Jose Mourinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan might present the player with a challenge. However, many believe the quick youngster can become a regular feature in the United line-up with his ability to stretch the opposition on and off the ball as well as an ability to convert the chances that are presented to him.
#2 Sheyi Ojo: 19 Years Old (Liverpool)
Liverpool are believed to be in the transfer market for a winger who can complement the strikers available at the club with a number of players across Europe being linked. However, we believe in Sheyi Ojo, the club already has in its ranks a player who possesses all the traits that the club is chasing. The former MK Dons trainee possesses a good set of feet, is fast, can hold off big burly defenders and has shown an ability to beat his man without breaking a sweat and would be a perfect ally for the likes of Sturridge and Origi.
Ojo created a chance every 35 minutes in the Premier League last season and will be hoping to maintain, if not improve on that statistic when presented an opportunity this season. In Jurgen Klopp and eljko Buva, Ojo has a pair who has shown an incredible ability to identify and develop raw talent. Given his skills, we expect the player to feature heavily in his manager’s plans irrespective of any incoming transfers.
#3 Ruben Loftus-Cheek: 20 Years Old (Chelsea)
While he might have featured sparsely for Chelsea in the last season, Loftus-Cheek’s reputation as one of the best young central midfielders in the league has not diminished. The Blues’ new manager Antonio Conte has demonstrated that he likes his team to be defensively solid and in Loftus-Cheek he has a player who can dominate the midfield, despite only being 20 years of age.
The Chelsea graduate is a powerhouse and has been compared to the likes of Yaya Toure and Patrick Viera by numerous pundits since his senior debut. There has been speculation linking star midfielder Nemanja Matic away from the Stamford Bridge and should he make a move, Loftus-Cheek is the best option available to Conte from within the club’s ranks.
The Chelsea graduate, who recently stated that he is ready to experience the rigours of the English top flight after initially finding it hard, will be critical to Chelsea’s fortunes in the long season that lies ahead.
#4 Alex Iwobi- 20 years old (Arsenal)
Over the course of recent years, Arsenal has developed some of the most exciting youngsters to have graced the Premier League. Alex Iwobi, a player who has been at Arsenal ever since his primary school impressed one and all with his performances for the Gunners last season. The Nigerian made 17 appearances in all competitions last season and showcased to the footballing world why he is rated so high amongst the youngsters at Arsenal.
He has pace, has an excellent dribbling ability as well as a creative instinct that is set to serve Arsenal in good stead for years to come if they can hold on to him. He can play effectively play across the top of the line-up, thus lending his manager with some much-needed flexibility in setting up his team. For someone so young, the winger possesses a good understanding of the game and vision and would be a threat to the opposition defence in the coming season.
#5 Reece Oxford: 17 years old (West Ham United)
Reece Oxford became the youngest ever player to feature for West Ham last season when he made his debut as a 16-year-old against FC Lusitanos in a Europa League qualification game. The player, who has been monitored by Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United in the past wasted no time in showcasing why he has been so heavily sought by clubs across England with his performances. Despite only being 17 years of age, Oxford is already sturdily built and is not an easy man to get past.
He is industrious, calm in possession, possesses pace and is not afraid to go into tackles. Though primarily centre-back, he can also play as a defensive midfielder and we believe that is where his future lies. Under Slaven Bilic, West Ham are ambitious and looking to improve on their current achievements and Oxford could come in handy for the club, especially in the domestic cup competitions.
