With the start of the Premier League season less than a month away, the hype is building around the country. All of the teams are playing their first minutes of pre-season and that gives fans a chance to see some players that they usually wouldn’t see. Youngsters, fringe players and new signings are all on show this month so we decided to create a list of the best young players that you need to be on the lookout for next season.

The aim of this article is to find five Premier League players aged 21 or under who are yet to have a full standout season. Kobbie Mainoo for example, had an excellent season last season but played the majority of it despite an injury. He also had a breakout summer at the Euros, so he does not qualify for this list. He will, however, have an incredible season no doubt.

Adam Wharton - Crystal Palace

I debated putting Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton into this list because he was excellent last season after he made his move from Blackburn to South London in January. However because he made his Premier League debut more than halfway through the season, I have decided to include him.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿💫 Adam Wharton: "This might sound weird, but I love wrapping passes through to the number 10 so they can turn and drive at the defence – maybe more than a goal or an assist!" (@scoutedftbl) pic.twitter.com/RXbIVx7dBv

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) June 5, 2024

He made his debut for the club in February, coming off the bench in a defeat to Brighton. After that game, he started the 15 remaining league fixtures of the season, as Crystal Palace moved away from the relegation zone and shot up the table.

Since then, he has been called up for the England national team for the Euros, and made his international debut, in a pre-tournament friendly. He has been praised for his footballing intelligence and his ability to receive the ball under pressure, both of which are extremely important for a player in his midfield position. Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace’s manager, seems to like him, so I am certain that he will play a major role in the Eagles’ season.

Valentin Barco - Brighton and Hove Albion

Valentin Barco turns 20 years old in a few days and he has already taken South America by storm. Should he be given minutes for Brighton, he could do the same in Europe too. He can play in any position down the left flank but prefers a more defensive role, one which he took up often during his time with Boca Juniors. Pervis Estupinan currently has that spot in the team which could make things difficult for the youngster.

Garnacho avec Valentin Barco 🇦🇷❤️ pic.twitter.com/7tAmWgUacX

— GarnaXtra (@AGarnachoXtra) June 3, 2024

Barco signed for Brighton in January last season and has since made six appearances for the side, none of which have been particularly remarkable, however he did enough to earn his first caps for the Argentinian national team.

Noted for his ability to go both forwards and backwards, he is an exciting prospect for both the Seagulls and Argentina. This season might be a little bit too early for him, especially as Estupinan has solidified himself as one of Brighton’s best players, but I am excited to see what he can bring to the table.

Jhon Duran - Aston Villa

It seems like a bit of a cheat to put Jhon Duran in this list as he has been at Aston Villa for 18 months, however with the club in the Champions League this season, he will now need to step up and be even better than he already has been. That’s if he stays of course, because it looks like there’s a possibility that he could be on his way to West Ham.

Jhon Duran is close to moving to West Ham in a deal worth £37m 🇨🇴

✍️ - [@areanapoliit] #avfc pic.twitter.com/IMGweVC8zP

— 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 (@Total_Villa) July 20, 2024

You would be forgiven for thinking that Duran is a lot older than he actually is. The way he conducts himself on the pitch gives an air of experience that someone of his age rarely has. He has made 130 competitive appearances in his career so far but is just 20 years old.

Duran made his professional debut for Envigado in his native Colombia at just 15 years old and became the league's second youngest goalscorer, when he netted at the age of 15 years and 8 months. He has already made 10 appearances for the Colombian national team and was even a part of the squad that got to the Copa America final this summer.

Abdul Fatawu - Leicester City

Abdul Fatawu is probably the only name on this list that you’ve never heard of. I probably wouldn’t have heard about him either if it wasn’t for his late goal that knocked Bournemouth out of the FA Cup last season, but he has been an excellent prospect for some time now.

🇬🇭💙 Leicester announced the permanent signing of Abdul Fatawu (20) and the way he was dancing along was incredible! 🤣🕺 pic.twitter.com/DIldCAoABK

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) July 17, 2024

Leicester recently finalised the signing of Fatawu after he spent last season on loan there from Sporting CP, playing 43 games and scoring seven goals, including a hattrick against Southampton. He started his career in Ghana before moving to Portugal in 2022.

He was part of Ghana’s 2022 World Cup squad that played in Qatar and was the fourth youngest player at the tournament. At the age of just 20 years old, he has already made 19 appearances for the national team and scored twice. Fatawu might not get a lot of starts this season, but he will definitely have a positive impact for Leicester.

Alex Scott - AFC Bournemouth

There was a lot of transfer talk this time last year about where Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott would end up. Both Wolves and Tottenham tried to capture his signature, but Bournemouth got there first. Scott had played for Bournemouth at youth level for a while after he was released by Southampton.

23/24🍒 @afcbournemouth @England pic.twitter.com/OFuwRc5fgQ

— Alex Scott (@AlexScott_7) June 3, 2024

Unfortunately, last season wasn’t the best for him. He arrived in the Premier League with an injury that saw him miss the first two months of action only to sustain another injury just three games after he returned. Once he was fully fit and recovered, Bournemouth’s midfield was being held down by Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie, both of whom were playing the best football of their careers, so Scott struggled to get in ahead of them.

With a full, injury free pre-season, Scott could be looking to take Christie’s place in the side, as he is a more natural number eight than the Scotsman who has played most of his career on the wing. Scott earned himself two caps for the England Under 21s towards the end of last year and it is clear that he is a serious talent, so if he can escape injury this season, he will take the Premier League by storm.