Check out the 10 players we think have what it takes to have a breakthrough campaign in the Premier League in 2026/27.
The start of a new season means a new beginning for all 20 Premier League clubs, and the opportunity for young players to make their mark at the very highest level.
One only needs to look to Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly to see how much can change in the space of 12 months in a young player's career.
After being used sparingly in 2024/25, O'Reilly was called upon to deputise on the left side of defence last season and quickly made the position his own, making 53 appearances in all competitions and being named Premier League Young Player of the Year.
As a host of young talents look to enjoy a similar campaign in 2026/27, bet365's Sports and Betting News team have assessed 10 players that have the ability to have a breakthrough season.
Mohamed Belloumi
Age: 24
Club: Hull City
Nationality: Algerian
Premier League appearances: 0
Premier League goals: 0
If you ask a Hull City fan they will tell you that Mohamed Belloumi is one of the best kept secrets in all of English football.
The son of Algerian football legend Lakhdar Belloumi, the winger arrived on Humberside from Portuguese side Farense in the summer of 2024 - one of the few shining lights of Tim Walter's ill-fated spell in charge at the MKM Stadium.
Injuries ultimately ruled Belloumi out of much of his maiden campaign in English football and also limited his involvement as Sergej Jakirovic led the Tigers to the play-offs last season.
Though it was confined to glimpses, when Belloumi's full potential was on display Hull looked like a significantly stronger team.
When the dust had settled from his appearance off the bench in Hull's semi-final second leg against Millwall at The Den, the 24-year-old almost single-handedly carried the Tigers to Wembley with a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win.
It remains to be seen whether Belloumi will be able to replicate those performances against Premier League defenders but with his dynamic dribbling and eye for goal, the winger is one to watch in 2026/27.
Max Dowman
Age: 16
Club: Arsenal
Nationality: English
Premier League appearances: 6
Premier League goals: 1
The latest world-class talent to emerge from Arsenal's Hale End academy, Max Dowman set a number of records last season as Mikel Arteta finally realised his ambition of bringing the Premier League title back to North London.
In March, the 16-year-old came off the bench at the Emirates against Everton and netted in stoppage-time to become the youngest scorer in both club and Premier League history.
In all competitions last season the versatile attacking midfielder made a total of 13 appearances and he now looks set to play an even bigger role for the Gunners as they prepare to defend their Premier League title.
The sport is littered with tales of promising talents who had their careers derailed by playing too much football at a young age and Arteta will be wise to carefully manage his involvement this season.
Based on what we've seen, Dowman has the ability to make a difference at the highest levels of the game and with Bukayo Saka expected to be allowed some additional recovery following England's run to the World Cup semi-finals, he will likely have the opportunity to make an immediate impact.
Antonin Kinsky
Age: 23
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Nationality: Czech
Premier League appearances: 13
Premier League goals: 0
Just a few months ago it would've been unfathomable to think that Antonin Kinsky would have any future at Tottenham, let alone head into the coming campaign as the club's No 1.
Serving as Guglielmo Vicario's understudy after joining Spurs in January 2025, Kinsky was thrown in at the deep end during Igor Tudor's short-lived spell in North London.
Entrusted with just his third start of the season in a UEFA Champions League last-16 clash with Atletico Madrid, the 23-year-old made two crucial errors in the opening 15 minutes before being unceremoniously substituted shortly after.
While such a moment could be devastating for a young goalkeeper's confidence, Kinsky rebounded impressively from the nadir after being called into action for the final seven Premier League games of the season.
Against Leeds United in May, Kinsky pulled off one of the saves of the season to deny Sean Longstaff a certain winner deep into stoppage time.
With Vicario set to depart the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after three years as the club's first-choice, it appears that Roberto De Zerbi will entrust Kinksy with the No. 1 shirt for the 2026/27 season.
If his performances towards the end of last season are anything to go by, the Czech has what it takes to make the position his own going forward.
Veljko Milosavljevic
Age: 19
Club: Bournemouth
Nationality: Serbian
Premier League appearances: 7
Premier League goals: 0
The last 12 months have been a whirlwind for Veljko Milosavljevic.
Departing his beloved Red Star Belgrade at the age of 18 to join Bournemouth in a £13 million deal, Milosavljevic became the Cherries’ youngest Premier League debutant and his exploits in England’s top-flight resulted in a senior Serbia call-up.
Injury curtailed his 2025/26 campaign, and the prodigious defender was forced to accept an observational role as Marcos Senesi and James Hill flourished at the heart of Andoni Iraola’s defence.
Now Senesi has departed, Milosavljevic has all the attributes to cement himself as a first-team regular under new Cherries boss Marco Rose.
A towering centre-back by trade, the 19-year-old is adept at playing right-back and possesses the ball-playing qualities to even step into midfield if required.
Named in the prestigious Golden Boy’s top 100 alongside Cherries team-mates Rayan and Eli Junior Kroupi, Milosavljevic is a key part of Bournemouth’s prosperous long-term future.
Luka Vuskovic
Age: 19
Club: Brighton
Nationality: Croatian
Premier League appearances: 0
Premier League goals: 0
A sizeable transfer fee of £47m means that there will be a lot expected from Luka Vuskovic at Brighton this season.
However, it is expectation that he looks well poised to deliver on.
At 19, the Croatia international is widely regarded as one of the most promising young central defenders in Europe. His physicality, aerial prowess and adaptability made him a standout performer for Hamburg on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in the Bundesliga last term.
Given Spurs’ defensive woes, in Vuskovic, they looked to have a solution to many of their issues upon his return this summer, but they have instead let him go to Brighton, with Jan Paul van Hecke making the reverse move.
Recent history tells us that the Seagulls are far smarter than Tottenham when it comes to the transfer market and they look to have it right yet again.
Able to operate on both sides of central defence, despite being right-footed, the Croat is perfectly able to mix it in different tactical setups and cover for absentees in the backline. It’s one of his many valuable attributes, but none match his ability in the air.
Vuskovic won a mammoth 75% of his aerial duels in Germany’s top-flight last season, utilising his outstanding area of strength in both boxes.
In fact, Hamburg knew this and were only too keen to exploit it. Despite playing for a side that scored the third-fewest goals in the Bundesliga, Vuskovic managed to score six times and, according to Understat, registered the second-most xG for a centre-back in the Bundesliga, despite making just 27 appearances.
Physicality is becoming increasingly important in the Premier League, a factor that Brighton will have been well aware of when securing his signature and he has the potential to cause real issues for both attackers and defenders on the south coast throughout the campaign.
Giovanni Leoni
Age: 19
Club: Liverpool
Nationality: Italian
Premier League appearances: 0
Premier League goals: 0
Injury robbed Liverpool fans of Giovanni Leoni's involvement last season, but if he manages to stay fit this time around, the Reds have one of the Premier League’s most promising defensive talents at their disposal.
It’s easy to forget the sheer hype surrounding Leoni when seemingly half of Europe were interested in signing him following his breakout campaign at Parma. In his last season with I Crociati, at just 18 years old, he cut a calm, composed and dominant figure; reminiscent of Italian defensive greats of yesteryear.
Although stark, his rise to prominence has been well-documented in his home country. At the age of 16, he made his professional debut, at 17 he was snapped up by Sampdoria and, just two months after signing a three-year deal, was purchased by Parma.
Leoni played just 17 times before Liverpool paid £26m to secure his talents, beating off interest from Milan, Roma, Inter, Juventus, Barcelona and Napoli.
However, an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered against Southampton in the EFL Cup put a premature end to his maiden campaign at Anfield, having played just 81 minutes.
An ACL injury is hard to overcome. However, when his expected return date crops up in October, he will be a much-needed string to Andoni Iraola’s bow.
The departure of Ibrahima Konate leaves Liverpool with just Leoni, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Jeremy Jacquet as their options at centre-back, meaning that there are plenty of minutes up for grabs for the Italy youth international.
In his final matches with Parma, Leoni showed game-reading abilities far beyond his years, allowing him to track runners, make a challenge and intercept the ball. Then, his in-possession talents – 6.7 forward passes per defensive action – enabled his team to progress up the pitch quickly.
Naturally suited to right-side of a centre-half pairing, he is the ideal positional partner for Reds mainstay and captain Van Dijk.
It won’t be too long until Leoni is back fit and, when he is, expect him to earn his first senior international caps and make a mockery of the £26m Liverpool shrewdly shelled out for him.
Oscar Bobb
Age: 23
Club: Fulham
Nationality: Norwegian
Premier League appearances: 40
Premier League goals: 1
Michael Olise, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer have all been sold by Manchester City after coming through their academy; it’s not a sign that you’re not up to the level, and Oscar Bobb can provide further proof of that this season.
The 23-year-old Norway international made the switch from the Etihad Stadium to Craven Cottage for £27m in January and it’s fair to say that he had a rather lean time of it after the move. Playing just 571 minutes under Marco Silva, Bobb’s path to the starting XI has been made more straightforward following the departure of Harry Wilson, who took up the lion’s share of minutes off the right.
In limited top-level exposure, Bobb has shown that he is an extremely exciting prospect; able to drift inside off the right, receive the ball on the half turn and utilise his potent acceleration to scamper away from his marker.
During his time at City, Bobb excelled in underlying metrics such as progressive carries, shot-creating actions and key passes per 90; easy on the eye too with his elegant style.
Incoming manager Alvaro Arbeloa is building an extremely exciting team in west London; expect his Norwegian gem to be front and centre for an intriguing campaign at the Cottage.
Jorrel Hato
Age: 20
Club: Chelsea
Nationality: Dutch
Premier League appearances: 22
Premier League goals: 0
It’s easy to get lost in Chelsea’s endless signings, and Jorrel Hato wasn’t exactly one that leapt off the page.
A 19-year-old added to a squad with nine defenders, Hato looked like the classic buy-low-sell-high when signed for £35m, rather than an immediate impact player.
While the Dutchman was deployed as a left-back in his final season at Ajax, he often reverted back to the centre of defence owing to Chelsea’s numerous injuries at the back last term.
Hato is unlikely to be used as one of Alonso’s wing-backs (though he remains an option there), but with his comfort on the ball, he looks ideal to play on the left of a back three.
Hato seems to suit Alonso’s philosophy to the ground, and the former Ajax man could be set for a big campaign at Stamford Bridge.
Jaydee Canvot
Age: 20
Club: Crystal Palace
Nationality: French
Premier League appearances: 20
Premier League goals: 0
It would be fair to say Jaydee Canvot didn’t exactly hit the ground running following a not-insignificant £20m move from Toulouse last summer, but his development as the season progressed provided Eagles fans with plenty of optimism ahead of the new campaign.
There was an understandable rawness about the then-19-year-old but his maturity, particularly following the departure of Marc Guehi, suggests he could have a big role to play at Selhurst Park this season.
Maxence Lacroix is the latest defender to leave Selhurst Park, and while it further solidifies the 20-year-old's place in the team, it does leave him without a more experienced figure in the back line.
Representing France from under-16 to under-21 level, a call up to the senior squad might be within Canvot’s reach this season.
Rio Ngumoha
Age: 17
Club: Liverpool
Nationality: English
Premier League appearances: 19
Premier League goals: 2
Chelsea’s inability to retain the services of Cobham graduate Rio Ngumoha could be something that they later come to regret, but for Liverpool, it may prove to be one of their greatest coups in recent years.
His inclusion in England’s pre-World Cup camp in Florida is testament to the quality he possesses at just 17 years old, becoming the the fifth-youngest England debutant when featuring – and winning Player of the Match – in a 1-0 friendly win over New Zealand.
He was scarcely used under the stewardship of Arne Slot in the 2025/26 campaign, playing less than 600 minutes across 19 Premier League games, but he was repeatedly the team’s brightest spark when present and will surely feature more regularly for newly-appointed Reds boss Iraola.
Blessed with electrifying pace and approaching every individual duel with a complete absence of fear, Ngumoha can become the new face of the Liverpool front three following the departure of Mohamed Salah.
