NXGN 2026: Max Dowman, Rio Ngumoha & the 20 teenage wonderkids England fans NEED to know

As Liverpool begin to prepare for life after Mohamed Salah, there is hope at Anfield that 'The Egyptian King's' place on the right wing will one day be taken by current academy star Joshua Abe. The left-footed 15-year-old has proven to be an electric force for the Reds' youth sides in recent years, and this season averaged a goal or assist every 64 minutes in the Under-18s Premier League despite being much younger than many of his opponents.

Injury has brought an early end to Abe's season, and there are some fears on Merseyside that he could have already played his final match for Liverpool given he is yet to commit his future to the club while a number of their Premier League rivals lay in wait. Liverpool have introduced Abe into first-team training in a bid to convince him of the pathway they can offer, but his situation is one to monitor this summer. 

After a handful of seasons flirting with relegation, Everton seem to have got themselves on a firmer footing following the return of David Moyes, and Toffees fans are now looking forward to a more prosperous era as they settle into their new home, Hill Dickinson Stadium. One of the players they hope can emerge as a leader in the coming years is homegrown midfielder Harrison Armstrong.

The 19-year-old enjoyed impressive loan spells in the Championship with both Derby County and Preston North End before earning a run of starts for Everton at the start of 2026. Capable of playing as a No.6, in a box-to-box role or even as a more advanced playmaker, Armstrong's physical gifts and versatility mean him becoming a Premier League regular down the line feels pretty certain.

Many of Chelsea's recent teenage signings have gone straight into the Blues' first team, but the club remain active in the market for academy talents too, which is what led to them sign Jesse Derry in the summer of 2025. The top prospect from Crystal Palace's youth set-up was persuaded to cross London to join Chelsea, signing a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge in the process.

The son of ex-Palace midfielder Shaun Derry, 18-year-old Jesse is most comfortable playing off the left wing, though he has also spent time on the right-hand side and playing as a No.10, with his goal record what sets him apart from his peers. He has made a couple of appearances off the bench under Liam Rosenior thus far and should begin to earn more senior opportunities in the next 12 months.

If any Premier League fans weren't aware of Max Dowman before Arsenal's meeting with Everton on March 14, then they were given a crash course in why the 16-year-old is regarded as the most talented player to have emerged in England for a generation with his performance against the Toffees. Dowman helped create the Gunners' opening goal, scored by Viktor Gyokeres, before running the length of the field to secure victory with a goal that made him the youngest-ever scorer in Premier League history.

That is just the latest record that now belongs to Dowman, sat alongside those for the youngest appearance-maker in the Champions League, Arsenal's youngest-ever starter and the youngest player to score in the UEFA Youth League, with the latter achieved when Dowman was still only 14.

A member of the Arsenal academy since he was six years old, Dowman has risen through the ranks at an electric pace, with those at Hale End confident he will even surpass the achievements of fellow graduate Bukayo Saka. A left-footed midfielder who is also able to play out and wide and is at his best when dribbling past opposition defenders, comparisons have even been made to Lionel Messi, such is the excitement level that surrounds Dowman in north London.

Manchester United's academy suffered something of an existential crisis during Ruben Amorim's ill-fated spell in charge, as the Portuguese turned his back on some of the Red Devils' most prominent homegrown talents. However, his permanent successor - whomever that may be - is unlikely to ignore the potential of JJ Gabriel over the next couple of years.

At just 15, forward Gabriel has already trained with the United first team on numerous occasions having previously spent time in the academies of Arsenal and Chelsea while growing up in London. The son of former Ireland international Joe O'Cearuill, Gabriel was nicknamed 'Kid Messi' when a video of him showing off his skills went viral, and he certainly has the talent to have a similar impact at Old Trafford as the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner did at Camp Nou.

Brighton's reputation for unearthing gems from all corners of the globe remains strong, but the Seagulls are also hoping that their own academy will soon be seen as a breeding ground for top talents over the coming years. With homegrown midfielder Jack Hinshelwood having turned into a Premier League regular on the south coast, now his cousin, Harry Howell, is looking to follow in his footsteps.

Howell became Brighton's youngest-ever Premier League player when he debuted last term, while he showcased the goal-scoring ability that has caught the eye of many at youth level when he opened his senior account in the Carabao Cup back in September. Best suited to playing down the right or through the middle as an attacking midfielder, the 17-year-old attracted the attention of Bayer Leverkusen ahead of the January window, so convinced were they that Howell is destined to play at the very highest level.

Plenty was expected of Josh King at Fulham at the start of the season, but even some Craven Cottage regulars must have been shocked that Marco Silva entrusted the homegrown midfielder to start 11 of his side's first 13 Premier League matches of the season. King, though, was deserving of such trust after proving himself first-team ready by the banks of the Thames.

The 19-year-old is capable of playing as either a deep-lying playmaker, a box-to-box midfielder or as a more advanced creator behind the striker (he wears No.24 as it is the total sum of numbers six, eight and 10), and though King has lost a bit of consistency through the second half of his first full season as part of the senior squad in west London, he is widely regarded as an England international in-waiting.

Brian Madjo is so talented that he was starting games in Ligue 1 as a 16-year-old and Aston Villa were willing to pay in excess of £10m to sign him in January, and yet his career is now in a state of limbo in part due to the confusion regarding his nationality.

Madjo is a current England U17 international, but has previously earned three full caps for Luxembourg, meaning he is, in the eyes of FIFA, a non-English player. Players under the age of 18 are not allowed to transfer to clubs outside of their own, and thus Madjo's switch to Villa from Metz has yet to be approved, and could even be put on hold until January 2027.

The only hope is that this unexpected pause in Madjo's career doesn't adversely affect his development, as the 17-year-old striker possesses both the physical traits and finishing ability to prove a real handful for defenders at the very top level if he returns on his potential.

Manchester City have spent big to try and reshape their defence over the past 12 months or so, but in Stephen Mfuni they look to have an elite centre-back of the future who is waiting to earn his opportunity in the coming years. The 18-year-old made his first-team debut in early January before joining Watford on loan, and Mfuni instantly earned rave reviews for his performances at Vicarage Road.

Alas, an ankle injury has ended his season prematurely, but there are already Premier League clubs who are said to be keen on loaning Mfuni ahead of next season having seen what he is capable of over the past two months. One of those much-coveted left-footed central defenders, the sky is the limit for one of the jewels of the City academy.

Sooner rather than later, England are going to be looking for a Harry Kane replacement. That's obviously easier said than done, but a youngster many onlookers believe could become a long-term No.9 option for the Three Lions is Chelsea striker Shim Mheuka.

An elite finisher, the 18-year-old is scoring at a rate of more than a goal per game in Premier League 2 for the Blues' U21s this season, with it clear Mheuka is ready to be tested against senior defenders on a weekly basis. He has already become the youngest player to ever start a European match for Chelsea, and Mheuka has real potential to become a fan favourite in west London going forward.

Leicester City are in a perilous position at present, with the 2016 champions of England now fighting to avoid relegation to the third tier following years of financial mismanagement at the King Power Stadium. As such, the Foxes will likely be looking to raise funds this summer regardless of which division they are playing in, meaning Jeremy Monga could well be on the move, most likely to a Premier League powerhouse.

One of only three 15-year-olds to have played in the Premier League after making his debut in April 2025, the winger has since broken countless records, including becoming the youngest goal-scorer in Championship history just five weeks after his 16th birthday, surpassing a mark previously set by Jude Bellingham. Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and more are rumoured to be big admirers of Monga, and it should only be a matter of time before he is playing in the top flight once more.

"I thought we had Neymar on the left wing!" - That was James Maddison's assessment of Mikey Moore's performance for Tottenham in their Europa League win over AZ Alkmaar in October 2024, so impressed was the England midfielder by the teenage attacker's fearlessness, skill and creativity. How Spurs might have needed that this season, with Moore currently on loan at Rangers, where he has enjoyed an eye-catching campaign despite some serious upheaval at Ibrox.

The 18-year-old stills holds a number of records, including youngest Premier League player in Spurs history and youngest Englishman to score in a major European competition, and there is hope among the north London faithful that Moore will be thrust into the line-up upon his return from Glasgow, regardless of which division Tottenham find themselves in next term.

Another of Man City's youngsters who has made an impact in the Championship through the second half of the season, Divine Mukasa has been catching the eye at Leicester City with his bravery in possession as he looks to help the Foxes avoid an embarrassing relegation to the third tier.

Formerly of West Ham's academy, 18-year-old Mukasa marked his City debut with an assist back in September, and a number of Etihad Stadium regulars have earmarked Mukasa as a potential Kevin De Bruyne replacement further down the line.

Liverpool's season has not gone to plan, with the soon-to-be-deposed Premier League champions fighting just to qualify for next season's Champions League. One positive, however, has been the emergence of Rio Ngumoha, even if Arne Slot hasn't entrusted the fearless winger with as many minutes as the majority of Reds supporters would have wanted.

Ngumoha backed up an electric pre-season by netting a dramatic, stoppage-time winner against Newcastle in August, becoming Liverpool's youngest-ever goal-scorer in the process, and the 17-year-old has impressed on each occasion he has taken to the pitch since. Plucked from the Chelsea academy in the summer of 2024, the Blues' loss looks to be Anfield outfit's considerable gain.

Only Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen have ever scored more goals before their 18th birthday among Premier League players than the eight Ethan Nwaneri managed once he became a regular in the Arsenal first-team picture last season. The Hale End product filled in superbly for Bukayo Saka on the Gunners' right flank, though there was always a feeling that his best position remained as a more central midfielder.

Unfortunately for Nwaneri, opportunities to showcase his ability at the Emirates Stadium dried up this season following the arrivals of England internationals Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, and he was thus sent out on loan to Marseille in January in search of minutes. A debut goal reminded everyone just why Nwaneri became the youngest player in Premier League history as a 15-year-old back in September 2022, but a change of manager at the Velodrome has meant that the 19-year-old's time in Ligue 1 is no longer going to plan either.

It would be easy, then, to write Nwaneri off, but that would be to ignore one of the most impressive teenage talents to have emerged within the English game over the past decade.

It's taken longer than some believed it would, but it seems that Trey Nyoni has finally established himself within the Liverpool first team squad, with the midfielder having appeared off the bench for the Reds on a number of occasions since the turn of the year. Signed from Leicester City in 2003, Nyoni starred during pre-season in the summer of 2024, but has found it difficult to lock down a role under Arne Slot.

Likened to Paul Pogba in the past, the 18-year-old is able to get up and down the pitch with ease while displaying a strong passing ability. If Liverpool do move on from Alexis Mac Allister this summer, then Nyoni could yet step into the Argentine's shoes.

Sunderland have enjoyed a superb return to the Premier League with a midtable finish now all-but secured off the back of some smart transfer business. The arrival of new faces such as Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki have pushed some of the Black Cats' promotion heroes down the pecking order, but when it comes to Chris Rigg, there is still a belief that he can become a star of the top-flight sooner rather than later.

Sunderland's second-youngest player and youngest-ever goal-scorer, the 18-year-old midfielder's eye for a pass and relentless energy makes him a real all-rounder, and it is no coincidence that the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid have sniffed around Rigg in the past. Expect him to be shining at the Stadium of Light again sooner rather than later.

The path from Norwich City to Barcelona is not the most well trodden when it comes to the transfer market, but it's the route Ajay Tavares took in February after sealing a deal to leave Carrow Road and join the Catalan giants. The 16-year-old has become just the second English player to ever call La Masia home, with hopes high that Tavares will fare better in Spain than his predecessor, Louie Barry.

A winger who is most comfortable playing off the left-hand side, Tavares is a powerful dribbler who uses his speed to take on defenders as much as he uses skill. Although he never played a competitive first-team minute for the Canaries, he was very highly regarded, while England remain hopeful that he won't turn his back on them to play for Portugal further down the line.

Not to be confused with Reggie Walsh, another Chelsea teenager who is being tipped for big things, Reggie Watson has spent time training with the Blues' first team this season, with Liam Rosenior having described the 16-year-old as being "scary" for his age.

The son of Wigan's FA Cup final hero from 2013, Ben Watson, Reggie is also a central midfielder who can play either in a deep-lying role or as a box-to-box No.8. Watson has captained England at youth level and is already a regular in Chelsea's U18s, where has produced some outstanding performances despite being younger than many of those around him.

Tottenham have plenty of young talents coming through right now, and the next great Spurs team may well end up being built around the likes of Luca Williams-Barnett. An attacking midfielder who grew up idolising Dele Alli, the 17-year-old made his senior debut for his boyhood club in September, becoming Tottenham's 900th player in the process.

Comparisons have been made to Cole Palmer as Williams-Barnett has put defences to the sword in Premier League 2 for Spurs' U21s this season, and regardless of which division they end up in next season, Tottenham should be looking to give the teenager more opportunities to prove himself  in the coming months and years.