Archie Gray, Ethan Nwaneri and 26 NXGN wonderkids set to take the Premier League by storm in 2024-25

Breaking into the Chelsea first team via the club's academy has become increasingly difficult under Todd Boehly, but the Blues' hand might be forced if they are to keep hold of Josh Acheampong long-term.

The 18-year-old made his Premier League debut towards the end of last season, and is regarded as a potential star of the future for both club and country. However, the next step in his career may lie away from Stamford Bridge, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain both said to be interested in acquiring the right-back.

Reece James' continued injury issues might offer Acheampong hope of making an impact under Enzo Maresca, who regardless needs to show the teenager that there is a pathway towards regular senior football in west London or risk losing him to one of Europe's elite clubs.

With Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia continuing to struggle with injury problems, an opportunity could be about to present itself for Harry Amass at Manchester United, especially after the youngster impressed during pre-season.

The 17-year-old left-back locked down Mohamed Salah when United took on Liverpool in early August, and having excelled at academy level since joining from Watford a year ago, Amass now looks ready to make the step up into Erik ten Hag's matchday squads on a regular basis.

Sam Amo-Ameyaw made history on the final day of the 2022-23 campaign when he became the youngest player to appear in a Premier League match for Southampton. But following the Saints' relegation, he has had to wait over a year to get another opportunity to make an impression on the top-flight.

The 18-year-old did make seven appearances for Russell Martin's side as they earned promotion from the Championship at the first time of asking, and will be hoping for even more chances at St Mary's this term. Certainly the England youth international, who can play as either a winger or No.10, has the attributes to be a success at the highest level having shone for the U21s last term as he directly contributed to 11 goals in 12 Premier League 2 appearances.

Everton fans are in need of a bit of cheer after a difficult few seasons, but as the Toffees prepare for their final season at Goodison Park, they do so with hope that homegrown talent Harrison Armstrong can play a role in Sean Dyche's side moving themselves up the table.

A box-to-box midfielder, 17-year-old Armstrong has impressed throughout pre-season after making his first step into the senior squad on Merseyside. With Amadou Onana having left to join Aston Villa, there is a hole that needs filling in Dyche's midfield, and Armstrong has certainly thrown his hat into the ring to do just that.

At the start of February, it seemed that Lucas Bergvall was all set to join Barcelona. He and his family had been spotted meeting with the Blaugrana's hierarchy in Catalunya, and all that seemingly needed to happen was the midfielder putting pen to paper on his contract with the Spanish giants.

However, not 24 hours after that meeting took place, it was revealed that Bergvall had in fact turned Barca down, and he would instead be joining Tottenham in a deal worth an initial £8.5 million ($11m). Having seen out the remainder of the campaign in his native Sweden with Djurgardens, the 18-year-old has now landed in north London and has put in a number of eye-catching displays during pre-season.

Likened to Frenkie de Jong in both appearance and style of play, Bergvall can bring an extra dimension to Ange Postecoglou's team over the course of the campaign, so don't be surprised if he becomes a regular sooner rather than later for Spurs.

Likened to Bukayo Saka when he was coming through the ranks at Arsenal, Amario Cozier-Duberry left north London this summer in pursuit of first-team opportunities and eventually landed at Brighton, where he signed a four-year deal.

The 19-year-old subsequently scored twice on his debut against Kashima Antlers in pre-season, and he has continued to get chances to impress new Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler over the summer. Given Brighton's success in acquiring young talents and polishing them into diamonds, it would not be a surprise to see Cozier-Duberry become a household name in the near future.

Nottingham Forest spent just £1.25m ($1.6m) to sign full-back Eric da Silva Moreira over the summer, but that transfer fee does not reflect the amount of talent the 18-year-old possesses, even if he lacks experience at present.

A contract stand-off meant that Da Silva Moreira did not earn as many first-team opportunities at St Pauli as he might have otherwise last season, but the attack-minded defender has shown he can perform on the big stage after playing a key role in Germany Under-17s winning both the Euros and World Cup in 2023. He should, therefore, be of use to Nuno Espirito Santo over the course of the campaign.

Tyler Dibling first went viral in April 2022 when he scored a hat-trick of identical goals for Southampton's U21s against Newcastle, and he made the Saints bench soon after before joining Chelsea that summer.

However, the attacking midfielder struggled to settle at the Blues and returned to St Mary's a few weeks later, where he has continued to shine for the academy sides as the 18-year-old awaits his first extended run as part of the first-team squad. A skilful player with excellent long-range shooting, do not be shocked to see Dibling get a go in 2024-25 after a decent pre-season.

A winger whose tricky dribbling ability is matched by his physicality, Ben Doak became the youngest Scotsman to debut in the Premier League back in December 2022. However, just as he looked set for a true breakout last term, injury saw him miss six months of action and subsequently forced him to miss Euro 2024 after earning a surprise call-up from Steve Clarke.

Doak is now fully recovered, though it seems his chances of breaking back into the Liverpool first team are slim at best, and the Reds are indeed considering selling the 18-year-old before the end of the transfer window. That is not to say he won't still have an impact on the Premier League season, though, as Leicester City and Southampton are among those to be keen on Doak, though former club Celtic are also said to be interested.

Chelsea's relationship with their academy graduates has changed somewhat under Todd Boehly's stewardship, with homegrown players seen as commodities who can be sold for 'pure profit' rather than players who can make a long-term impact on the first team. Blues fans, though, are hopeful that that same pattern won't repeat itself with Tyrique George.

The 18-year-old England youth international signed an extended contract with his boyhood club this summer before enjoying some eye-catching cameos during pre-season as Enzo Maresca ran the rule over his new squad of players. George has already made the bench in the Premier League last season, and the winger will hope to be included in the new Chelsea boss' plans over the coming months.

While Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall leaving Leicester City to join Chelsea made headlines back in June, it went under the radar somewhat that one of England's best teenage midfielders, Michael Golding, moved in the opposite direction at the same time.

The Foxes spent £4m ($5.1m) to bring the 18-year-old to the King Power Stadium, and there is a belief that he can work his way into Steve Cooper's side over the course of the campaign. Having captained his country at youth level, Golding possesses a maturity that belies his lack of experience, with his only senior appearance to date coming as a late substitute for Chelsea back in January.

Last season's Young Player of the Year in the Championship, Archie Gray arrives at Tottenham with quite the reputation already, as well as a £30m ($40m) price tag to live up to. However, the midfielder seems to have everything to repay that and more as he looks to establish himself as one of the Premier League's best young players.

The 18-year-old featured in all-but two of Leeds United's league matches last term in what was his debut campaign in the senior team at Elland Road, and he quickly became one of the first names in Daniel Farke's XI. He will now look to bring control and inventiveness to Spurs' play, as well as versatility, given he shone at right-back for long periods in 2023-24, while Gray has also been deployed at centre-back during pre-season.

Palmeiras have emerged as one of world football's premier talent developers in recent times, with potential generational talents Endrick and Estevao Willian having earned the Brazilian side over £100m ($130m) in transfer fees after joining Real Madrid and Chelsea, respectively. However, it would be foolish to overlook Luis Guilherme when it comes to discussing the Verdao's supreme young exports.

Often Endrick's partner-in-crime as Palmeiras won trophy after trophy at youth level, the 18-year-old this summer joined West Ham in a deal worth £25m ($32m) as he became Julen Lopetegui's first signing at the London Stadium. A right-sided player who loves cutting inside onto his left foot, Guilherme can provide the Irons with some serious X-factor once he gets up to speed in England.

Quietly one of the most eye-catching deals of the summer, Bournemouth secured the signing of impressive young centre-back Dean Huijsen, paying Juventus an initial £12.8m ($16.4m) to bring the Spain youth international to the Premier League.

The 19-year-old has been regarded as one of the most talented young defenders in Europe for some time, and he impressed on loan at Roma during the second half of last season in what was his first taste of regular first-team football. The Cherries, therefore, have pulled off something of a coup in persuading Huijsen to join a club that is still establishing itself as a top-flight regular.

Eyebrows were certainly raised when Chelsea agreed to pay up to £19m (£24m) to sign a player with just six senior appearances for Aston Villa to his name in June, but the 'creative accounting' that surrounded Omari Kellyman's move to Stamford Bridge shouldn't detract from the forward's talents.

A rangy attacker who has been likened to Kai Havertz, the 19-year-old caught Unai Emery's eye last pre-season, and though injury has meant he missed the opportunity to likewise for Enzo Maresca this summer, he can certainly still force himself up the pecking order in west London over the coming weeks.

The reigning Premier League 2 Player of the Season, Will Lankshear netted 23 goals in as many games for Tottenham's U21s in 2023-24, and that form looks set to earn him a promotion into Ange Postecoglou's first-team squad this time around.

The 19-year-old, who spent time at Arsenal and Sheffield United before joining Spurs in 2022, is an out-and-out No.9 who is set to provide competition for new signing Dominic Solanke in north London. Fans have been impressed with his work-rate during pre-season, and he could become a useful option off the bench over the course of the campaign.

Arsenal may have bid farewell to one homegrown midfielder this summer in Emile Smith Rowe, but they have another who is close to forcing his way into the first-team picture in the shape of Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The 17-year-old has been described by former Gunners midfielder and current U18s manager Jack Wilshere as "having things you can't coach", and certainly Lewis-Skelly looks ready for senior football after a pre-season during which he caught the eye both in his natural central position and at left-back. Certainly that versatility will be something that Mikel Arteta will be keen to harness in the months and years to come.

Chelsea might be one of Europe's biggest-spenders, but they do not always get their own way in the transfer market. That was certainly on show in June when everything seemed in place for the Blues to sign teenage defender Pedro Lima from Sport Recife, only for Wolves to swoop in and pay £8.5m ($11m) to acquire the 18-year-old from under their Premier League rivals' noses.

An attack-minded right-back, Lima is expected to push Nelson Semedo for minutes at Molineux after some good moments during his first pre-season in England.

The talk of Tottenham right now, Mikey Moore has got Spurs fans believing that their best homegrown talent since Harry Kane can one day lead them - and perhaps England - to glory, such is the forward's outrageous amount of talent.

Having made his senior debut towards the end of last season, the 17-year-old has since established himself in the first-team squad over the course of pre-season and now looks set for a role, likely as a substitute, within Ange Postecoglou's wealth of attackers. Most comfortable playing off the left, Moore has also earned comparisons to Phil Foden for his technical and shooting ability.

As Aston Villa prepare to return to the top table of European football after qualifying for the Champions League, they have spent big this summer on a number of top players. However, it is someone they signed in January who has perhaps caught the eye most this pre-season, as Kosta Nedeljkovic has wasted little time in making an impact on his new club.

Vila paid Red Star Belgrade £8m ($10.3m) to sign the 18-year-old at the start of the year, and after sending him back to Serbia on loan for the second half of the campaign, the right-back is now setting about establishing himself at Villa Park. Nedeljkovic arrives having made 20 first-team appearances already in his career, including four in the Champions League, and he will be keen to get more continental experience in the coming months.

It is almost two years since Ethan Nwaneri made headlines around the world after becoming the first 15-year-old to make their Premier League debut, but the Arsenal academy product has had to be patient when it comes to making further first-team appearances as Mikel Arteta's side chase trophies at home and abroad.

Things might be about to change, though, as Nwaneri - who turned 17 in March - has enjoyed a superb pre-season for the Gunners. The versatile forward looks physically ready to take the next step in his career and provide Arteta with a further attacking option in Arsenal's bid to break Manchester City's hold on the Premier League title.

As Jurgen Klopp highlighted last season, Liverpool are not short of talented teenagers who are ready to make the step up into first-team football. Quite how many make the grade under Arne Slot remains to be seen, but none have been more impressive during pre-season than Trey Nyoni.

The 17-year-old, who arrived from Leicester City last September, may only have one competitive senior appearance to his name thus far, but he has belied that inexperience with his performances through the summer, with Nyoni netting a fine strike against Sevilla in front of the Kop in Liverpool's final friendly before their season opener at Ipswich.

The amount of Manchester City players involved in the latter stages of Euro 2024 and the Copa America has led to a number of youngsters getting the chance to prove themselves during pre-season, and Nico O'Reilly has certainly caught Pep Guardiola's eye over the summer.

The 19-year-old, attack-minded midfielder was rewarded for his displays while on tour in the United States with a starting role in Saturday's Community Shield clash at Wembley, and Guardiola has insisted that the local lad will remain in his plans throughout the campaign.

Being dubbed 'the next Declan Rice' would be quite daunting for any member of West Ham's academy, but Lewis Orford seems to be taking it all in his stride as he edges towards a first-team debut at the London Stadium.

The 18-year-old, who has also drawn comparisons to Frank Lampard in the past, was part of the West Ham team that won the FA Youth Cup in 2023 and appeared in matchday squads sporadically under David Moyes. Such is Orford's talent, Hammers' supporters were outraged when reports suggested he could be sold earlier this summer, but he now looks set to force his way into Julen Lopetegui's thinking over the course of the campaign.

Last summer, Newcastle fans were buzzing after watching teenager Lewis Miley shine in pre-season, and the midfielder went onto impress onlookers from around the world once he broke into the first team a few months later. Now, the Magpies are hoping that Trevan Sanusi can follow a similar path.

The 17-year-old winger joined Newcastle from Birmingham City in September 2023, and after an encouraging first season in the club's youth teams, he now looks set for a promotion on Tyneside. Eddie Howe has insisted that Sanusi not be sent out on loan, as he instead wants to gradually integrate the England youth international into his squad following his eye-catching summer performances.

Manchester United's rich tradition of promoting players from their academy into the first team reached a significant milestone towards the end of last season when Ethan Wheatley became the 250th homegrown player to make their senior bow for the Red Devils.

That wasn't a ceremonious appearance, though, as the 18-year-old is very talented forward who is now looking to translate his outstanding goal record at youth level into a strong Premier League career. Erik ten Hag is a fan, having instructed United's hierarchy not to let Wheatley leave on loan this summer as he prepares to give him more opportunities at Old Trafford.