With the news of 16-year-old Chido Obi-Martin moving to Manchester United, it has become clear that some clubs are becoming more attractive to youngsters due to their willingness to play younger players and trust them in big opportunities.
Obi-Martin first appeared on many people’s radar after he scored 10 goals in one game against Liverpool while playing for the Arsenal youth. He was said to have been offered roughly £15,000 per week as well as spending more time playing and training with the Under-18s and Under-21’s. This offer was rejected and Obi-Martin joined Manchester United.
While United are said to have offered more money, Obi-Martin also saw more of an opportunity for senior football which was not on offer at Arsenal – where Amario Cozier-Duberry and Reuell Walters leaving for other clubs.
The pull of first team opportunities has become larger for youth players in recent years, with Cole Palmer being a clear example.
While many could see his clear talent, Pep Guardiola seemed wary to give him many starts and were willing to let him go last summer for £40 million. However, his 33 goal contributions in the Premier League last season quickly made him the Blues’ most important player.
Mail Sport takes a look at last season’s Premier League and how many minutes teams gave to teenage players throughout the campaign.
Chido Obi-Martin (centre) booked a move north to Man United from boyhood club Arsenal
The forward was a valued member of the Gunners youth set-up but slipped through their grasp
United manager Erik ten Hag has form with giving opportunities to talented young players
Manchester United – 4,919 minutes total
Featuring top of the list for most minutes by teenagers, Manchester United have shown their willingness to trust their youth for unimportant games and have instilled confidence in the young players.
In fact, five players out of their thirty most played were teenagers.
While many have criticised Ten Hag for his managerial style and results, it is clear that the success of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho is a direct result of his charge.
A breakthrough season from Mainoo (1,939 minutes) led to his inclusion into the England squad for the Euros, becoming a core player for the midfield.
Garancho (2,573 minutes) managed 11 goal contributions last season, his best yet and showed his ability to provide width to the United attack.
This success of youth seems to have a key reason for Chido Obi’s transfer as he looks to shine on the Premier League stage.
Alejandro Garnacho (left) and Kobbie Mainoo (right) have been two bright sparks in United’s checkered season
Brighton and Hove Albion – 4,606 minutes
Under the tutelage of now former manager Roberto De Zerbi, previously unheard talents jumped onto the scoresheet and many people’s FPL teams as he was able to harness their youth talent.
In previous seasons, the likes of Joao Pedro and Julio Enciso had been seen and De Zerbi replicated this with Evan Ferguson (1,365 minutes) and Facundo Buanotte (1,368 minutes), deploying them to boost the attack.
Ferguson, while performing less impressively than in the 22-23 season, was still able to score six goals in 27 appearances. Acting as an attacking midfielder, Buonanotte contribute four goal involvements and featured in the Europa League.
Evan Ferguson is the latest in a long line of under-the-radar talents produced by Brighton
Burnley – 3,091 minutes
For a club that battled and ultimately succumbed to relegation, Burnley impressively played teenagers for a total of 3,091 minutes, equivalent to roughly 34 Premier League games.
Most of this has come through Wilson Odobert (2,107 minutes), a 19 year old attacking midfielder who featured in 29 games, while achieving five goal contributions.
Having since been linked with a move away to newly promoted Ipswich Town, Odobert is seen as Premier League quality and is valued at close to £20 million.
Wilson Odobert may have been relegated with Burnley at the end of last season, but could yet stay in the top tier
Newcastle United – 2,015
Making his Premier League debut on 28th May 2023, Lewis Miley (1,205 minutes) became Newcastle United’s youngest ever Premier League player.
He has since stepped up for the club, recording his Champions League and FA Cup debut.
In the last Champions League group stage game versus AC Milan, Miley made history by becoming the youngest player in UEFA Champions League history to provide an assist for an English club at the age of 17 years and 226 days.
He followed this success up with his first goal for Newcastle in a 3-0 win over Fulham, prompting fans and pundits alike to lavish him with praise.
Lewis Miley scored his first Premier League goal for Newcastle against Fulham in December
Sheffield United – 894 minutes
Considering they were relegated at the end of the season, Sheffield gave ample opportunities to their youngsters, providing their teenagers with 894 minutes of play.
While this did not help them to stay up, they were able to see the ability of several young stars.
The players that they lose as a result of relegation can quickly be replaced by youth talent.
Bournemouth – 856
Milos Kerkez (856 minutes) was the sole teenager for Bournemouth, playing the role of left-back in a total of 28 appearances and recording one assist.
He also received a red card and the Bournemouth defence ended with a goal difference of minus 13.
Defender Milos Kerkez (right) was an important member of Andoni Iraola’s ranks last season
Manchester City – 807
A firm fixture in the Manchester City team last season, Rico Lewis (806 minutes) excelled in multiple positions and impressed Guardiola with his maturity and work rate.
A standout display in the Champions League win versus Young Boys produced a Man of the Match award and led to his maiden England senior call-up in November.
With a team full of quality and experience, it can be hard for the youth to be a regular part of the Manchester City team.
Youth talents such as Cole Palmer and Liam Delap have moved away from the club in search of first-team football.
However, the performances of Lewis have demonstrated how even the best teams can perform at an equal level with youth.
Pep Guardiola is selective with the teenagers he hands chances to, but Rico Lewis (pictured) has met his manager’s high standards
Brentford – 466
With a number of young players in recent seasons such as Aaron Hickey, Brentford have been successful in capturing young talent from other clubs.
While this is strong strategy, they must build up their own youth talent so as not to rely on other clubs.
An example of this is Michael Olakigbe (51 minutes), who only appeared in eight matches in the Premier League and recorded zero goal contributions.
Chelsea – 446 minutes
While they boasted the youngest squad in the Premier League, Chelsea were unable to hand many appearances to their youth, often resorting to the more experienced players.
While Romeo Lavia (32 minutes) was hailed as a huge talent when signed and had been approached by many clubs, his £53m price tag seemed high after he was injured at the beginning of last season. This led to him playing only 32 minutes.
The main teenager in his place for Chelsea was Lesley Ugochukwu (270 minutes) who penned a contract with Chelsea in August 2023 for seven years.
A total of 12 appearances in the Premier League allowed him to be involved in some key matches but was never able to cement himself a key place. Chelsea fans will be hoping for both Lavia and Ugochukwu to thrive next season.
Lesley Ugochukwu (centre right) is one of the few teenagers that Chelsea has fielded over the past season
Crystal Palace snapped up Matheus Franca during last summer’s transfer window under former manager Roy Hodgson
Crystal Palace – 436 minutes
Before playing at Crystal Palace, Matheus França (225 minutes) plied his trade at Flamengo,and racked up 42 appearances in his first two senior seasons. He moved to Palace in August of 2023 for £26m and featured in 10 games, recording one assist.
Wolverhampton Wanderers – 359 minutes
A product of the Wolves academy, Nathan Fraser (184 minutes) has been involved with the club since he was seven years old.
The Republic of Ireland youth international made his professional debut on 29th August 2023 in the second round of the EFL Cup at home against Blackpool, scoring the final goal in a 5-0 win.
Leon Chiwome (175 minutes) has featured for the England youth setup, scoring a 48-minute hat trick for England U17 in a 6-0 win over Germany U17.
Nathan Fraser is a product of Wolves’ academy and has enjoyed stints in the England youth team set-ups
Everton – 195 minutes
Everton’s minutes for teenagers were devoted to one person, Youssef Chermiti (195 minutes), who played as a striker in 18 Premier League games. While this did not result in any goals or assists, he showed flashes of talent and has impressed so far in pre-season.
Liverpool – 137 minutes
In Klopp’s last season, he relied heavily on those who had previously played under him, but some opportunities were still afforded to a select few.
Compared to other clubs, Liverpool played a large number of teenagers, indicating their belief in their academy.
Bobby Clark (87 minutes) featured the most, with 11 appearances and six goal contributions, and impressive tally for a youngster.
Youngsters like Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah broke into the team, though both players are already in their 20s.
Bobby Clark helped spur Liverpool to victory in the Carabao Cup against Chelsea in February
Aston Villa – 133 minutes
A record season for Aston Villa resulting in a Champions League place for the 24-25 season was mainly due to their key players, as few teenagers featured for the club as they kept aiming high the entire season.
Their key teenager Omari Kellyman (35 minutes) appeared twice in the Premier League and impressed other clubs, with Chelsea snapping him up this season for £19 million.
West Ham United – 108 minutes
Divin Mubama (76 minutes) was their main teenager, featuring five times in the Premier League and twice in the FA Cup.
However their FA Youth Cup winner decided to leave the Hammers at the end of the season.
Finishing the season in ninth, the club were unable to confirm European football and have felt the loss of Declan Rice. A key youth talent that rose through the ranks, West Ham will hope to produce more quality if they are to level up.
West Ham academy star Divin Mubama (centre) was the strongest teen prospect for the club
Luton Town – 80 minutes
After being dropped from the Arsenal academy at aged 10, Joe Johnson (75 minutes) kept playing and joined Luton in 2020, signing his first professional contract in March 2023. Featuring in the Premier League and FA Cup, Johnson also made his debut in the EFL Cup in a 1-0 loss to Exeter City. He has also been involved with the England under-18 team, showing the belief the FA have in this youth talent.
Fulham – 74 minutes
First receiving praise in the footballing world in 2022 when he scored a hat-trick in eleven minutes for Fulham’s under-23 side against Newcastle United under-23’s, Luke Harris (74 minutes) has gone on to feature in both the EFL Cup and Premier League.
Fulham’s Luke Harris was the only teenager to feature for the Cottagers, who preferred to use more experienced players last season
Nottingham Forest – 21 minutes
Having been loaned to Forest by Portuguese giants Sporting CP, it was hoped that Rodrigo Riberio could gain experience. However, with Forest battling demotion, they stuck with their experienced players, leading to Riberio only featuring for 14 minutes across the whole of the second half of the season.
Arsenal – 13 minutes
Coming of the bench on September 18th, Ethan Nwaneri became the youngest player to ever appear in the Premier League at 16 years and 177 days.
He has since signed a professional contract with the club and featured off the bench in a 6-0 win over West Ham.
Ethan Nwaneri made history in 2022 as the youngest-ever Premier League player, but has failed to turn out for Arsenal much since
Tottenham – seven minutes
With this club at the bottom of the table for minutes for youngsters, it is no surprise that Tottenham’s youth have not been successful in recent years.
A lack of playing time for youngsters has taken the allure away from Tottenham as a destination for burgeoning talent which has had a knock-on effect for the team as they have lacked quality players and suffered as a consequence.