The pre-season friendly matches are reaching their conclusion, as head coaches begin to finalise their starting line-ups. However, 11 promising academy graduates and young prospects from Premier League clubs have managed to draw attention and keep their hopes of regular playing time alive.
Liverpool
Rio Nguema (17 years old): The winger scored the winning goal against Wrexham and impressed in the match against Leeds. New manager Andoni Iraola has been utilising the player on both flanks.
Trey Nyondo (19 years old): The midfielder emerged as one of the standout players on the tour of the USA (matches against Sunderland, Wrexham, and Leeds), demonstrating maturity for first-team appearances.
Manchester United
Shay Lacey (19 years old): Opened the scoring for the Mancunians in pre-season during the match against Rosenborg (5-0) and earned a penalty in the game against Atlético Madrid. Michael Carrick hopes to keep the player at the club without sending him out on loan.
JJ Gabriel (15 years old): The 15-year-old forward made his debut for the senior team, playing eight minutes against Atlético and showcasing excellent ball control.
Arsenal
Max Daumann (16 years old): The wunderkind shone in the victory against Girona (4-1), scoring a goal from the edge of the box and providing an assist for Kai Havertz.
Chelsea
Estevao (19 years old): The Brazilian scored with a header in the match against Tottenham and displayed a high level of dribbling.
Dastan Satpaev (18 years old): The Kazakh attacking midfielder, who officially joined the club upon turning 18, made an impact just six minutes after coming on as a substitute in his debut against Western Sydney Wanderers.
Other Premier League clubs
Ryan McAdoo (Manchester City, 18 years old): Came on as a substitute in the second half against Inter and received praise from head coach Enzo Maresca for his aggressive one-on-one dribbling.
Luca Williams-Barnett (Tottenham, 17 years old): Scored a Panenka-style goal in the penalty shootout against Sydney and received high praise from Roberto De Zerbi.
Brian Majho (Aston Villa, 17 years old): The forward scored four goals in pre-season, netting a brace against Walsall and also finding the net in matches against Real Sociedad and an Indonesia All-Stars team.
