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When you use a different method to the PFA for selecting young players because 23 is actually pretty ancient and 21 is a far more reasonable age to limit selections by, you quickly realise that there really aren’t all that many players 21 or younger playing in the Premier League.
Which then makes you question whether the PFA may actually have it right, but no because we’re right and they’re not. Here we are then, these are the top ten Premier League players who were 21 or younger at the start of the season. Slim. Pickings.
10) Nathan Collins
Signed for £22m from Burnley in the summer, Collins may well be able to wave at his former club on his way down to the Championship.
He’s not been great, but he’s also not been bad, which is enough to see off Armel Bella-Kotchap, who’s possibly been a bit better at his best, but worse at his worst. Again, it’s not a high bar.
9) Wilfried Gnonto
There’s clearly something not entirely obvious to the outside observer that’s not quite right with Wilfried Gnonto. He often looks like Leeds’ most dangerous player, has featured in all of Italy’s 10 games since his debut last summer and has been linked with significantly bigger clubs as a result of his performances. And yet, he’s started just 12 Premier League games for a side battling relegation.
The 19-year-old forced his way into the team under Jesse Marsch but has since lost his starting spot under Javi Gracia, though that may change after the 5-1 shellacking by Crystal Palace.
8) Romeo Lavia
The 19-year-old moved to Southampton from Manchester City for £11m in the summer, was the subject of a £50m bid from Chelsea in the very same summer after his goal and domination of them before the transfer window closed, and has perhaps impressed Pep Guardiola sufficiently to buy him back for £40m.
Chelsea remain interested, while Arsenal and Manchester United are also said to have cast admiring glances Lavia’s way.
7) Amadou Onana
Supposedly on Mikel Arteta’s three-man wishlist to partner Thomas Partey in central midfield at Arsenal, Onana has shown in glimpses the attributes which could make him the perfect box-to-box Premier League midfielder.
He reads the game well, is big, quick, arrives in the box at the right time and has the ability to glide past opposition players in possession or pass the ball through the lines.
That said, he needs to do all of those things more consistently to beat Declan Rice or Moises Caicedo in the race to the Emirates.
6) Michael Olise
Only Kevin De Bruyne (14), Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard (both 10) have more assists in the Premier League than Michael Olise, who was given the freedom of Elland Road to provide a hat-trick of them in Crystal Palace’s 5-1 win over Leeds to take his seasonal tally to eight.
He has the variety and range in his delivery from wide or when passing through the lines to trouble any Premier League defence. Should Palace sign a half-decent striker he could double his assists output, which will lead to inevitable interest from elsewhere.
5) Jacob Ramsey
One would have thought one of the greatest midfielders the Premier League has ever seen would get the best out of one of the country’s most talented current young midfielders, but it’s Unai Emery and not Steven Gerrard who’s getting the better tune out of Ramsey.
He’s been unleashed by the Spaniard, who has recognised the England U21 star’s best qualities involve dribbling in and around the opposition box, where he can make things happen.
He’s the sort of player that you can see making better decisions almost with each passing phase of play. The England call can’t be far off for a guy playing such a significant role in the Premier League’s in-form team.
4) William Saliba
Whether it was just to be different, or whether they actually believed it, there was a point in the season at which a few Arsenal fans declared Gabriel Magalhaes the better defender, and everyone just sort of agreed.
It became a point of pride to correct people who claimed William Saliba was having an excellent season. “Oh you poor ill-informed fool, Gabriel sh*ts on Saliba,” they would crow.
It doesn’t particularly matter, and perhaps they know better, but Saliba certainly looks as though his ceiling is far higher, and to have played this well in his debut Premier League season is frankly ridiculous.
3) Moises Caicedo
Every so often there’s the slightest of nagging feelings that Moises Caicedo may not be quite as good as everyone thinks he is, because if every big club wants him he must be really bloody good.
Then you watch him for a few minutes and curse yourself for doubting him. There’s no wonder Brighton rejected £70m in January, ahead of a summer in which a bidding war could see that price soar above nine figures.
Caicedo plays as though he has as much time on the ball as he wants while refusing to grant opposition players any at all. He’s always on edge, which makes him both brilliant and hugely watchable.
2) Gabriel Martinelli
The Brazilian had a fallow period at the turn of the year when Eddie Nketiah was in the team. And Martinelli was in fact so poor in that spell that it became a case of him or Nketiah, never both. Mikel Arteta made the right call.
Martinelli has got seven goals and two assists in his last eight games with Nketiah first relegated to the bench before being forced onto the treatment table.
There’s an inevitability to Martinelli’s football these days. He will go past the defender, he will get a shot away, he will make a telling contribution.
1) Bukayo Saka
The best of any player is of course also the best young player. Give him the keys to the kingdom if you ask us.
Has it ever happened before that a footballer has been this good and this lovable? One minute we’re marvelling at his unparalleled ability to wriggle away from defenders or gasping as he clips one effortlessly into the top corner, and the next we’re swooning at him politely asking for a selfie.
