The Premier League attracts some of the brightest young talent in world football
Recently, the statisticians at the CIES Football Observatory put together a list of the “best teenagers” across the globe. They have used their “Experience Index” and “Performance Index” to come up with their top 200.
The Experience Index rates every player’s sporting level based on the country, league, club and matches they participate in. The Performance Index measures performances in seven ‘game areas’ – aerial play, ground defence, build-up, orchestration, take on, assists and shooting.
Read below as we count down the top 5 teenagers in the English top flight.
5) Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham)
Spurs paid Djurgarden €20m to recruit the talented Swedish midfielder at the beginning of 2024.
Bergvall started most of Spurs’s games in the Europa League last season, although he missed the semi-final and final due to an ankle injury.
The teenager has already made 107 senior appearances in his career, despite the fact that he won’t turn 20 until February next year.
4) Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
The teenager is youngest player to make his debut in the Premier League, coming on as a substitute during the 3-0 win over Brentford in 2022 at the age of 15 years and 181 days.
Nwaneri has subsequently gone on to make 40 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners over the last three years.
2024/25 was undoubtedly the attacking midfielder’s breakout season, having scored 9 goals and provided 2 assists in 37 games.