The new season is on the horizon, and while the transfers have gone fully into silly-season, there’s been a lot of big moves already and some of which may well have gone under the radar. With huge amounts of fresh talent arriving in the Premier League, this season could become one of the most exciting in recent years.

In this post, we’ve picked out 5 players who we are keeping an eye on for this upcoming campaign. With some being interesting summer transfers, some looking to develop further and some having impressive pre-season efforts, it’s been tough to narrow down the list to just 5, but these are young stars who could have breakout years and become a regular fixture in the Premier League and top level of football for years to come.

As always, if you have any thoughts on the new season, get in touch with us by leaving a comment, following us on Bluesky (@NextGoalWinner) or Instagram (@NextGoalWin) and check out our YouTube channel (@NextGoalWinner).

Estevao

Starting off with Chelsea who have added several names to their ever-growing roster, the arrival of Estevao to the Premier League seems like a move that has been confirmed for so long, and Chelsea can now officially celebrate their new arrival from Brazil. Having already played 5 times for the Brazil senior side and still only 18 years of age, he has actually scored against his new club this summer as Palmeiras lost to Chelsea in the Club World Cup, but made up for it by scoring on his pre-season debut against Bayer Leverkusen.

Having 25 and then 17 goal contributions in his 2 full seasons of senior football in Brazil, he’s one of the South American production line of quality young attacking footballers, and with his versatility to play on the right-wing, attacking midfielder or central striker, he can find his minutes with his versatility as there are so many attacking options already at the club. While he may have to bide his time at points, playing in all 4 competitions again this season could see Chelsea opt for large rotation to their squad, and Estevao is more than capable of putting in a good enough showing to keep a place in the XI.

Jorrel Hato

With the most appearances at senior level of any player on this list, Jorrel Hato is one of Chelsea’s several summer signings who may well go under the radar. Having captained Ajax at such a young age, the now 19 year old had been seen as a seasoned pro at the Dutch side, and this move certainly didn’t come cheap as Chelsea look to reinforce their defence amid injury and depth concerns. Primarily a left-back, he will have to compete with Cucurella for minutes, but I expect this move to be a very successful one, and as part of Chelsea’s crop of young stars for the present and future, he ticks a lot of boxes. His ability to also play as a centre back could help massively with their injury concerns for Colwill and lack of options and depth for the back-line.

As a consistent performer for Ajax who has averaged over 7/10 across the last 2 seasons for Ajax, he has been a reliable and consistent option thus far in his career, and with a big Premier League move, he could begin a transition away from the 27 year old Cucurella who stays ahead in the pecking order.

Malick Diouf

Sticking with full backs, Malick Diouf has arrived at West Ham to be the opposite side to Wan-Bissaka. With Potter likely opting for a back-3, the wing backs of Wan-Bissaka and Malick Diouf are certainly going to be an attacking proposition while also having the energy to get up and down the pitch.

Arriving from Slavia Prague, the 20 year old Senegal international produced 7 goals and 3 assists last season in 41 appearances, a strong suggestion of the attacking prowess and chance creation he offers. Having impressed in pre-season, he’s picked up 1 assist already against Bournemouth and his potential ball in to Fullkrug could become a strong threat for West Ham.

Patrick Dorgu

Rounding off our trio of full backs to watch, we turn to the player who shone the brightest in Manchester United’s pre-season games across the US, as Dorgu looks to be fully settled into the role as a left wing-back under Amorim, and fits the system perfectly.

Having arrived at United in the January window, Dorgu didn’t instantly settle amid the issues going on around his new club, however 20 appearances into his career at Old Trafford, the 20 year old looks destined for a strong season as United look to get back into European contention. I expect to see a lot of positivity around Dorgu due to his energy, his ability to get up and down the pitch, and the ability to be a provider for Sesko with crosses and through balls as he plays higher up in games.

Some question marks remain around the consistency of Dorgu’s play, but at only 20 years of age, and with a full season of almost guaranteed first-team football, the Danish international will be a strong provider for chances, and I am predicting to see a fair few pre-assists and assists coming from his advancements up the pitch.

Max Dowman

Finally, and continuing with the pre-season hype element to this post, we’re going to Arsenal as they look to have unearthed another gem of a talent possibly able to step into a Premier League game before he’s even taken his GCSEs.

15 year old Max Dowman has featured in several appearances during pre-season, and despite not making a senior appearance in a competitive game thus far, I expect to see Dowman feature at some point this season under Arteta. While he won’t play week-in week-out, there will be minutes available, as Arteta is not shy of putting youngsters straight into the environment, and so he’s definitely one to keep an eye on.

With just a few pre-season appearances to go off, it’s hard to know exactly what to expect from such a young talent, but he can certainly bag a goal or two as he has 23 in 28 for the U18s and looked incredibly composed and calm on the ball. There’s plenty of time for his development to grow, but this year could mark the start of a big career for a possible future England star.

Don’t forget, if you have any thoughts on the new season, you can get in touch with us by leaving a comment, following us on Bluesky (@NextGoalWinner) or Instagram (@NextGoalWin) and check out our YouTube channel (@NextGoalWinner).