Published: 22:00 BST, 7 August 2026 | Updated: 22:18 BST, 7 August 2026
As the Premier League season curtain-raiser on August 21 draws closer, there is an onus to reflect on pre-season performances with several youngsters staking their claim for first team minutes.
A number of young talents have caught the eye of supporters, showing off their skills with several having been given the chance during tours across the globe.
Daily Mail Sport runs the rule over the youngsters who have staked the greatest claim to earn Premier League minutes and who they would have to leapfrog to claim these opportunities.
First on this list is Aston Villa’s Brian Madjo, who recently made headlines after being cleared to play in this upcoming season.
Aston Villa were successful in their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with the 17-year-old having initially been blocked from playing for the club owing to FIFA rules around the international transfer for minors.
Madjo was born in London but the issue of his eligibility had arisen due to him being raised in Luxembourg, whom he made three international appearances for before switching nationality.
The teenager joined the club from Metz in January for £10million, a price that initially raised eyebrows across the league, but he is already pushing for first team opportunities with his displays.
Madjo, towering at 6ft 4in, has scored four goals in pre-season and is already drawing comparisons to Romelu Lukaku.
England international Ollie Watkins has had an extended break following the World Cup and Tammy Abraham is returning from a shoulder issue. This combined with Champions League football and departures of Morgan Rogers and Jadon Sancho gives Madjo, and Villa fans, hope of him becoming a regular contributor.
Nearly three years after Emery handed a 19-year-old Jhon Durán his debut, another teenage forward seems destined for minutes.
Brian Madjo has been cleared to play for Aston Villa after a Court of Arbitration for Sport decision
The 17-year-old, who cost Aston Villa £10m, scored in Aston Villa's pre-season win at Walsall
Dastan Satpaev, a Kazakh forward, is doing the rounds on social media after his coolly struck finish capped off a wonderful team goal just seven minutes into Chelsea's game against Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia.
The post has over one million likes and has catapulted the 17-year-old into the spotlight. The post has also led to debate over which is Satpaev’s dominant foot as the winger is so gifted with both.
