The Premier League's next breakout stars: one prospect to watch at every club

The Premier League is almost back, and the 2026-27 season gets underway on Friday, 21 August, when champions Arsenal host newly promoted Coventry City. Away from the title race, there is another familiar thrill: watching a teenager suddenly look like he belongs. We have picked 20 prospects, one from every Premier League club, who could make this their breakthrough season. Fantasy Premier League managers might want to take note too. Here are the first six names, from Arsenal to Chelsea. Arsenal - Max Dowman (attacking midfielder/forward) It feels strange to call Max Dowman a potential breakthrough player when he has already scored in the Premier League. The 16-year-old became the youngest scorer in league history last season and made his first league start on the final day. Six league appearances followed, and he added a goal in a pre-season friendly win over Girona. Mikel Arteta now has a genuine option on the wing or as a number 10, though the youngster will still be protected. This could be the season he becomes a regular. Aston Villa - George Hemmings (midfielder) George Hemmings has long been seen as the standout talent in Villa's recent academy crop. He made his first-team debut at Arsenal last season and finished with four appearances under Unai Emery, two of them in the Europa League. A goal in the pre-season defeat to Real Sociedad added to the sense that the 19-year-old is ready for more. Bournemouth - Veljko Milosavljevic (defender) Veljko Milosavljevic is already a Serbia international and became Bournemouth's youngest starter in Premier League history when he faced Brighton in September. The centre-half, who turned 19 on 28 June, made seven league appearances in 2025-26, with the Cherries winning four and drawing one. The 6ft 4in defender joined from Red Star Belgrade on deadline day in early September 2025 for an initial £13m, but has not played since January because of a knee injury. The next step is showing he can pick up where he left off. Brentford - Kaye Furo (striker) Brentford paid £8m in January to sign Belgian striker Kaye Furo from Club Brugge. The 6ft 3in forward had already played in the Champions League against Arsenal before moving to west London. Bees boss Keith Andrews said the club had been tracking Furo for a while and had no doubt he could become a big player. Furo featured in two FA Cup ties before a late substitute appearance in May's 3-0 Premier League win over West Ham. At 19, he now looks ready for a bigger role. Brighton - Zadok Yohanna (winger) Brighton have built a reputation for unearthing exciting young talent, and 19-year-old Nigerian right-winger Zadok Yohanna is their latest project. The Seagulls agreed a £21.5m deal with AIK Stockholm after Yohanna produced five goals and four assists in 18 appearances. Former Brighton midfielder Warren Aspinall, speaking on the Albion Unlimited podcast, suggested the club had beaten Chelsea and Newcastle to his signature and wondered whether Brighton had found another rough diamond to polish. Chelsea - Dastan Satpaev (forward) Seventeen-year-old Kazakhstan forward Dastan Satpaev appears the most likely Chelsea youngster to break through this season. New manager Xabi Alonso has already praised him, and Satpaev opened the scoring against Western Sydney Wanderers with a powerful near-post finish. Quick, strong and able to find the net, he is one to watch.