The world's most widely covered league, around £2.5 billion in TV rights and the second highest average attendance in the world has paved the way for extensive scouting systems and a vast network of agents spread throughout the world, be it Asia or America.
Over the years we have seen the rise of the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Raheem Sterling and many, many more become household names and in many cases, a legend, after a breakthrough season. Only last season we saw Richarlison, Christensen, Andy Robertson and a few others catapulted into the spotlight and they've stayed there since. So, without much ado, here are this season's top 5 picks who have the potential to make it big in the future.
Diogo Jota
After a circuitous route through Atletico and Porto, last season Diogo Jota finally signed permanently for the Wolves. And though the majority of the Premier League hadn't ever heard of him, he had scored 17 goals for the club in their Championship winning season which earned them promotion.
Though the talent and glimpses of brilliance were there for everyone to see, he wobbled a bit early on until Nuno decided to play with two up front, pairing Jota and Jimenez. And Jota hasn't looked back since then. He has been directly involved in 14 goals in the league, and has driven the club to the 7th spot in their very first season since the return to the top flight. A very good anchor player, he often turns feeder for his partner in crime, who has 20 direct foal contributions.
Against Leicester, Jota became the first Portuguese to score a hattrick in the league since Cristiano Ronaldo 1q years ago, and also the first ever to do for the Wolves in England's top flight since John Richards nearly 42 years ago. His impressive performances have earned him a call up to the Portuguese National Team, though he is yet to play for them.
James Maddison
Shelling out £25 million pounds for a 21 year old who had played just one season in the second division would usually be labelled as ridiculous and a result of inflation in today's market. But in this case, it is proving to be a bargain.
Named Norwich's player of the year last season, he is a typical number 10 and has 7 goals and 7 assists along with 84% passing accuracy in the league. But more importantly, he has created 13 big chances, only behind Hazard's 16. And all this in what can best be described as a shaky season for Leicester City. He shares a telepathic connection with Jamie Vardy and has been the club's most consistent player along with the number 9.
His brilliant performances earned him a call up to the senior squad after having played for England's U-21 side, even though he is yet to get any minutes. Only 22, he has a long way to go and the only way he seems to be headed is up.
Declan Rice
Although he was a name known to few in the footballing community till the season's start, he was already a fan favourite for the Hammers having finished runner up for the club's player of the year last season. A central defender and defensive midfielder by trade, he has really broken through this season averaging nearly 2 tackles won per game, along with 1.5 clearances and interceptions.
Northern Ireland manager had already declared him as a future captain and one he would build his team around for the future, even though Rice chose England over them and made his debut for the Three Lions this season in the Euro 2020 qualifier against Czech Republic.
He became the first player since Michael Carrick to reach 50 appearances for West Ham United before turning 20 and was a nominee for the PFA Young Player of the Year award. With 33 appearances this season, he is set to stay for a long time to come.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
He's 21, playing his first full season in the league and has the highest tackling success rate as well as the most successful tackles. This freak of nature is already being labelled as the next best thing. Completely adapted to the league's pace and physicality, the right back has taken everyone by storm and has conjured up some insane stats.
Sturdy in defence, his lightning speed allows him to surge forward in attack and create chances from the wings. Having played less than 700 minutes last season, he has made 34 appearances with an average of 89 minutes per game and has easily been Crystal Palace's most influential player. Even though the likes of Walker and Arnold may be better than him in attack, AWB leaves them both in his wake when it comes to defending. He averages 3.8 clearances, 2.5 interceptions and 2.6 tackles per game, while winning 67% of his duels and being dribbled past less than once every 3 games.
That doesn't at all mean he is half bad when going forward. He has a couple of assists to his name and has created 3 big chances. For context, Mbappe has created 8 in Ligue 1. Yet to make his international debut for the Three Lions having played for the U21s, he is definitely one to look out for in the future.
Mattéo Guendouzi
There is not a single Arsenal fan that didn't get trolled by the rival fans for their club buying another unknown 19 year old. There is not a single Arsenal fan that has not had the final laugh. Struggling for minutes in the Ligue 2, Arsenal bought him in the summer for a mere £7 million and since then, he has been nothing but sensational.
Deployed as a holding or a central midfielder by Unai Emery, he is very adept at controlling the game's tempo and moving the ball forward into more attacking positions. He carries the ball well and is very skilful with both his feet. Playing in a box to box role more often than not, he has unreal stamina and can be seen everywhere on the pitch.
But his most striking quality has easily been his confidence. Like Dimitar Berbatov said, “He’s 19 but he’s playing like he’s been there forever." To say that he has been a bargain is an understatement and with him speaking at length about his fascination with Arsenal, he is undoubtedly a part of Arsenal's long term plans.
A lot of talent has emerged this season, and a strong case can be made for the likes of David Brooks, Callum Hudson Odoi, Phil Foden, Lucas Torreira or Callum Wilson. But the above 5 players not only stood out with their performances from the rest but also were able to win the trust of their managers and become a regular part of the starting 11, something the likes of Odoi and Foden failed to manage. Regardless, it has been an exciting season and only time will tell whether these hot young prospects will turn into global superstars or simply become a case of what could've been.
