20 for 25: Premier League understudies ready to claim centre stage
Challenged Kylian During Bradley Irish Pic: Champions League Mbappe Phase Is Md5 Conor By Uefa Justin The Setterfield/getty Rover: League 2024/25 Match Images
We all know the big names that make the big teams tick, from Bukayo Saka to Erling Haaland, Virgil van Dijk to Cole Palmer, Mo Salah to James Maddison, and Bruno Fernandes to Bruno Guimaraes.
But who are the hidden heroes who are suddenly finding form, ready to make a big impact in 2025?
Here we present 20 lower profile players for 2025 who could all become heroes in the New Year, no matter their age or position on the field:
At just 17 it’s remarkable that attacking midfielder Nwaneri has made 16 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal this season – a sign of how highly manager Mikel Arteta rates him.
What Arteta may not have predicted, however, was that at such a tender age Nwaneri would also deliver goals. Four of them so far, including a brace against Bolton in the EFL Cup and his first ever Premier League goal against Nottingham Forest in November.
Getting into the side more permanently isn’t going to be easy with the quality of those ahead of him. But perhaps injuries to Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling may edge him closer – and at least guarantee a place on the bench. Definitely one to watch.
Signed from Middlesbrough for under €10m, attacking midfielder Rogers, 22, is now looking like one of the bargains of the decade. His performance in Villa’s recent victory over Manchester City was simply outstanding, including a stunning goal against the club where he used to play in the youth team alongside Cole Palmer.
How on Earth did City let them go? He has developed at a rapid rate under Unai Emery and could be key in terms of energy, assists and goals in 2025.
A scorer in Villa’s 2-2 draw with Brighton on Monday, Rogers has developed at a rapid rate under Unai Emery and could be a key player in 2025.
The Cherries star, who can play anywhere across the front three, is having a special season already with Bournemouth, with a host of bigger clubs watching his progress closely.
The feeling is that he is still a little too raw to play for the big four at this stage, but there’s plenty of room for development for a player who is only 24 and has been played mostly wide under Andoni Iraola.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him improve across the season and for suitors to take an even bigger interest in the summer.
His exploits so far including an impressive strike during a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford before Christmas that took his team up to fifth in the table. That made it five goals in 17 appearances.
The Dane made his name by scoring a stunning free-kick against England at Euro 2020 but injuries and illness stalled his career, and it’s taken him a long time to find his feet at Brentford. Now, however, he is showing his true potential. His technique, energy and ability to always play forward make him unrecognisable from the player of a year or two ago. Two goals, five assists, seven big chances created – and that’s only half the story. Look out for him this year, he’s becoming something special – and still only 24 years old.
Albion have discovered, and sold, some outstanding midfielders over the last few years, including Yves Bissouma, Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister. But there are people inside the club who believe Baleba could become a match for all of them. It’s taken time to settle in since a €27m move from Lille in August 2023, but now the Cameroon international is finding his feet. At just 20 years old there’s a lot more to come. A talented defensive midfielder who can also drive forward.
The Blues have stockpiled a lot of young talent but young forward Guiu, stolen away from Barcelona for just €6m last summer, could turn out to be the most exciting.
At 18 years old he’s currently used primarily in Chelsea’s Conference League squad, having made just a brief appearance in the Premier League – as a substitute against Manchester City in August.
But he’s already winning over fans, having scored eight goals so far – including four against Astana and three in a hat-trick display against Shamrock Rovers.
At 27 he’s no youngster but the former Watford striker, signed from Marseille for €15m, has bags of talent and was always going to come good for Palace in the end. The Eagles may have had a difficult start to the season, but Sarr now has four goals and is starting to remind us of his talent. Expect him to get better and better as the campaign winds on.
The Senegal international, who started his career at non-league Boreham Wood, arrived at Everton via Sheffield United and Marseille – and cost them €18m.
Three goals since then, including one in the EFL Cup, has given us a hint of what he could do, especially if Everton opt for a more attacking style once they feel safe from relegation.
Ndiaye is exciting on the ball and can play wide or as a 10, and Goodison fans already love him. There should be more to come.
This is a player who has been doing it for a long time but is only now starting to get recognition for his quality.
Robinson has always been extremely quick but is vastly improved now in terms of his defending and final ball.
Many pundits now regard the former Wigan and Everton left-footer as one of the best wing-backs in the Premier League - and the big boys are looking closely at him for next season. At 27 he’s approaching his peak. Expect big things from him in 2025 – and perhaps a big move too.
Before Ipswich won promotion to the Premier League, young striker Delap (he’s 21) was mostly known for having a famous father (Rory Delap, the former Stoke City defender who, in turn, was mostly famous for his remarkable long throw). Now, however, Delap the younger is in danger of outdoing his father after scoring seven goals in his first 17 Premier League games. Quite a feat when you consider how badly Ipswich have been suffering on the pitch. There’s something about him that looks special, and other clubs are already noticing.
Four goals and two assists so far on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion suggest the 19-year-old is a talent, especially given how tough life has been for the club this season.
In many ways, Buonanotte has been a shining light for the Foxes with some impressive hints of potential.
Leicester will need to stay up to stand any chance of signing him permanently, but you suspect the attacking midfielder, who can also play on the wing, will have no shortage of suitors if Brighton decide he is not needed on the south coast.
Of course, the other option is he heads home to the Amex and impresses there under Fabian Hurzeler. Either way, expect him to shine.
It’s not easy being understudy to a legend such as Trent Alexander-Arnold but Northern Ireland international Bradley, still only 21, is doing a pretty good job of it.
He enjoyed an outstanding match against Real Madrid in the Champions League when, standing for his famous teammate, he helped Liverpool to a 2-0 victory at Anfield – and completed a legendary tackle on Kylian Mbappe to add a TikTok moment to his all-round display.
He has made 12 appearances already this season and it would have been more if not for injury. If Trent decides to jump ship this summer, then Liverpool already have an exciting player to take his spot.
Many of the young players who will inevitably be part of City’s future are already in the squad, people such as Rico Lewis, Oscar Bobb and Brazilian youngster Savinho, who looks like he could be a real prospect.
He showed he has nerves of steel when scoring a penalty in the Community Shield shoot-out victory against Manchester United – and you feel his progress would have been quicker this season if not for City’s miserable form and inexplicable tumble down the table.
It took him until Sunday’s win at Leicester to hit the net this season, but the talent is clearly there, waiting to emerge. There’s plenty of time for him to find his feet, and Pep Guardiola will surely have his side firing by 2025-26.
This is not an easy time for a young player to shine at Old Trafford. You only have to note that Alejandro Garnacho is being considered for sale in the January window to realise that something strange is going on, even with a new manager in charge.
So, although this hasn’t been the kind of break-out season we expected for Mainoo, don’t give up on him yet.
He was outstanding last season and looked a natural at international level with England at the Euros, so you can blame injuries and an unstable environment at Old Trafford for what has been slow progress since.
Once he settles into a regular role under Ruben Amorim things should return to normal. He has the potential to be the focal point of United’s midfield for a long time to come.
The former Chelsea left-back is progressing nicely at St James’ Park and this could be the year that he make the position his own not only at club level but for England, too, having won his first cap recently against Greece.
Quick, strong and tactically astute he is improving quickly under Eddie Howe having seen a loan move from Stamford Bridge made permanent. Since forcing his way into the team, he has provided two assists and showed improved delivery from crosses.
The Nigerian footballer is 28, so no spring chicken, but he’s having the season of his life as Nottingham Forest, helping them, astonishingly, challenge for the top four. It’s not often a right-back stands out in this way (Trent Alexander-Arnold is something of a freak when it comes to that) but Aina is solid in defence, exciting in attack and, as he showed at Brentford recently, he can finish, too. He’s every Fantasy League manager’s dream.
The 18-year-old attacking midfielder, a youth team product, has really caught the eye this season despite Southampton’s disastrous form, and that marks him out as something special. This is his first full season and yet he’s regularly been the Saints’ best player in the Premier League, including scoring his first goal in a 1-1 draw against Ipswich. But it’s his quality on the ball, his dribbling and high level of skill that has made him stand out rather than goals. This is a player who will still be in the Premier League next season – even though Southampton won’t.
We haven’t had a proper chance to look at Gray so far this season – and Tottenham openly admit they weren’t going to sign him until next season when Brentford pounced last summer. Spurs moved in quickly to gazump their London rivals and have mostly played Gray at full-back when he’s got on the pitch. His best role is in central midfield and once he gets there, back him to stay. A genuine talent who can make things tick from deep.
The 23-year-old Dutch winger signed from Leeds last summer for almost €30m and he hasn’t really hit top form yet. But this is an exciting, talented young player and it hasn’t been an easy start for anyone at the London Stadium under new manager Julen Lopetegui. If West Ham’s form improves, expect Summerville’s star to rise with it. He’s scored one goal and provided one assist so far (the goal coming in a famous 2-1 victory over Manchester United) but the potential is there for more and he’s played in the Premier League before for Leeds, so the level isn’t new for him.
The big Norwegian striker has been overshadowed by the talent of Matheus Cunha but expect him to move into his own limelight sooner or later. He scored goals regularly in Spain for Celta Vigo and, at 24, he’s a good age to improve. The forward has seven goals so far this season, which is not a bad return for a team that has been struggling. The impetus of a new manager in the shape of Vitor Pereira, could bring the best out of him in 2025.