15 Premier League youngsters who could have breakout 2020-21 seasons
Everton ST Moise Kean
Moise Kean joined Everton in the summer 2019 transfer window from Juventus, hoping to break out of the shadows of entrenched superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala to become a centerpiece player alongside Richarlison at Everton’s ambitious project.
While the Toffees couldn’t get much out of Kean in his first season with the club, the 20-year-old Italy international remains one of the most exciting young strikers in Europe. With the right mix of talent around him and guidance from Carlo Ancelotti, Kean, set in the right position, can explode in 2020-21. After all, he needed a mere 536 minutes to grab six goals for Juve in 2018-19.
Manchester United GK Dean Henderson
Although it’s unclear if current Sheffield United keeper Dean Henderson will return to Manchester United to back up superstar David de Gea, sign a new deal with the Blades, or move elsewhere, there is no doubt that the 23-year-old (yes, a 23-year-old goalkeeper should be an exception to our own U-23 rule due to the nature of development at the position) is already a star.
According to FBRef.com, Henderson ranked fourth among Premier League goalkeepers in post-shot expected goals minus actual goals allowed. While far from a foolproof stat, it’s an indication that Henderson saved Sheffield from conceding a handful of goals an average keeper would have let in. Based on the statistic, de Gea was rated as about exactly average.
Henderson bossed the leaderboard in more traditional goalkeeper statistics, too. He was tied for second in the Premier League in total clean sheets, ranked fourth in save percentage, and was second to only Liverpool’s exceptional Alisson in goals allowed per 90 minutes.
By this time next year, fans could be talking about Henderson as one of the top goalkeepers in Europe based on how well he played for Sheffield in 2019-20. He’s far too good to sit on anybody’s bench.
Arsenal RW Reiss Nelson
Yet another Arsenal youngster with an incredibly bright future, Reiss Nelson burst onto the scene as a hyper-efficient scorer off the bench for Julian Nagelsmann’s TSG Hoffenheim in 2018-19. In 630 minutes, Nelson registered seven goals, showing technical quality, instincts, and work rate that could make him a perfect, versatile star forward for the Gunners in a few years.
The 20-year-old still has some work to do. He struggled to make an impression on most games in 2019-20, completing just 462 minutes of Premier League action before the stoppage. Even so, the hype around Nelson hasn’t died, as Arsenal fans understand he can be a dynamic, well-rounded player with patience.