Five hottest young players in the Premier League at the moment

Prior to the start of every season, several topics will always catch the eye and it has been no different this time around.

Asides the buzz behind a potential title-winner, Golden Boot winner and the sides who could be relegated, there is always a keen expectation to see which youngsters will excel and shine brightest for their respective sides.

The 2022/23 campaign has been a rather unpredictable one, with the biggest surprise so far being Arsenal, who currently lead at the top of the Premier League by five points.

In the same vein, several young players have held their own as well and this article takes a look at the biggest Premier League prospects tipped for glory and awards come the end of the campaign.

Alejandro Garnacho

He might still be only 18 but the Manchester United youngster is showing quality far more advanced than his age. Still only a teenager, he is already looking like one of the clubs best youth prospects in the past decade.

His brilliant showing has seen him earn regular minutes under Erik ten Hag and a tally of 14 Premier League games played as an 18-year-old for Manchester United.

He is quick on his feet, has pace and explosive shot power as well. He scored a last-gasp winner against Fulham back in November as well as United’s third goal in their recent 3-1 FA Cup victory over West Ham.

His good form has seen him rewarded with call-ups to the Argentina senior squad for their upcoming friendlies against Panama and Curaçao.

William Saliba

Initially labelled as not good enough for the Premier League and Arsenal, Saliba has gone on to be one of the revelations of the season. The 21-year-old started his Arsenal career on a positive note, with a man-of-the-match performance against Crystal Palace on the opening day and has not looked back since.

He has become an undroppable player for Mikel Arteta and has formed a formidable partnership in defence with Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes. The Frenchman has a commanding presence due to his physique and has often made the best of it, while showing his athleticism as well on several occasions.

He has already opened his scoring account for Arsenal, with a sensational strike against Bournemouth back in August as well as a crucial goal against Leicester City.

Saliba has also featured in all of Arsenal’s Premier League games so far and could easily be in the team of the campaign should the Gunners win the League. He was part of the French squad that reached the World Cup final in Qatar and has a huge ceiling of potential to his name.

Phil Foden

Asides Garnacho, Foden might not have featured as much as other players on this list this term but needs no introduction about his skills and abilities.

You can hardly think of many 22-year-old’s who have four Premier League titles to their name. Foden has mostly made appearances off the bench this term but still has nine goals and four assists to his name in the Premier League.

He was recently described by Pep Guardiola as one of Manchester City’s most important players and justified that claim with a brace against Bristol City to help the Citizens advance to the sixth round of the FA Cup.

Foden was then rewarded with a start against Bournemouth and once again found the back of the net to show Guardiola what he has been missing by leaving him on the bench.

The 22-year-old has won the PFA Player of The Year for the last two seasons in succession but faces an uphill task to claim it for the third time in a row. He is already a key member of the England squad and was part of the side that featured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Gabriel Martinelli

If Arsenal are top of the league, it is because players like Martinelli significantly upped their game. The Brazilian forward has been a key component in the Gunners’ attack and has been one of the most reliable source of goals for Mikel Arteta this term.

With 11 goals to his name, he is the Gunners’ top scorer in the Premier League this season and is well on course for his best-ever scoring tally since he joined the north London side in 2019.

Martinelli has strongly improved on his end-product and his workrate on the flank makes him unplayable even when he isn’t scoring goals.

After getting his first call-up to the Brazil senior squad, he featured sparingly at the World Cup and is expected to see more action in due time.

Having grown to become a fan-favourite at the Emirates, he recently signed a new contract that would see him remain at the club until 2027, alongside improved weekly wages. Arsenal only signed him for £6m back in 2019 and it makes his rise at the club even more pleasant to watch.

Bukayo Saka

Another Arsenal player once again makes the list and this name cannot be debatable. Not only has he been the most standout young player of the season so far but you can also make a case for him as the best player overall.

He is the current bookies’ favorite to win the PFA Young Player award and could also clinch the PFA Player of the Year prize, though the latter will strongly depend on whether or not Arsenal win the title.

With 10 goals and 9 assists to his name in the Premier League, only Harry Kane (20) and Erling Haaland (32) boast more goal contributions than the Englishman.

His right flank is often Arsenal’s most dangerous part of the pitch and he continues to get better with each passing week. It is no surprise that Saka was subject of interest from the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal but has now committed to a new five-year deal that will see him become one of the club’s top earners, bar an official confirmation.

The 21-year-old has been named Arsenal’s Player of the Season for the past two campaigns and is a strong shout to make it three in a row. He has made that right flank his own and is no doubt the Gunners’ best Academy product in well over a decade.