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Ten Premier League youngsters to watch out for in 2016/17; Part 3

By on August 13, 2016

The 2016/17 Premier League season is just a week away and Football Every Day’s Alex Morgan takes a look at ten young stars to watch out for ahead of the upcoming campaign. In part one, we looked at Sheyi Ojo, Brendan Galloway, and Demarai Gray. In part two, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Jerome Sinclair and Rob Holding come under the spotlight. In this final part three, Josh Onomah, Isaac Success, Leroy Sane and Reece Oxford are on the radar:

Josh Onomah (Tottenham Hotspur)

This summer has been Tottenham Hotspur’s quietest in over five years but, in fact, their absence of big-name signings is a statement of their intent heading into the Premier League season. Coach Mauricio Pochettino has placed his trust in a promising group of young stars and unlike other managers who sacrifice young players as a sort of ceremonial gesture, his job actually depends on them.

For that reason, Spurs youngster Josh Onomah possibly has a better opportunity this season than any other player on this list. The nineteen-year-old academy starlet hopes to continue his upward trajectory, having made eighteen appearances in all competitions last year.

He made eight Premier League appearances and was also an integral member of Tottenham’s Europa League and FA Cup squads, impressing with his pace and dribbling skills on the wing. His numerous substitute appearances didn’t seemed forced because Pochettino genuinely believed Onomah could make an impact; indeed, he often came on in crucial situations when Tottenham were chasing the game.

This season, Onomah will chase a breakthrough moment that could kickstart his Spurs career and has the talent to book a starting position. Having played centrally for the academy and England’s youth national teams, he also contains elements of steel and vision that make him more than just a flashy bag of tricks.

Isaac Success (Watford)

Watford youngster Isaac Success is gunning to be a huge…ahem…success in his first season at Vicarage Road this year. He signed for an estimated club record fee of £12.5 million from Spanish side Grenada in early July and, as if he doesn’t already have enough pressure on his shoulders, has been handed the No. 10 jersey.

The Nigeria-born forward moved to Spain in 2013 to play for Grenada’s reserve side as a seventeen year old and was promoted to their first team at the age of just eighteen. He is comfortable playing both out wide and through the middle with a quick and powerful build and was very impressive last season in an otherwise uninspiring Grenada team.

If he can improve his consistency with Watford this season, he could become an instant success.

Leroy Sane (Manchester City)

Leroy Sane was a late addition to Manchester City’s squad this summer, joining Pep Guardiola’s revolution at the Etihad Stadium in a £37 million transfer from Schalke FC last week. The twenty-year-old forward is considered one of Germany’s brightest prospects for the future and was a part of their Euro 2016 squad, having rapidly risen through the youth national team ranks.

Sane has football in his blood, being the son of former Senegalese international Souleyman Sane, but he has also benefitted massively from the sophisticated academy system in Germany. He shined at Schalke last season, his breakout year in Germany, scoring eight goals in thirty-three appearances.

He plays mainly on the right wing, cutting onto his favored left foot with blistering pace and raw power, but can also play across the front three and that tactical adaptability and versatility caught Guardiola’s eye. Whether on the wing or up top, Sane looks to be at the forefront of City’s team next season.

Reece Oxford (West Ham United)

Reece Oxford is the youngest player on this list at the age of just seventeen but has a bright future ahead and has a lot to offer West Ham United this season. At 6’3”, Oxford isn’t intimidated by the physicality of the Premier League and was demonstrably good in his twelve appearances last season.

Having first appeared on the West Ham subs bench at the age of fifteen, Oxford has been quickly acclimated to top division football and has the potential to be an imposing center-back when he grows into his lanky frame. Although he played in the defensive midfield position in the academy game, his calm presence on the ball and smart defending has drawn many comparisons to Rio Ferdinand. With twenty-five England youth national team caps under his belt already, Oxford will hope that another impressive campaign can also put him under consideration for a call-up by new England boss Sam Allardyce in the near future.

Stay tuned for all of Football Every Day’s in-depth coverage of the new Premier League season!

Homepage photo credit: Thomas Rodenbücher (MSV-Schalke-5709) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.