The Premier League season has come to a close, and this campaign has seen some of the division’s best young players take their game to a whole new level.
From the likes of Arsenal building their team around incredible young talent to top sides having some of their best players be some of the youngest in their squad, it has been a year to remember for those only just starting their careers.
And here at HITC Sport, that got us thinking of what a Premier League XI would look like made up of the best young players this season, with our only criteria being that they must be aged 23 or younger at the start of the campaign back in August.
GK – Aaron Ramsdale
Many raised eyebrows when Aaron Ramsdale was signed by Arsenal for a reported £30m, yet for most of the season, the England international has been worth the investment for the north London side.
Whilst his form did taper off in the final weeks of the campaign, Ramsdale played a huge role in Arsenal’s incredible first half to the season, with the shot-stopper keeping 12 clean sheets in total for the Gunners in his first year in the English capital.
RB – Trent Alexander-Arnold
Is there anything that can be said about Trent Alexander-Arnold that hasn’t already been said? It feels like the Liverpool star has been at the top of his game for years, but at just 23, the England international is only getting started.
The right-back ended the Premier League with 12 assists, the most out of any defender in the division and just two off his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah, and with two domestic titles under his belt this season, Alexander-Arnold has had a successful campaign despite missing out on the top English prize.
CB – Cristian Romero
Signed by Tottenham on loan with an option to become permanent this summer, Cristian Romero was arguably Nuno Espirito Santo’s best decision during his brief spell as manager of Spurs, with the young Argentine defender taking the Premier League by storm.
A key member under Antonio Conte, Romero has been influential for the north London side in the fourth-place finish this season, and the centre-back will no doubt be looking to add silverware next year when Tottenham inevitably make the deal permanent.
CB – Marc Guehi
Marc Guehi was key in Swansea City’s play-off push in 2021, and after his breakout season in the Championship, Crystal Palace broke the bank to sign the talented centre-back from Chelsea, and the gamble has paid off.
A consistent fixture in Patrick Vieira’s XI and now an England international, Guehi has taken his game to a new level this season, and the Palace star will be hopeful of taking the south London side to new heights in the 22/23 campaign.
LB – Marc Cucurella
Brighton have often been shrewd players in the transfer market, and the signing of Marc Cucurella has been the south coast side’s latest impressive signing, with the Spanish defender impressing in his first year in the Premier League.
Playing as a left-wingback for Graham Potter’s exciting squad, the former Getafe star has taken to English football like a duck to water, and with Manchester City reportedly interested in Cucurella, it won’t be long until the fullback is ready for a move to a top club.
CM – Phil Foden
In any other year, Mason Mount would be on this XI as the main goalscoring midfielder, but there’s simply no overlooking just how phenomenal Phil Foden has been this season for the Premier League champions Manchester City.
Winning his fourth English top-flight title already, Foden was the third-highest scoring U-23 player in the Premier League this campaign, and at just 21, the City star is well on his way to becoming a legend for the club as well as a superstar for England.
CM – Declan Rice
Declan Rice was once viewed as the perfect Premier League defensive midfielder, but after this season, the West Ham star has evolved into something much more than just an anchorman for the east London side.
Adding goals and attacking prowess to his game, Rice is now arguably the youngest and best complete midfielder in the league, and with another European finish under West Ham’s belt, David Moyes’ side could expect another year of football from the England international.
CM – Conor Gallagher
Mount might not have made this U-23 XI, but his Cobham academy teammate Conor Gallagher certainly does, with the Chelsea loanee becoming a phenomenon at Crystal Palace this season as well as an England international.
Goals, assists and defensive awareness has made Gallagher a real prospect for the coming years, and the midfielder’s future this summer will be one of the most followed narratives given the number of clubs interested in the 22-year-old.
RW – Bukayo Saka
Not many would have predicted Bukayo Saka to react in the way that he has this season after his Euro 2020 heartbreak with England, but the Arsenal winger has taken his game to a whole new level this campaign.
11 goals and seven assists make the 21/22 season Saka’s most productive to date and the best out of any U-23 player in the Premier League this campaign, and with a new contract now reportedly in the works, Arsenal’s future will be an exciting one with the England international still just 20-years-old.
ST – Armando Broja
The third and final player in this XI to leave Chelsea last summer, Armando Broja had the huge task of replacing Danny Ings for Southampton this season, and for the most part, the Albanian international has managed just that.
Six goals in the Premier League has put the 20-year-old on the radar for many top sides ahead of the summer transfer window, as the centre-forward with the most goals in the division under the age of 23, Broja could land a huge move in the coming months should Chelsea decide to cash in on the striker.
LW – Emile Smith Rowe
Saka might have ended the season as Arsenal’s top goalscorer, but very few fans would have predicted Emile Smith Rowe of all players to be the Gunners’ second-highest scorer this season.
The 21-year-old has been a revelation for the Gunners with 11 goals in all competitions, and with Arsenal set for UEFA Europa League football next season, Smith Rowe will play a huge role for his boyhood club if they are to build on their fifth-place finish.
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