The Premier League is filled with big-money, internationally recognised superstars like Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, Mohammed Salah, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But these players won’t be around forever. They’re at the peak of their powers right now, but there’ll come a time in the not too distant future when they wave goodbye to English football’s top division. And when that happens, who will be there to pick up the mantle and electrify fans up and down the country? 

While there will, of course, be a few standout players bought from overseas for large sums of cash, we can also expect some of the leading young players to step up and establish themselves as household names.

With this in mind, we’re going to take a look at three of the top prospects who might just do that.

Phil Foden

Phil Foden may only be twenty years old, but it feels like he’s been around for some time already, in large part because he has. He’s been part of the Manchester City setup since a child and has been in the first team since he was sixteen. There’s been a lot of hype around Foden, but Manchester City have managed his progress exceptionally well. Now, at the age of twenty, he looks destined to step up and become a key player for Guardiola’s side. 

Nothing can explain Foden’s talent more than the fact that, even in a side filled with big-money signings, he’s one of the players that excite those at the club the most. He ended the last campaign with five goals from seven starts. This could be the year where he makes the jump from ‘a talented prospect’ to ‘key player.’ Watch this space.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Everyone knew Everton were hiring star-quality when they appointed Carlo Ancelotti as head coach. Still, even the most optimistic of Everton fans will be blown away by the Italian’s impact on the Merseyside club’s fortunes. One of the biggest improvements we’ve seen is the rise of 23-year-old striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is scoring for fun these days. Indeed, he’s nearly scored as many goals as he did in all of the last campaign, and we’re only a handful of games into the season. 

The Sheffield-born forward has developed from a hot prospect into a player who has shown he can step up and influence games. Whether Everton are playing a big or small side, you imagine there’ll be a lot of people making the most of free bets and backing him to get on the score sheet, especially with the current hot streak of form he’s in right now.

Curtis Jones

After a drought of local talents following the emergence of Steven Gerrard back in the 1990s, it seems as if Liverpool might get their second dose of scouse talent in a matter of years. It was assumed that Trent-Alexander Arnold would be the city’s representative for the forthcoming decade, but if his early performances are anything to go by, then Curtis Jones might just join the list of Liverpudlian superstars. 

He’s not yet as well-established as Phil Foden or Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but he’s making a strong case that he will be within a couple of years. Klopp clearly has faith in the player. He played enough matches last season to pick up a Premier League medal, and for the new campaign has been given the number 17 jersey, which has previously been worn by other local talents Steve McManaman and Steven Gerrard. Could Curtis Jones go on to have a career that matches these two Liverpool legends? His attitude and skill certainly seem to suggest so.