The standout U-23 players in the Premier League so far in 2026-27

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The Premier League is known for being the most demanding, competitive league in the world. But that has never stopped the world’s best young players from gaining substantial minutes on the field. It’s not just other European leagues where young players can learn their trade before making a big move to one of Europe’s elite. They can start right at the very top too, and even make their mark at some of the biggest clubs in the world. With so many standout young players to start the season, I wanted to analyze three of the best. Here are the standout U23 players to start the 2026-27 season.

ALEX SCOTT

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England have way too many world class midfielders at their disposal right now. There’s Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, and a host of other players making their way through the system.

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It’s almost reminiscent of the days where they had to shift Paul Scholes out to the left wing to accommodate the fact that they had Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, and David Beckham all competing for places.

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The next to earn a big money move away from one of these middling teams into the limelight will be Alex Scott, who has skyrocketed his career over the past few seasons at Bournemouth. Scott has arguably been Bournemouth’s standout performer in Marco Rose’s first few matches in charge.

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Where he stands out is all through with running power, physicality, and non-stop work rate. Scott leads his team in possession won in the final third this season (1.4 per 90), and distance covered (11.7 km per 90). He’s essential to that first line of pressure and the intensity at which Bournemouth push to win back possession – making 7.3 recoveries per 90.

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The one caveat is that he still needs to be more careful and cautious in making sure that his approach is followed up by his teammates.

Sometimes he’ll make the decision to push higher or wider, leaving the centre of the pitch exposed.

But in the deepest of defensive phases, breaking through Tyler Adams and Alex Scott in front of that stern back-four is a tough one to crack. Scott and Adams are both great at reading passing moves, and stepping in to break up the play.

When Bournemouth win possession, Scott is a frequent scanner of the field. He’s always looking to see where he can exploit, and how much time and space he’ll have on the ball to make his next decision.

Partnered by Adams in the centre of the park, Scott has more license to venture forward and create chances for his team. He’s done so to great effect, with 2.2 chances created per 90 – the most in a Bournemouth shirt.

He’s great at finding spaces to receive with time to make his next call, whether that be setting himself up for a goal or someone else.

This season, Bournemouth’s wide players and strikers will often hold the ball up wide, looking for and waiting for that late arriving run from the 23-year-old.

A high percentage dueller that never backs down from a fight, Scott exudes the Bournemouth way through and through. He’d also be great for Thomas Tuchel’s team, providing that engine and steel in midfield as a steady back-up to Anderson and Rice.

Unfortunately for Scott, his fine form this season led to a deserved call-up to the England team, where he’s now returned injured. We might not see the 23-year-old for a few months, but he’s been integral to Bournemouth to start this campaign.

KOBBIE MAINOO

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Kobbie Mainoo’s success in the Premier League is nothing new to United fans, but it cannot be understated just how stellar he’s been even for a struggling side.

I’ve been crying out for United to purchase a ball-winning midfielder ever since Casemiro announced his departure from the club.

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But Mainoo has impressed on the defensive end so far, making the third most “defensive contributions” per 90 in the league (14.7). He’s normally been allowed to roam further forward, where he can find and exploit spaces, or dribble his way through on his own.

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But Michael Carrick has added more of a calmness and composure to Mainoo’s game this season in the absence of Casemiro.

He’s sitting slightly deeper on the field, contributing more to how they play out from the back, and developing in importance across all defensive phases.

Most of that defensive tally is coming from his positional sense and ability to cover ground. He’s not making an abnormally high number of tackles nor interceptions. Instead, it’s his ability to recover the ball and then kickstart attacks for his team.

He’s great at getting his body in between the ball and the attacker, before cleanly timing his tackle and taking the ball back in the other direction.

This is where the Man United midfielder shines. Mainoo ranks in the 90th precentile of players in his position when it comes to dribbles (2.2 per 90), successful passes (94%), accurate long passes (75%), and line-breaking passes (17.9).

We all think of Youri Tielemans as that exceptional long passer for United, but Mainoo excels in the same way.

He loves the ball at his feet and he loves making proactive, forward-thinking passes.

With a strong ability to wiggle his way out of tight spaces and drive his team forward, Mainoo has become essential to how United attack.

It’s been particularly helpful in Carrick’s reign when United play out from the back. He’s great at evading pressure with a drop of the shoulder, and quick to accelerate past onrushing defenders with ease.

Combine that with Casemiro’s defensive nous or now Youri Tielemans’ passing range, and he can compliment different types of players in midfield.

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Despite his strong defensive numbers, United would still benefit from adding a clearly defined ‘6’ into the team, allowing Mainoo to be fully unleashed again as a box to box ‘8’. That’s where they will get the best out of his silky smooth dribbling and ability to contribute to attacking moves.

But this has been a great start to the season for Mainoo even without that defensive partner, with the 21-year-old already showing the evolution of his game and improvements upon an already stellar 2025-26 season.

JEREMY JACQUET

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Jeremy Jacquet has been the most pleasant surprise this season for Liverpool. He’s the most Virgil Van Dijk thing to walk through the Premier League since Van Dijk himself, and that will be incredibly encouraging for Reds fans, given the amount of time the Dutchman might have left.

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Jacquet is a speedy, physical, intelligent defender who reads spaces well, covers for his teammates, and understands how to get his body in the way.

That shows up in every statistical category. In addition to accumulating the most blocks (0.9 per 90), the Frenchman has completed 2.4 tackles per and 1.7 interceptions per 90 this season – more than any other player for Andoni Iraola’s team. He’s not afraid to get stuck into challenges or put his body in the way, actively taking matters into his own hands when needed.

This is in contrast to Virgil Van Dijk, who’s always been more about shepherding forwards away from goal, winning the ball cleanly, and positioning himself to clear danger away. Jacquet is a far more active defender.

In possession, Jacquet continues to be an adventurous player. He’ll carry the ball forward, try out the difficult pass, and actively try to work the ball up the field. He loves a line-breaker or long pass over the top of a defense, and doesn’t just stick to the simple, short passes up and around the back.

Only Alexis Mac Allister has completed more line breaking passes per 90 (16.7 to Jacquet’s 16.4), and only Van Dijk has completed more long passes (6.2 to 5.0 per 90). He’s completing those long passes with a high degree of accuracy (64%), and using that passing range to push the envelope and create something for his team.

With his strong frame and robust physique, good luck to any forward looking to press him into mistakes or bully him off the ball. Jacquet has completed 100% of his dribbles this season, and won nearly 77% of his duels. Very few defenders hold those kinds of statistics. To name a few – Virgil Van Dijk, Gabriel and Ruben Dias pale in comparison.

For now, the partnership is working wonders. The 21-year-old can learn from one of the best the Premier League’s ever seen by playing alongside him in high-stake fixtures, and wonderfully compliment Van Dijk is at this stage in his career. Virgil Van Dijk is a much more positional, steady defender who thrives off understanding where to be on the pitch to make the most impact.

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He’s always been good at covering in behind, winning aerial duels, and controlling play out from the back. But now he’s partnered by someone that also reads spaces well, just with greater mobility and tenacity to cover those spaces in behind.

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It might be too many draws to start the season for Andoni Iraola’s liking, but the Reds can certainly stay confident that the future looms bright with Jacquet at the back.

U23 TEAM OF THE SEASON SO FAR

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With so much young talent on full display this season, I thought it would be fitting to create a way too early U23 team of the season so far. To be eligible for this team, players must be born in 2003 or later, turning 24 sometime in 2027. If this were a real team, they’d be fighting for Champions League positions, without a doubt.