Cole Palmer, 22 years old (Chelsea)
A team would have to be almost perfect to consider Palmer fit and proper, but Manchester City's standard is such that they were unable to find a regular place for him. Still, the Manchester City attacking midfielder's £42m move to Chelsea has worked for all parties: it gave City some leeway for financial fair play while also giving Chelsea a bright light in another confusing season. Palmer is the main reason Mauricio Pochettino's team earned a place in the first half. The City Academy graduate has combined crowd-pleasing moves and tricks with a ruthless, determined streak illustrated by the way he has supplanted Raheem Sterling (and fighting between Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke in fact) as the club's penalty taker. His impassive conversion of the tie in The roller coaster of Chelsea's 4-4 draw against City November should have settled that argument and beyond that, his 22 league goals and 11 assists have made him Stamford Bridge's most important creative player. His former coach, Pep Guardiola, described him last month as “the most decisive player of the season.” Now the incumbent needs to build something cohesive around him next term.
Jarrad Branthwaite, 21 years old (Everton)
It's easier to be a swaggering young striker in a thriving team than an overworked defender in a struggling one, and Branthwaite has thrived despite off-field noises about point deductions and unconvincing takeover bids at Goodison Park this season. . Amid all this, Sean Dyche's side have probably not received the credit their improvement deserved, and Branthwaite was one of the main reasons why Everton did not enter the final weeks of the campaign plagued by their usual anguish over the descent. The Carlisle academy graduate is in the Premier League's top 10 for interceptions and no one his age or younger has managed more than 50, a testament to his astute reading of the game. Branthwaite has also had a hand in scoring a couple of valuable and celebrated goals, including the late equalizer against Tottenham in February and the one that secured victory in April's Merseyside derby. England's defensive pillar status surely appeals, even if Everton's finances make maintaining him a difficult task.
Michael Olise, 22 (Crystal Palace)
A player can prove his worth through absence, and Crystal Palace's early and mid-season efforts are partly due to Olise's hamstring injury. Sure, the signing of Adam Wharton, the form of Eberechi Eze and the galvanizing impact of new manager Oliver Glasner have all been factors, but Olise has been the star in Palace's blistering showdown. The mockery of Liverpool at Anfield and the demolition of Manchester United at Selhurst Park were two of the signature performances by any team this season and Olise headlined both. His ability to play as a number 10 and move out to the left gives him a mobility that is a tiring challenge for defenders and, when combined with his explosive finishing ability, makes him a valued figure among Palace fans, who They inevitably face a summer of worrying because Olise is relentlessly linked to richer clubs.
Harvey Elliott, 21 years old (Liverpool)
As a certain end-of-an-era melancholy descended on Anfield this season, with the summer departure of Jürgen Klopp and speculation over the futures of stalwarts such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool needed new stories. And in the youngsters who plugged the countless holes created by injuries in the team this season, they got some, Nowhere more than in Elliott's assertive development.. Earlier in the season he spoke of wanting to shed his super sub tag and, although 23 of his 34 appearances for Liverpool this season have come off the bench, this has undoubtedly been his most influential season. He has brought width, crossing ability and industriousness to an underperforming attack and will be a key asset for incoming coach Arne Slot, whether on the right of the midfield three or as a striker. This is his moment.
Kobbie Mainoo, 19 years old (Manchester United)
Since he stood out in his full debut, in the 3-0 victory against Everton In November, Mainoo has provided one of the few sources of encouragement for Manchester United in another season of dysfunction. Four months after that debut, the Stockport-born teenager was making his england bow, impressing in the midfield with his control, vision and elegance and even making comparisons with Luka Modric. For United fans, he lifted spirits with a sumptuous equalizer against Liverpool and a brilliantly taken last-gasp goal against Wolves. His maturity and composure are evident and have been quickly identified by coach Erik ten Hag, proving that United's legendary youth system can still polish gems. The fact that Ten Hag's team fell apart following Mainoo's withdrawal in the second half of the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry offered another example of how important he has become.
